The Prime Minister’s XIII have picked up their customary win in Port Moresby, but were given an almighty run for their money by Papua New Guinean counterparts, with a back-and-forth game ending 30-18.
A late try from Tyrell Sloan put some gloss on the scoreline, but it came as the Kumuls pressed for a late equaliser following a performance in which they simply refused to go away.
The Australian outfit brought a bevvy of stars, with seven from last year’s World Cup squad plus the likes of Cody Walker, Nicho Hynes and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, but struggled to make inroads against a side largely without first grade talent.
There was an understandable lack of cohesion, but 17 errors across the piece told its own story. In previous years, this has been an exhibition, but from the moment Nene Macdonald opened the scoring after four minutes, it was clear that it would be a proper contest.
Every PNG charge was cheered by a packed house, and they grew in confidence as the game went on. This was the lowest points total they have conceded and the most points they have scored since 2012. The standard is cleary improving.
Moreover, with all eyes on a potential expansion, the fact that this side featured so few NRL players and yet performed so well speaks to how deep the river runs in PNG.
Anyone wondering if there would be enough talent in a nation of 10 million that is utterly obsessed with rugby league was, again, given ample evidence that all it would take is pathways and cash to make it happen.
Anthony Albanese, watching from afar, might instruct the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to get the cheque book out.
There are, of course, a lot of caveats here.This team met two weeks ago, and much as they are absolutely stacked with talent, that matters. The Australians played with 19 players, with only Josh Addo-Carr missing out from the travelling squad.
The bulk of them also haven’t played for a few weeks, given the distance from the end of the regular season. It was very hot and very windy, which had a major impact on both sides.
But still: this was a Q Cup standard PNG side and Australia made very heavy weather of them. There were plenty of faces in there who would have wanted to advance their case for a Kangaroos jumper, but few did so. Indeed, the Foxx probably did by his absence.
Ben Hunt was smart and will certainly be in the squad. He played the game in front of him well, with two key assists from both dummy half and regular play. Murray Taulagi scored a nice try and keeps himself front and centre of the conversation for a wing role.
But beyond that, several cases were harmed rather than helped. None of Daly Cherry-Evans, Walker or Hynes made a case to be considered any higher than they were before today.
With Cameron Munster and Nathan Cleary all but locks for the starting halves roles, that might not matter much anyway.
For DCE or Walker, who do their best work as the smartest player in a system, a formless game with multiple halves against a defence for whom knocking your head off is their Grand Final is hardly an ideal situation. In a more conventional game, they would look better.
The centre role doesn’t look much more settled. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow got a long run, as did Zac Lomax, but neither set the heather alight. The big winners were Bradman Best and Kotoni Staggs.
This game is a little like the first week of the Tour de France: you can’t win, but you can definitely lose. Last year, Selwyn Cobbo bounced himself out of a World Cup with a poor performance, and nobody today was bad enough for that to happen.
But, Hunt aside, it’s hard to say that anyone battered the door down either.
It’s impossible to even think of PNG rugby league at the moment without putting the performances into the context of a prospective NRL bid based out of the country.
As an event this was a success for PNG. On the day, it went off without a hitch and on the field, it brought all the good stuff that we love about the Kumuls: bell-ringing tackles, rocket-powered runs and passionate fans.
On a more theoretical level, the squad assembled proved the raw materials are there. Don’t listen to people who tell you that there isn’t a talent pool for further expansion – just imagine what PNG would be capable of if they had had a fraction of the infrastructure that is available for Australians and New Zealanders.
This was a scratch team of guys from second grade and domestic competition, with only 100 or so NRL appearances across their entire squad, the bulk of them with Nene MacDonald, currently estranged from Leeds Rhinos.
PNG were missing all their best players and, as ever, looked a bit disorganised at times, but all the building blocks are there.
There’s always a temptation to channel Shoeless Joe Jackson – “if you build it, they will come” – when discussing PNG’s prospects, but the feeling remains that they are the sleeping giant, rugby league’s great untapped resource of talent.
Albanese – who didn’t attend today – is intent on funding Pacific diplomacy through his favourite sport. He could do a lot worse than chuck cash at PNG’s pathways, because there’s gold in them thar highlands.
jimmy jones
Roar Rookie
soft diplomacy is nothing new
Heyou
Roar Rookie
Preaching to the converted Bernie. :thumbup:
Megeng
Roar Rookie
I took my young bloke to see a couple of Souths games this year at Westend. It took me right back to Leichhardt oval, ca. 1975. Great stuff, all hotdogs and coke. We lost that with the NRL and big stadiums. Tricky getting over Souths being mapgies but. Having said that, it's tricky getting over Balmain being Wests too.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Heureux d'obliger. Lisez ma réponse à Panthers. Mais sans la traduction, vous serez aussi désemparé qu’Ashley Klein.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
C'est la saison des lapins en France. Peut-être que vous et votre équipe devriez y déménager, mon ami. :laughing:
Bernie
Roar Rookie
and happy for him, i just wish he was only King of Far Far Away, and nothing to do with us.
Heyou
Roar Rookie
Good on PNG. They are mad for Rugby League and are passionate supporters of NRL teams. Some support one team in particular and some support many or all of the NRL teams They are members of supporter groups and are making their presence felt through posting and commenting on a regular basis. PNG for number 18? It could happen.
Heyou
Roar Rookie
He’s called King.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Lucky we have Wallabies at the World Cup ! Oh Wait ....
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Climate, crime, economy...that's Townsville's reasons to not have a team.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Well, he's King Charles now.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Are they still paying you in bananas backup pilot to Ham the Astrochimp? You seemed pretty happy about your pile of bananas and collection of tree houses a while back. :laughing:
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
The Aust Gov spends $5 billion per annum on overseas aid, I don't have a problem channeling more of this to PNG if it means we don't have rice with every meal.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
PNG had a lot of success when they 1st came into the Qld Cup, but as the QRL, NSWRL & SL cherry picked the best players they have dropped off. The Feds could chip in some funding to build them up, they need to get to the level of Redcliffe, Easts & Burleigh, finals every year, before being considered for promotion to the NRL
Succhi
Roar Rookie
A team for PNG will be purely a political move to win favour over the PNG Gov so Australian and US companies can get access to their natural resources, and block out China from doing the same. I’m all for helping PNG but a token league team ain’t the best way. The only reason we are not talking about a Fijian or Tongan team is they have no natural resources to pillage.
Nat
Roar Guru
What party? Half a dozen broke-ass clubs sharing a carton of throwdowns and souths being 'that guy' who bums smokes and didn't chip in for the grog? Little brother, as you put it, brought the billions of dollars, the entertainment and invited everyone who wanted to contribute to a better "party". Souths just weren't good contributors, much like some of their fans.
Bernie Vinson
Roar Rookie
The ref should have been doing one of the prelims - he knows how to get a close game - his decisions were bewildering and all one way
Maddi Davis
Roar Rookie
They do play cricket.. they play all sports in PNG
Maddi Davis
Roar Rookie
You must be in heaven Nathan with all this "International" Rugby League on its way
Bernie
Roar Rookie
i'd be happy if Charles was no speakable - we dont need to hear anything he or his have to say.