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Papua New Guinea are basically everyone’s second team. If you don’t agree…well, I don’t know what to say. They’re great fun, they love the game, they play hard and fast. It’s everything we like to see in international footy.
They’re really good, too. The Kumuls smashed a stacked Fiji side in the Pacific Tests, and that was without a few key names.
They have lost talisman David Mead since, but will maintain a serious roster, add a few UK-based names into the mix and, crucially, keep up their cohesion and continuity.
Let’s not beat around the bush. PNG have a major structural advantage because the core of their side come from the Hunters in the Queensland Cup, and in rep footy, there’s no substitute for guys that play together every week.
There’s no sub for real halves, either, and that was the secret sauce in their victory over the Bati. If you take a core from the Hunters, add a settled pairing at 6 and 7, then sprinkle on a little star power, you’re in for a decent squad.
PNG have a decent enough draw as well. They start with a blockbuster in St Helens against Tonga: two major nations in a rugby league heartland, stadium packed with footy diehards, Monday night on national telly…inject this to my veins right now.
Whoever wins that night will likely top the group, as Wales and the Cook Islands are a few rungs down the ladder quality-wise.
Group C then plays off with Group A – England and Samoa, most likely – so you could see a Tonga v Samoa in the quarters and a PNG v England too. Wow. Get me on the plane.
Justin Olam, obviously, is their star man, with Alex Johnston likely to feature at fullback and Xavier Coates on a wing. No lack of firepower, then.
The halves are settled, as Kyle Laybutt and Lachlan Lam have been alongside each other for the last few years.
Their standouts in the Pacific Tests were McKenzie Yei and Nixon Putt: close your eyes and imagine a PNG backrower, and it’ll look like those two.
Rhyse Martin missed that fixture as he is based in the Super League with Leeds, but will certainly play and likely at lock. He’ll kick their goals, too. London Broncos prop Wellington Albert will also get the nod.
Edwin Ipape tore it up with runaway leaders Leigh in the English second grade, and he’ll likely go in at hooker, while his teammate Nene Macdonald will be picked too – likely in the centres. He played 80% of his NRL games on the wing, but most of the rest one man in.
(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
Ok, let’s get into the Hunters. They’ve had a poor season in the Q Cup, but will still contribute plenty of personnel.
There’s Emmanuel Waine and Sylvester Namo in the middle rotation, Sherwin Tanabi as a backrow option and Keven Appo and Wesser Tenza too. Solo Wane would have featured on the wing, but is done for the year.
From elsewhere in the Q Cup, Edene Gebbie is now at Townsville Blackhawks and could replace Wane, Dan Russell is at Easts Tigers and could go into either the back row or the centres.
Jacob Alick is yet to make his NRL bow at the Titans, but has appeared regularly for Easts Tigers and made his PNG debut in the Pacific Tests.
Xavier Coates of the Broncos. – for now. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Watson Boas is a stalwart but has now dropped into the third tier of English footy, so isn’t the automatic pick that he once was. He still makes the squad.
Robert Derby is in the Cowboys system and provides backline depth, as will Ragarive Wawik, who played U-19s Origin for Queensland.
Zev John of Central Queensland Capras is in, as is Jeremiah Simbiken, who burst onto the scene with the Redcliffe Dolphins and secured a top 30 contract for next year. Wests Magpies winger Jimmy Ngutlik is the sole NSW Cup representative.
Fijian forward Viliame Kikau of Fiji is tackled by the Papua New Guinean defence.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
1 Alex Johnston
2 Xavier Coates
3 Justin Olam
4 Nene Macdonald
5 Jimmy Ngutlik
6 Kyle Laybutt
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Sylvester Namo
9 Edwin Ipape
10 Wellington Albert
11 Nixon Putt
12 Dan Russell
13 Rhyse Martin
14 Zev John
15 McKenzie Yei
16 Wellington Albert
17 Jacob Alick
18 Rodrick Tai
19 Keven Appo
20 Sherwin Tanabi
21 Jedidiah Simbiken
22 Edene Gebbie
23 Wesser Tenza
24 Watson Boas