PNG Hunters in Queensland Cup

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Mal backs PNG to make impact in Intrust Super Cup

WHEN he’s not working on his plans to prepare the Queensland Maroons for another State of Origin campaign, Mal Meninga is the coaching director for Papua New Guinea – so he knows all about passionate rugby league fans.

Meninga welcomed today’s news confirming the entry of a PNG team into the Intrust Super Cup competition next season, saying it would further develop the sport in the country.

“(It’s) fantastic news,” Meninga said. “It’s really important for them; really important as far as their development in rugby league.

“It gives them great pathways for young kids to aspire to, to play in the Intrust Super Cup.

“It’s essential for them; they need that week-in, week-out footy to improve their standards up there.”

Most rugby league fans have a good understanding of the passion the PNG people feel for the game and as such, their inclusion has been universally acknowledged as a great thing for the game.

Their step up into what many observers call the country’s premier second-tier however will be a learning curve for those involved – but as Meninga pointed out – it will also help strengthen the game in the region.

“There are some talented football players up there (and) as everyone knows they are really passionate about the game – they just need to be educated more about the little things that make up a footy game,” he said.

“This is a major coup for Papua New Guinea rugby league, and to play in that competition is going to be good for them.”

While he won’t have a hands-on role with the club – Meninga will be keenly watching the progress and will take on a mentoring position with the team and is looking forward to seeing what they can do on the field.

“It’s going to be great,” Meninga said.

“I will have a mentoring, sort of overseeing role with the team and will probably get to see them play a little bit when they get to Australia, so I am looking forward to their entry into the Cup.

“I think they will be strong; personally I think they will be strong once they get used to the week-in, week-out.”

http://www.qrl.com.au/

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PNG Team in Camp – QLD Cup

The PNG QLD Cup team will begin preparations for entry into the Intrust Super Cup competition in 2014 with an off-season selection camp in Port Moresby.

The camp, to be held at the Bomana police College, will start on Tuesday 3rd December and continue until the 20th December 2013. Players arrive into camp today 2nd December.

53 players from across the nation have been invited to attend and will be under the watchful eye of Head Coach Michael Marum as the team begins its preparations in Ernest.

The players have been identified from the Digicel Cup, National Championships and schoolboys programs and will take part in the camp which will be reduced to a full time 25 man strong squad at the end of the camp, said PNGRFL CEO Brad Tassell.

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Q-Cup to cost about K7 million
Source: The National, Tuesday December 3rd, 2013

IT will cost between K6 to K7 million next year to have a Papua New Guinea team in the Queensland Rugby League’s Intrust Super Cup.

That’s the budget for the inaugural season in 2014, mostly to be propped up by corporate sponsorship, much of which has already been secured with major announcements on the naming rights, team name and logo, expected next week.

That figure, which is significantly more compared to what the Queensland-based clubs will spend on their operations, could fluctuate depending on various factors over the five-year period of the licence.

It is great opportunity to create a pathway for PNG players to develop and get contracted to an NRL club in Australia.

But for PNG Rugby Football League it is also a business venture which they hope to use to generate funds for the development of the game at home.

PNGRFL acting chief executive officer Brad Tassell (pictured) said yesterday trying to get a team into the ISC competition had been a challenging two-year period but now that the country was in – they wanted to maximise on the opportunities it presented.

He said these at a media conference in Port Moresby to confirm Michael Marum as head coach and other announcements related to the PNG franchise.

“Yes we want to make financial profits,” he said.

It is hoped that funds generated would give PNGRFL a more solid financial base to run development initiatives like building a more robust schoolboys programme, and basically linking up existing leagues and competitions like the Digicel Cup, national zone championships among others.

The recently revamped Kalabond oval in Kokopo has been chosen as the side’s home ground for now with an additional venue to be included later when it fulfilled the stringent requirements expected by QRL.

PNG plays its opening home game against reigning premiers Mackay Cutters on March 8 in Kokopo – venue issues including security, accommodation capacity – all cleared at last week’s visit to the East New Britain town by QRL general manager Jamie O’Connor and his delegation.

PNG’s season opener will be against competition heavyweights and hosts the Redcliffe Dolphins in Brisbane, which is a televised game, the week before on March 2.

The PNGRFL are yet to confirm the broadcaster of the PNG games however National Braodcasting Corporation’s Kundu2 service signed an agreement to show Q-Cup matches earlier year.

QRL has been apprehensive about a PNG team in its competition following past experiences with the Port Moresby Vipers in 1996 which left unpaid bills to service providers in Brisbane – and were cautious about including another PNG franchise.

Tassell admitted that PNG would be paying more than the other participating clubs with a financial guarantee, details of which he declined to disclose as it was a confidential matter PNGRFL and the naming rights sponsor.

PNG would also pick up costs of travel for teams visiting PNG – which were conditions they had to agree to gain entry into the Q-Cup, considered one of Australia’s two second-tier competitions – the being the local New South Wales competition (NSW Cup).

But Tassell assured supporters that PNGRFL would not pass the costs on to the paying public, explaining that gate fees charged would be affordable by PNG standards.

Spectators to Digicel Cup games pay K10 for adults to the outer stands and Tassell said it would not be a significant difference that despite the objective to make money, fans would not be subjected to inflated gate fees.

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Tsaka applauds coach’s tough stance

PAPUA New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) deputy chairman Sandis Tsaka has applauded the tough stance coach Michael Marum has taken on disciplining elite players.

Tsaka, while not making reference to any player currently in camp preparing for next year’s Intrust Super Cup in Queensland indicated that those penalised would now have to prove they deserve another chance.

Tsaka made the comments through a statement following the announcement of the 25-man squad that was picked following the two-week training camp held at the Bomana Police College.

“For the players that missed out I know they would have gained something out of the opportunity and will go back to their clubs better players and know what they have to work on to improve,” Tsaka said.

PNGRFL CEO Brad Tassell added that it was important to set the tone for developing a club culture from the start and he believed the players had responded under the direction of Marum.

He said that the chance to be part of a full-time professional structure would ensure the talent in PNG developed properly.
Tassell confirmed that the franchise would release their club name next week with the colours and naming rights sponsor.

The team will stay in camp until December 20 before taking a break for Christmas and New Year period and return for training on January 3.

The players will then prepare for two pre-season trial matches against the Northern Pride in Cairns on February 9 and against the Capras in Rockhampton on February 15.

The season launch will be on February 22 at the Dynasty Restaurant.

The opening matches are against Redcliffe in Brisbane on March 2 and then against the Mackay Cutters in Kokopo on March 8.

http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/61269

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Side unnamed, deals done

The National

THE players named in the 25-man training squad preparing for the 2014 Intrust Super Queensland Cup competition in Australia have signed what appears to be ‘good’ contracts to be part of the Papua New Guinea franchise.

Coach Michael Marum yesterday confirmed that the players signed their contracts on Sunday, but was not able to divulge the content of how much each player would be earning in this professional competition.
“All I can say is that the players will be well looked after in terms of their welfare and yes it will be a range above what they get in the Digicel Cup competition,” Marum said. Marum said those details including the naming of the PNG franchise and naming rights sponsor will be announced next week by the management.

In terms of their preparation so far, Marum said from offset they were already four weeks behind in the off-season training, due to the return from the World Cup for a majority of the players.

“But the players are responding well, some more than others as it is quite a new scenario for most of them who normally take a break at this time of the year,” he said.

“We have pushed them and it has done some good to bring out some of the leadership qualities in the players,” Marum said.

Everything we are doing now is just basic drills, bettering techniques in the gym, footwork and agility type of training, he added.

Marum said the players end this period of their training with a test on Wednesday before they go on a break for Christmas and the New Year, and return on January 3.

“We may have Mal (Meninga) or Adrian (Lam) come up to see the players as well before the break,” he added. Marum said when they return the players will be tested again to see if they have been maintaining their fitness levels, as the tempo of the training program will lift with defensive, game patterns and more team work training to prepare for the trial matches in February.

He further said all the players have the spirit to be part of something new and it is exciting to see the enthusiasm growing.

[K2G]

QCup Jersey

Pretty sweet.

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Big day on Monday. Brand launch for PNG QCUP. Name, colours, logo and sponsor. Sponsor is apparently SP Brewery.

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I have no clue what mascot they will choose. I do hope it is something a little different from the Kumuls though.

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PAPUA New Guinea's Intrust Super Cup team is set to be named the "Hunters" but their brightest talent has already been poached.

The Penrith Panthers have signed teenage PNG Test centre Wellington Albert on a two-year deal.

Albert shone for the Kumuls during the Rugby league World Cup and also had interest from the Gold Coast Titans and South Sydney.

He is the first PNG player to be recruited to an NRL club without coming through Australia's development system.

It is a great recognition of the talent level PNG will field next year in their debut season.

Playing out of quaint tourist town Kokopo, the Intrust Super Cup draw released yesterday revealed the first club to play them in PNG would be reigning champions Mackay Cutters.

Each team that travels to PNG will be given a bye the following week.

"After carefully considering a range of factors, we structured the draw this way to provide clubs and players with additional time to recover from the extra travel to PNG," QRL competitions manager Jamie O'Connor said.

"They will light up the competition and provide an element of surprise."

The new 13-team competition kicks off on the weekend of March 1-2, a week earlier than the NRL.

Gould said Albert had the same dimensions as a young Petero Civoniceva.

"Wellington will be groomed long term as a front row forward. At the moment he can play anywhere from wing to front row. Big, fast, strong," Gould wrote on Twitter.

"Wellington's physique reminds me very much of Petero Civoniceva at same age. Long way to go but he has great potential and is a wonderful attitude."
The official name of PNG's team will be announced on Monday but reports are it will be the Hunters.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/

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To be known as the SP PNG HUNTERS. I hope they hunt many a QCUP in 14!

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THE KING AND JOEY JOHNS TO LAUNCH SP PNG HUNTERS SEASON

CLICK HERE

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We will also have raffles, other major auction pieces, as well as the launch of the new club song written and performed by PNG star Jokema

PNG Hunters have a club song...

[shamus]

PNG Hunters have a club song...

Shhh!!! Don't tell C-Whiz..

[Titanic]

Classic pics ... look at the King (then with Wynnum) in full-flight with Meninga (then with Souths) chasing in full-fright ... and the referee obscured is ... ? C'mon Diehard

Oh yeah ... who's the drug-crazed specimen on the other side? Check his eyes out ... no don't do that, just keep your eyes on the ball.