Port Moresby Rugby League

Royals came out victors, 24-10, in their elimination final rematch played at the NFS Oval 2 yesterday.

Royals will now face minor premiers Bige Petroleum Gulf West in the grand final set for 19th November 2023. This will also include grand finals for U20 and Women on the same date. 

Hohola Flies meet Tarangau for the Dr. James Naipao U20 Shield while  Paga Panthers up against Royals for the Sandis Tsaka Women Shield.

The PRL Grand Final will be staged at the Santos National Football stadium oval 1.

The matches were moved from Saturday, to Wednesday 29 June, 2022.

In the Women's competition, Gulf West won on forfeit over Paga Panthers, Tarangau beat Butterflies 44-nil and Royals 32, beat Dobo Warriors 8. Hanuabada Hawks are on Bye. 

In the Under 20 matches, Gulf West beat Butterflies 8-4, Tarangau beat Paga Panthers 18-6, Kone Tigers beat Hohola Flies 20-18, Royals beat Dobo Warriors 6-nil, and Kone Storms beat Defence 10-4.

On Sunday, U/20 Royals and West drew 6-6, Defence and Dobo Warriors drew 6-6 and Kone Storms and Paga Panthers drew 10-10. 

In the Women’s matches, Royals beat Butterflies 70-nil, and West beat Dobo Warriors 28-8. 

In 'A' grade, West beat Royals 2-nil, and Dobo Warriors beat Defence 22-4.

On Saturday, U/20 Tarangau and Hanuabada Hawks drew 6-6, and Butterflies beat Magani 4-nil. 

In the Women’s matches, Hanuabada Hawks beat Paga Panthers 10-8.

In the opening match tomorrow is the U/20 feature against Kone Tigers and Hohola Flies. The Tigers should beat Hohola Flies in an evenly contest. The same teams lock horns also in the senior A Grade Men’s match.
On Saturday, in the U/20 match, Hanuabada Hawks should beat Tarangau and Magani is tipped to beat Butterflies. On Sunday, Royals to beat Gulf West and Defence are out to topple Dobo Warriors, but can go either way.

PRL Administrator, Meke Maino said: “Teams have already been given ample time to pay up but if they continue in the way they are going in the next few weeks, tough measures will be taken by the PRL board where clubs failing to pay will face penalties.

“We have never at one stage completed a year without player registration. We have given ample time at the beginning of the season to allow teams and players to complete registrations,” said Maino.

PRL Administrator, Meke Maino said the competition is in week three of the second round with two weeks remaining before the eliminations.

In the women’s competition, Paga Panthers and Sisters remain undefeated and lead the competition followed by Hawks, Royals, Tarangau, Gulf West and Magani are teams in the top eight.

Administrator, Meke Maino Dobo said Warriors A grade team is an outstanding performing team and are current competition leaders in its division.

In elaborating on the clubs success, coach Bruce Au said the club has been performing consistently for the past three years, because training for players is a priority. The club has also seen some of its good players participate at the Digicel Cup competition.

Souths, led by a far more experienced William Mone, gave the Flies a run for their money.

But the inexperienced Hohola Flies banked on their senior players in the forward pack to attack the Souths heavy defense.

Despite a strong defense by their opponents, Souths found a weak link and scored their first try.

The young Hohola Flies outfit held on tight, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Souths from pocketing a second try, to bring the score to 10 nil.

After making a few changes to their forwards, Flies were able to score their first converted.

Late Robson, who is from Banora Point in New South Wales, passed away on Thursday, September 29 at the Tweed Heads Hospital in Queensland, Australia.

The Lloyd Robson Oval, now redeveloped into the National Football Stadium in Moresby, was named after the Late Robson.

Chairman of the SP POMRFL Dr James Naipao hailed Lloyd Robson as a name that has been kept and attached, fostered and will be remembered for a very long time, a name synonymous with POM rugby league.

The women’s grand final will be played as curtain raiser to the Prime Minister’s XIII between Australia and PNG on Saturday, Sept 24 and the men’s grand finals will be played on Sunday, Sept 25.

The last time a grand final for POMRFL was played at PRL Oval was back in 2013 before the venue was transformed into the new stadium.

The K170 million world class stadium was opened in February, 2016 and sits about 10,000 people.

It has so far hosted matches for the Queensland Intrust Super Cup and the Digicel Cup competition.