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Digicel Cup 2023

mikail-eagle

mikail-eagle

Bench
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3,004
Such a shame for the Waghi Tumbe.
From Grand Finalists 2 years ago and to now being excluded.

But anyway well done to the Sepik Pride.
It's long overdue to have Team from that region.
 
mikail-eagle

mikail-eagle

Bench
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3,004
The Sepik Pride today made their first 2 big marquee signings whom will bring leadership and guidance to what is expected by be a very young and inexperienced team.

PNG Kumuls and Hunters hooker Wartovo Puara jnr and PNG Kumuls halfback Watson Boas were each handed cheques for K50,000 each as a sign on bonus today at a pressor in Port Moresby before they boarded a plane to Wewak, East Sepik Province.

From this I can only conclude that Wartovo Puara jnr has probably stepped down from the PNG Hunters and also that Watson Boas will not be returning to English Championship club Doncaster.
 
mikail-eagle

mikail-eagle

Bench
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3,004
The Sepik Pride today again poached to young PNG Hunters players back to play Digicel Cup this year. Centre Joe Frank and Prop Francis Kembis have both been lured back with sign on bonuses of K50,000 each.

I'm not sure much these players get paid at the Hunters but good to see a Digicel Cup Team finally start to pay its players well. Maybe other teams who only keep players on weekly match payments can up their game.
 
mikail-eagle

mikail-eagle

Bench
Messages
3,004
And apparently the Hunters were not happy to loose Wartovo Puara jnr.
They will now be even more pissed off at loosing to more players.

Hunters question signing | The National

www.thenational.com.pg www.thenational.com.pg

Hunters question signing​

February 17, 2023The NationalSports
THE SP Hunters management are not happy with Wartovo Puara Jnr’s move to new Digicel Cup franchise Sepik Pride, but have wished him well in his career.
Hunters head coach Stanley Tepend said he was not pleased with the procedure in which the Pride had communicated with the Hunters leading up to the signing of the 2017 Hunters premiership winning hooker.
Tepend said Digicel Cup franchises should respect the Hunters, in regards to poaching players.
 
The Penguin #6.

The Penguin #6.

Juniors
Messages
1,161
mikail-eagle said:
The Sepik Pride today again poached to young PNG Hunters players back to play Digicel Cup this year. Centre Joe Frank and Prop Francis Kembis have both been lured back with sign on bonuses of K50,000 each.

I'm not sure much these players get paid at the Hunters but good to see a Digicel Cup Team finally start to pay its players well. Maybe other teams who only keep players on weekly match payments can up their game.
Click to expand...
So that`s about $(AUS)20 000 for signing on, not bad.
BTW, really appreciate your updates.
 
yakstorm

yakstorm

First Grade
Messages
6,022
Sepik Pride appear to have some reasonable coin behind them, which honestly I wasn't expecting.

Hopefully their presence in the Digicel Cup will solidify the code in the North-West.
 
mikail-eagle

mikail-eagle

Bench
Messages
3,004
yakstorm said:
Sepik Pride appear to have some reasonable coin behind them, which honestly I wasn't expecting.

Hopefully their presence in the Digicel Cup will solidify the code in the North-West.
Click to expand...

They are well supported and therefore have recruited quite well.
And yeah hopefully they also use their coin to develop young local talent from 3 local leagues up that way in the Wewak Rugby League, Maprik Rugby League and the Vanimo Rugby League.
 
mikail-eagle

mikail-eagle

Bench
Messages
3,004
Perth Red said:
Is there a map of where the clubs are based? Id be interesting to see the geographical spread of the comp.
Click to expand...

Map below is from Wiki. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea_National_Rugby_League

1050px-Papua_New_Guinea_location_map.svg.png
 
mikail-eagle

mikail-eagle

Bench
Messages
3,004

PNGNRLC pleased with Sepik Pride in promoting the game | The National

www.thenational.com.pg www.thenational.com.pg


PNGNRLC pleased with Sepik Pride in promoting the game​

April 6, 2023The NationalSports
THE Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition (PNGNRLC) are pleased to see new franchise Sepik Pride promoting the game by drawing new fans into the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup competition.
The Joe Bruno-coached side played their first trial match against Central Dabaris at Bava Park in Port Moresby last week, which attracted hundreds of supporters from the Sepik region and other provinces who joined the band wagon. PNGNRLC general manger Leith Isaac told The National yesterday that diversity was important for the growth of rugby league within PNG.
“Sepik Pride brings diversity and that’s what we want in rugby league which is our national sport,” Isaac said.
“It’s good to see their support growing and fans who’ve attended their trial game last week.
“They will bring in more supporters to the game and it’s good for our national competition.
“It will be interesting to see how they compete throughout the season.
“Rugby league is about bringing people from all regions together and we are happy to have the Pride in our competition.”
Isaac said the competition’s long term goal was expanding to other provinces in the country.
“We want other provinces to have their own rugby league side that can represent them in the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup and that’s something we are targeting in future.”
Meanwhile, Isaac said Waghi Tumbe who were terminated for the 2023 season have launched an appeal against the decision.
“Tumbe have appealed the decision of their termination of participation but that’s before the governing body PNG Rugby Football League.
“They will make their decision next week.”
 
mikail-eagle

mikail-eagle

Bench
Messages
3,004

League set for kick-off | The National

www.thenational.com.pg www.thenational.com.pg

League set for kick-off​

April 6, 2023The NationalSports
THE Digicel ExxonMobil Cup 2023 season is set to start next Sunday with draws to be released on Tuesday, an official says.
Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition general manager Leith Isaac told The National yesterday that they were expecting improvement in the game’s standard with new sponsors and management, including a new franchise joining the competition.
Isaac said the competition would launch its 2023-2027 strategic plan on Tuesday when announcing the draws.
Defending champions Hela Wigmen will be eying their second straight premiership for the first time while new franchise Sepik Pride will feel what it’s like to compete week-in week-out at the semi-professional level.
“It’s exciting and this year is all about improving the standards of our competition,” Isaac said.
“April 16 is the confirmed date for round one but we will announce the draws next week. All 12 teams are confirmed to compete and they have already played some trial games and are set to go.
“I am confident this season will be bigger and better now that we have a five-year plan in place and new management to lead from the front.”
Meanwhile, there have been movement of players from one team to another with former PNG Hunter and Kumul Terry Wapi joining Mendi Muruks. Wapi was part of the Hunters team from 2019-2022.
Another notable movement is Lae Tigers five-eight Milex Winis who recently joined the Port Moresby Vipers.
Former Hunter and Kimbe Cutter Tony Worot will be an asset to the Wigmen this year after he signed with the Kroton-sponsored side in January.
 
mikail-eagle

mikail-eagle

Bench
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3,004
Hope these plans or some details can be made public.

League rolls out five-year plan | The National

www.thenational.com.pg www.thenational.com.pg

League rolls out five-year plan​

April 12, 2023The NationalSports
THE Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition (PNGNRLC) will introduce national competitions for women and Under-19s starting 2025 as part of its five-year strategic plan (2023-2027).
The plan, headed by PNG Rugby Football League’s high performance general manager Marc Portus, includes a junior pathway that captures children from ages 6-12 through modified format games.
Portus said during the launch at the Santos National Football Stadium yesterday that they plan to bring the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup on par with the Hostplus Cup in regard to the game’s standard and the running of the competition.
“Over the next five years all our resources will be put into our priority areas which are the four pillars.
“The four pillars are club professionalism, coaching and officiating, competition pathways and competition management,” Portus said.
“The Digicel ExxonMobil Cup women’s competition will come in in 2025 and the national competition for U19 boys in 2026 and the U19 girls in 2027.
“Coaching and officiating is about developing the expertise and the skills of our coaches, referees and match officials.
“Club professionalism is about the journey of the clubs themselves.
The PNGRFL will support these clubs and help them become more professional.
“It’s about turning these rugby league clubs into professional sports businesses.
“We want to turn PNGNRLC into a professional and well run competition that can make PNG Hunters a stronger team and PNG rugby league can be a force on the world stage.
“Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) is the benchmark and it’s supported by Queensland Rugby League and New South Wales Rugby League who run their own competitions.
“What we are trying to do is to get PNGNRLC to the second tier level and we will get a lot of support from QRL to do that.”
Portus said the plan would cover salary caps and talent equalisations systems such as the NRL.
 
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