PNG and Fiji finalise squads for Pacific Cup

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PNG and Fiji finalise squads for Pacific Cup

The Pacific nations? top two ranked sides Fiji and Papua New Guinea have named their SP Brewery Pacific Cup squads ahead of all competing nations arriving in Port Moresby today for the start of the tournament.

Headlining a Fiji squad which performed so well at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup are Newcastle Knights flyers Wes Naiqama and Akuila Uate.

Adrian Lam?s Papua New Guinea squad ? which came within a whisker of upsetting England in their similarly successful RLWC campaign ? features an array of English Super League and NRL talent headlined by Gold Coast Titans rising star David Mead.

Local heroes Menzie Yere (Sheffield Eagles) and Charlie Wabo (Hunslet) have returned from England to join the squad while promising NRL Toyota Cup player Tyson Martin (North Queensland) has earned selection following a solid performance against the Australian Prime Minister?s XIII last month.

The Fiji, Tonga and Cook Islands squads arrive in Port Moresby today in preparation for the tournament, which kicks off on Saturday, with PNG already in camp.

Throughout the tournament?s two weeks all nations will be assisting the PNG Rugby League and AusAID with promoting critical HIV/AIDS related health messages while tournament staff will conduct a ?Sports Conference? on October 28 for the benefit of local sports administrators.

Following their upset victory over Samoa the Cook Islands will face Fiji in the first match of the tournament on Saturday, October 24 before host nation PNG take on Tonga on Sunday, October 25.

The following Saturday, October 31 will see a 3rd versus 4th playoff match before the Final is played on Sunday, November 1 to determine the inaugural SP Brewery Pacific Cup champions and the fourth nation of the 2010 Four Nations.

All matches kick off at 3pm (QLD time, 4pm NSW) at Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby. Vision for news networks is available from Globecast.

Australian fans will be able to see all matches live online thanks to Telstra BigPond ? visit NRL.com for more information ? and through a Nine Network telecast on November 1 and 8 at midday.

For UK fans Sky Sports 1, 2 and 3 will broadcast match highlights on October 27-28 and November 3-5 while fans throughout the Pacific will be catered for through Fiji TV and local PNG fans through host broadcaster EM TV.

Fiji Bati 2009 Pacific Cup Squad

Surname First Name Club
DIVAVESI
Iowane
Lautoka Crushers

GOCK
Donas
Cabramatta Two Blues

HUGHES
Hamilton
Moore Park Brumbies

KOLINIAVU
Meli
Auckland Warriors

KOROI
Sevania
Nadera Panthers

MACILAI
Jone
Coral Coast Cowboys

MILLARD
Ryan
Newtown Jets

NAIQAMA
Kevin
Newcastle Knights

NAIQAMA
Wes
Newcastle Knights

RALOGAIVAU
Sitiveni
Nadera Panthers

RASAUBALE
Puna
Southern Districts Rebels

RATU
Mike
Leeds Rhinos

RAVUETA
Joe
Coral Coast Cowboys

SADRAU
Osea
Police Sharks

SARAVAKI
Asaeli
Nadera Panthers

TANI
Alipate
Coral Coast Cowboys

TANI
Kaliova
Coral Coast Cowboys

UATE
Akuila
Newcastle Knights

WAQA
Lepani
Wentworthville Magpies

WESELE
Jone
Police Sharks

Coach: Terry Gilogely

Papua New Guinea Kumuls 2009 Pacific Cup Squad

Surname First Name Club
MEAD
David
Gold Coast Titans

AIYE
Dion
Agmark Gurias

KAMBO
Richard
Wentworthville

PARKER
Jessie Joe
SBS Muruks

PETERS
Keith
Penrith Panthers

MAORI
Tu?u
Sydney Roosters

PORA
Rodney
Agmark Gurias

ASTON
Jay
Northern Pride

NIGHTINGALE
James
Redcliffe Dolphins

GANDE
Seigfried
Goroka Lahanis

MONI
George
Agmark Gurias

NAMI
Glen
Goroka Lahanis

CHAN
Jason
Celtic Crusaders

GRIFFIN
Rod
Northern Pride

WABO
Charlie
Hunslet, UK

WILSHERE
John
Salford Reds

MARTIN
Tyson
North Queensland Cowboys

BOND
Joe
Melbourne Storm

KUI
Anton
SBS Muruks

YERE
Menzie
Sheffield Eagles, UK

Source: http://www.nrl.com

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CRUSADERS CHAN LOOKING FORWARD TO PACIFIC CUP

Celtic Crusaders forward Jason Chan has been named in Papua New Guinea's 20-man squad for the Pacific Cup in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.

Salford winger John Wilshire, Sheffield Eagles' centre Menzie Yere and Hunslet hooker Charlie Wabo will join him in the squad.

Chan, who will return to training with the Crusaders in late November, is the only non-Welsh Crusader involved in international rugby league this autumn with the possibility of 12 of his team-mates starring for Wales this autumn.

"I've been in camp for a bit over two and a half weeks," said Chan. "The training is really tough and it makes it harder in the heat and high humidity, it's nearly 30-35 degrees every day.

"I love being back in PNG. The support here is massive. Rugby league is its national sport so they really support us here and look after us so well. It's also good to get to catch up with a lot of family and see some of the beautiful areas of my home country."

Chan played for the International Kumuls last week against a PNG Residents side, scoring a try in their 24-20 win.

"We played the game in Mount Hagan and there was a crowd of 10,000," Chan adds. "The fans were everywhere, there wasn't a space free in the stands. I got a try before half-time and ended up with Man of the Match.

"It felt great to talk in front of all the supporters, sponsors and players and tell them how honoured I was to be there and play for Papua New Guinea."

Papua New Guinea open their Pacific Cup campaign against Tonga on Sunday in a tournament that has already seen one shock with Cook Islands knocking out Samoa last Sunday, winning 22-20.

Chan is in a confident mood about the competition.

"I am excited to play against Tonga next Sunday," Chan continues. "I think we will beat them and take out the Grand Final game after that. Training for so long and hard and only playing three or four games makes you really hungry to play and play well."

Leeds centre Mike Ratu, who is joining Hull KR next season, is in Fiji's squad.

Cook Islands, who beat Samoa in the qualifying match, will take on Fiji in the opening match on Saturday before host nation PNG meet Tonga on Sunday.

The winners of the Pacific Cup Final on Sunday, November 1 will take on England, Australia and New Zealand in the 2010 Four Nations Cup that will take place in the Southern Hemisphere.

Wales start their rugbyleague.com European Cup campaign with a away tie in Serbia this Sunday before taking on Ireland in the probable group decider at Sardis Road, Pontypridd on Sunday 1 November.

Ireland beat Serbia 82-0 in Tullamore last Sunday in the opening Group Two match.

Source: http://www.crusadersrfl.com