By Wayne Heming
November 12th 2008 @ 2:53am
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For sale: Raw PNG player with a future
For sale: Rugby league player with huge potential. Papua New Guinea coach Adrian Lam has done everything short of advertising in the Trading Post and on eBay to try to secure young Kumul centre prospect Anton Kui a professional offer to help develop his career.
The the 24 year-old, rated by Lam an exceptional talent, made his Test debut against Australia in the World Cup last weekend.
Both he and young Titans winger David Moore - whose professionalism and commitment have become a benchmark for the next generation of players, have emerged as two of PNG’s big hopes for the future.
But while Moore is highly regarded and secure in the Titans NRL system, Kui headed home this week to play for the Bingtangor Lahain.
Lam believes he needs to be with an Australian club to develop his near unlimited potential.
He reckons that with the right coaching and training Kui could eventually become PNG’s version of Israel Folau, a player the next generation of youngsters could aspire to follow.
“I think he’s got a huge future,” said Lam after his Test debut.
“Some of the stuff he does at training is unbelievable compared to the NRL boys we coach coach at the (Sydney) Roosters.
“If somebody could grab hold of him, who knows what he could do in one or two years.”
Lam wasn’t going to play Kui against Australia because he’s still very raw.
But he couldn’t resist seeing him up against the world’s best.
“He didn’t have a great game but he didn’t get many chances either,” said Lam.
Kui is a mini Folau given he’s only 85kg and 183cm compared to the giant young Australian three-quarter who measures up at 195cm and 103kgs.
But Lam, who helped orchestrate Queensland’s 3-0 Origin series clean sweep of NSW in 1995 and who played seven seasons with the Roosters in the NRL, has a sharp eye for talent.
“Of all the time I’ve been involved in footy I’ve seen a lot of talented players,” he said.
“He’s got exceptionally light feet, great balance, he’s tall with a good reach and fend.
“He runs great lines and can defend.
“I’d love to see him in a full time system, and I reckon in 12 months to two years he’d be as good as anyone playing in the NRL.”
With all those skills he could well be a real bargain.
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oikee said | November 12th 2008 @ 10:22am | Report comment
All this talk about league not expanding and failing to become a true National comp, to hell with that. Lets go international and get P.N.G and Fiji teams in the comp. What we should do is have them Based in a town or city that can support them in which then can move their players into the comp. For instance if you had a city like Mackay who would be willing to take the team as their own and also include some local talent along with a good jumior set-up would be great.
We need to think outside the square because what we are doing is so slow and painful its depressing. We could even include amybe a yankie team with their imports to further devolop the game. This could then be played in 2 divisions like they do with american football. We have so many areas that are crying out for a team and with a bit of possitive thinking we could acheive this without alienating those areas. Call it international super league. So the teams would be the Papuan mudmen, the yankie redskins, the fiji nutters. Other teams in other nations could also be entered.
Brett McKay said | November 12th 2008 @ 10:35am | Report comment
Oikee, glad you’ve popped up somewhere. I know this is slightly off-topic (but actually slightly related too), but after you bought up the well-named Parkes Spacemen last week, I thought you’d be interested to read of their role in preparing some Fijian players for the RLWC:
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/we-have-liftoff–spacemen-ride-all-the-way-with-meteoric-fijians/2008/11/11/1226318651632.html
oikee said | November 12th 2008 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Good read Brett, this is very possitive for league in the islands. We have as you know and by the talent we have seen from Tonga and Samoa many islanders playing in the NRL. I think big petro has mentioned once before about trying to get Fiji talent into the game, but as the NRL dinosaurs running the game it is this Mass gathering that has opened there eyes. Its very frustrating to watch league stumble around like they do but what is one to do, you need a bomb up their arse for them to see.
Yes that Parkes story is something i enjoy, i think i have mentioned that my family history is well intrenched down in parkes, we have a grave-yard full of our ancestors down there. My Gr grand-father owned one of the largest sheep farms in oz down that way. Thanks for the link Brett.