rugby league

Albanese made this assurance when addressing Parliament last Thursday in Port Moresby.

Albanese said whether it is rugby league, or cricket with the Barras and the Lewas, or the work being done here by the AFL, sport is a genuine and powerful way of building strong and lasting ties between our peoples, at a code and club and community and family level.

Gun centre Joe Frank “the tank” 2022 five-eighth of the Year Saki Peter and rising prop forward Koso Badi have made the final 30-man squad after impressing Hunters Head Coach, Stanley Tepend at preseason training since  camp started in November.

The Hunters team will be further trimmed down to 25 before the season kicks off in March.

From the Gurias trio, Frank in particular who had a solid season with Gurias in 2022 has worked really hard to earn his spot.

Mr Albanese will use his historic speech to PNG’s parliament on Thursday to restate his support for a Pacific Islander team to compete in the NRL, saying Australia and PNG have a “shared passion for rugby league”.

“Today I affirm my view that I want to see a PNG-based, Pacific Islander team compete in the National Rugby League competition,” he is expected to say.

“Sport is such a genuine and powerful way of building strong and lasting ties between our peoples, at a code and club and community and family level.

Northern Reds (2) will meet H6 Knights for a rematch. The two teams will only play the second half after the match was abandoned only minutes before fulltime on Saturday after the match referee walked off.

In the other scheduled quarter finals, Capital Macows will meet Raiders Namona at 12.30pm followed by another rematch, Sari Hawks against Kone Texas Rats at 1.30pm. This particular match was also called off after both teams ended up in an 8-all deadlock during golden point time.

Emmanuel Waine, Rodrick Tai, Sherwin Tanabi and Judah Rimbu have been called up to the Wayne Bennett-coached side for train and trial deals in 2023.

They join fellow Papua New Guinean and Kumul player, Jeremiah Simbiken in the squad.

This is through a strategic pathway signed between the PNG Hunters and the NRL Dolphins in 2022.

Of those four players, two will be selected by the Dolphins to stay on and train with their NRL squad for the remainder of the season.

Sepik Pride Chairman, Bradley Simon has assembled players this week as they kick off their journey to Digicel Cup. 

Players from Port Moresby and East Sepik will travel to Ialibu for a week preparation where players From Lae, Goroka and SHP will join the group before the SHP 9s kick off. 

Simon said: “As we await the decision by PNG National Rugby League Competitions, EMK Sepik Pride has taken a bold step on our first mission, and that is to take part in the SHP 9s.”

They have started preseason training.

The core of the team that landed the Central Dabaris maiden finals season has been retained with a few new faces in a bid to maintain the clubs dream run.

Meantime, the 4^th edition of Central Dabaris rugby league 9s tournament is underway. The competition started on Monday January 09.

It is expected to be played across the entire central province in 13 zones before the winners come to Port Moresby for the finals in early February.

- Vanu Dust 14, Morata Swans 0;
- Kone Texas Rats 6, Boroko Bulldogs 4;
- Sari Hawks 12, RMA 289 Jokers 8;
- D8 Mosquitos 16, Garden Hill Eagles 2;
- Raiders Namona 8, Joyce Bay Sting Rays 6.

Both teams were tied up 6-all at the end of regulation time until Raiders kicked a penalty in golden point time to take the match from Sting Rays 8-6.

Sting Rays then appealed against Raiders alleging they used four registered Digicel Cup players instead of only three as per Tournament Rules.

The round robin tournament which ran throughout the festive period was for the first time played in (4) different venues:

Pool A- held at the Bomana, Pool B - at Kone Tigers oval, Pool C –Ipi field (Hohola) and Pool D -at Gerehu sports field.

Tournament Coordinator, Dago Arua said the round robin games were completed last week with the top 16 teams, four from each pool qualifying for the eliminations and quarter finals tomorrow and Sunday, at the Moresby Southside stadium.

The meeting was underway at the Ribito Hotel on Saturday 17th December, 2022.

The meeting was hosted by Board Chairman and Acting Provincial Administrator Sandis Tsaka.

During the meeting the board decided it would host the 9^th PNGRFL Annual General Meeting in Wabag on March 25, 2023. PNGNRL CEO Stanley Hondina made the announcement.

On behalf of the Enga Provincial Government, Protocol Officer, Philip Kandes, thanked the PNGRFL for convening the fourth quarter Board Directors meeting in Wabag.