Last year's DigicelExxonMobil Cup competition grand final runner-ups, the Bintangor Goroka Lahanis have assembled their squad for the 2024 season.
Most of the players who were apart of the grand final team last year, including Christopher Urakusi, Douzen Hoyato, and Kafu Ken who spent the preseason training with the PNG Hunters, have been named in the side.
While the squad remains complete, some big names have missed out on selection.
The most notable omission in the squad is skipper and long-time member of the club, Charlie Buka.
The Lahanis hooker played a pivotal role in the astronomical rise of the club last season. His absence from the list raises eyebrows, raising more questions than answers.
The Bintangor Lahanis is not new to getting its players retired to get a new coaching role at the club.
This could be on the card for Buka given that Charlie Wabo has signed a two-year contract with the Nation’s Capital Franchise, NCDC Moni Plus Port Moresby Vipers, leaving a coaching position at the club vacant.
The Lahanis team is expected to commence training this week as selected players are being urged to meet with the team management at the National Sports Institute on Tuesday, January 9th for the club briefing.
The Lahanis team have been put into three categories:
- The current squad members;
- train-on squad and;
- the development squad.
This newsroom contacted the Bintangor Goroka Lahanis franchise management to get further comments about the status of their captain and Wabo’s replacement, but attempts were unsuccessful.