Prime Ministers XIII

[titanfan1980]

Does anybody know when they play and if it's on tv?

[hammer]

They play at 2.30pm AEST...not sure if televised on tv or via the web.

[DIEHARD]

Not on TV. I don't think it's on the web. Very disappointed about that. It'd be a quality game of significance. And why not give the supporters of eliminated teams a thrills? There is merit in that.

[TITAN PETE]

Aussies 50-10

[DIEHARD]

Well done anyone get bitten by a dog? Well done to our Titans!

Heard on the radio today on way to Queensland Cup Grand Final. PNG team definitely in for next year. Official announcement soon.

[Blade07]

Tries to Aiden and Kevin

[Titanic]

pic. The National (one of PNG's dailies)

[TITAN PETE]

PM's XIII beat PNG 50-10 in league match

By Eoin Blackwell, AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent
AAP
5:50pm Sun 29th September, 2013


Australia's Prime Minister's XIII rugby league side has defeated Papua New Guinea 50-10, with the only surprise being the absence of the usual crowd violence.

Several players pushed their claims for selection in next month's World Cup, including Parramatta's Jarryd Hayne, who has made known his desire to be in the squad.

Hayne scored the opening try of the match in the PNG city of Kokopo, and was quickly followed onto the scoreboard by NSW and Australia teammate James Tamou.

A third try by Brent Tate put Australia up 18-0.

Heavy rain started to fall in the game's second half, but the visitors, coached by NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley, still racked up tries to David Shillington, Aiden Sezer, Kevin Gordon, Josh Morris and a second to Hayne.

The Kumuls struck back with tries either side of halftime to Israel Eliab and 18-year-old Nene MacDonald.

The annual match draws huge crowds in PNG, the only country in the world where rugby league is the national sport.

Outside the 4,000-capacity stadium a crowd of about 6,000 well-behaved people gathered in the hope of seeing the match, with some of the local crowd scaling 30-metre telegraph poles to see the game.

Usually local police have to deploy tear gas to disperse the crowd.

[DIEHARD]

Wow. Gold sleeves for the PM13 team.

[DIEHARD]

Amazing that there was more fans outside the stadium than in the stadium. We need a bigger stadium!

[TITAN PETE]

Wow. Gold sleeves for the PM13 team.

I like it

Amazing that there was more fans outside the stadium than in the stadium. We need a bigger stadium!

This could be a very intimidating place for a Q Cup team to play in..

[Titanic]

Reality Check

A CLASSY showing by a near full strength Australian Kangaroos saw the Papua New Prime Minister’s XIII thrashed 52-10 at the Kalabond Oval, in Kokopo, yesterday.
The ‘graveyard’ failed to live up to expectations, instead giving the Team Kumul management a reality check three weeks before the first World Cup match against France.
The Australians were just too big and showed their professionalism in a nine-try rout that will have fractured the Kumuls World Cup build-up.
The thrashing served drove home the message that the Kumuls need the overseas compliment of size and experience to be competitive on the global stage.
Kumul coach Adrian Lam said after match it was disappointing, especially as they had worked hard on their defence.
“It just a fact of life that you have to deal with that the Australians were just too big and you need the big players on the big stage to be on par with them,” a despondent Lam said.
“While the Digicel Cup is a good yardstick, it does not compare with the NRL or Super League … we just have to be realistic. The loss gives us a lot to work on and has exposed some areas that we will work on once the national selectors finalise the team (Kumuls) this week.”
The locals were troubled from the opening whistle as the Australians attacked in wave after wave.
The guile of speed merchant Jarryd Hayne punching of an inside pass set-move from Brent Tate set the tone in the opening minutes for what was going to be a long day for the potential Kumuls.
Their momentum seemed endless as hulking North Queensland Cowboy prop James Tamou bulldozed his way over and then Tate again punched through Papua New Guinea’s right flank to race away for an 18-0 lead in a blistering 20-minute spell.
PNG finally found some light when a few errors by their slick counterparts saw several opportunities down the left flank for Richard Kambo and Jessie Joe Nandye but they fell short.
But when attacked, the right flank through hard-working Paul Aiton to Roger Laka to finally found an opening for centre Israel Eliab to crash through Josh Morris.
That did raised hope of a revival among the committed who braved the sunshine before the heavens opened up.
But that setback only upped the tempo for Australian dummy half Robbie Farah to send in the big men in Tamou, David Shillington, Sam Thaiday, Ben Hannant, Corey Parker and Ryan James to soften the PNG defence through the middle.
It led to Gold Coast Titans pacey winger Kevin Gordon pouncing on a cross-kick from teammate Greg Bird and then Parramatta Eels wonder boy Hayne sliced through the right flank off another set move with Bird and Tate for a 30-4 lead at half-time.
Despite PNG putting on a more spirited show following the break, with determined efforts from David Loko, L****n Marape, Enoch Maki, Petero Sanivalu, Kambo, Nene MacDonald, Wellington Albert and Mark Mexico, they could not shift the tide.
Even with the heavy downpour in the second-half, the Australians muscled up with tries to Josh Papalii, Shillington, Sezer and the Morris twins – Brett and Josh – to stretch away.
PNG managed to finally break through with their second try late in the game to Abavu off a grubber from Laka.
Australian PM’s XIII 52 (J.Hayne 2, B.Morris, B.Tate, J.Morris, K.Gordon, A.Sezar, J.Tamou, D.Shillington tries; A.Sezer 7, C.Parker 1conversions) 52 d Papua New Guinea PM’s XIII (I.Eliab, J.Abavu tries; F.Paniu 1 conversion) 10.

http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/56850

[Titanic]

This could be a very intimidating place for a Q Cup team to play in..

Vipers won every home game in 1996 and lost every away game :-)

[TITAN PETE]

Vipers won every home game in 1996 and lost every away game :-)

I'm guessing they will be far stronger in 2014

[Titanic]

I'm guessing they will be far stronger in 2014

I wouldn't count on it ... in the mid-90's they were at the tail end of their golden era and the QCup is a lot stronger now than what was then the transition from the State League. They'll compete but it will take several years for them to adapt and the internal selection policies will factor largely into that.

PNG players don't like to be second best and historically those who miss out either give up or get peeved and take other avenues like playing union or taking minor contracts in the bush. Expect to see the same ageing squad for some time. I really hope Tassel can keep the reigns on them.