PNG Digicel Cups expands in 2019

[Walter sobchak]

Any players from both sides or any other digicel cup side for that matter possible contenders for a place in the 2020 hunters squad M.E.?

 

[mikail-eagle]

Game highlights.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

i've much enjoyed your updates throughout the season @mikali-eagle, thanks

 

[Coastbloke]

I agree, thanks ME...

 

[deluded pom?]

Thirded.

 

[mikail-eagle]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the feedback and the interest shown in the game in PNG.

Looking forward to 2020 now.
And hopefully one day soon the games can be shown in your parts of the Rugby League World .

 

[Walter sobchak]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the feedback and the interest shown in the game in PNG.

Looking forward to 2020 now.
And hopefully one day soon the games can be shown in your parts of the Rugby League World .

Please keep us informed of any developments regarding player movements to the hunters, Queensland cup or U.K. leagues in the off season M.E.

 

[deluded pom?]

Played in front of a full house.

https://www.asiapacificrl.com/2019/09/09/lae-tigers-win-png-digicel-cup-title/

 

[mikail-eagle]

With the Lae Tigers winning their 3rd Premiership this year I thought maybe I should just give run down of past premierships since the Competition Started in 1990.


1. 1990 - Pom Vipers 22 def Mt Hagen Eagles 14 (MOM Vipers Arebo Taumaku)

2. 1991- Pom Vipers 18 def Mt Hagen Eagles 16 (MOM Vipers Aquila Emil)

3. 1992- Pom Vipers 36 def Mt Hagen Eagles 0 ( MOM Vipers Tuksy Karu)

4. 1993- Goroka Lahanis 22 def Pom Vipers 10 (MOM Lahanis Stanley Gene)

5. 1994- Pom Vipers 36 def Goroka Lahanis 30 ( MOM Pom Vipers Marcus Bai)

6. 1995- Lae Bombers 22 def Mendi Muruks 18 (MOM Bombers Robert Sio)

7. 1996- Mendi Muruks 11 def Kundiyawa Warriors 10 (MOM Muruks Anton Mal)

8. 1997- Mt Hagen Eagles 19 def Lae Bombers 16 (MOM Eagles Sam Kara)

9. 1998- Mt Hagen Eagles 14 def Mendi Muruks 6 ( MOM Eagles Michael Angra)

10. 1999- Goroka Lahanis 24 def Rabaul Gurias 0. (MOM Lahanis Makali Aizue)

11. 2000- Enga Mioks 36 def Rabaul Gurias 20 ( MOM Mioks Stanley Tepend)

12. 2001- Rabaul Gurias 18 def Goroka Lahanis 2 ( MOM Gurias Normyle Eremas)

13. 2002- Lae Bombers 14 def Rabaul Gurias 12 (MOM Bombers Leo Kondai)

14. 2003- Rabaul Gurias 17 def Lae Bombers 16 (MOM Gurias Jessie Alunga)

15. 2004- Mendi Menjals 22 def Pops Butterflies 0

16. 2005- Rabaul Gurias 14 def Pom Bulldogs 13 (MOM Gurias Menzie Yere)

17. 2006- Mendi Muruks 19 def Goroka Lahanis 14 ( MOM Muruks Joseph Omae)

18. 2007- Mendi Muruks 42 def Rabaul Gurias 6 (MOM Muruks Charlie Wabo)

19. 2008- Mendi Muruks 14 def Mt Hagen Eagles 4 ( MOM Muruks Charlie Wabo)

20. 2009- Rabaul Gurias 24 def Enga Mioks 14 (MOM Gurias Chris Purkikil)

21. 2010- Goroka Lahanis 21 def Mendi Muruks 10 (MOM Lahanis Glen Nami)

22. 2011- Goroka Lahanis 20 def Rabaul Gurias 10. (MOM Lahanis Thompson Teteh)

23. 2012- Rabaul Gurias 14 def Mendi Muruks 12 (MOM Gurias Ase Boas)

24. 2013- Pom Vipers 36 def Goroka Lahanis 14 ( MOM Vipers Enoch Maki)

25. 2014- Hela Wigmen 34 Rabaul Gurias 8 (MOM Wigmens Larsen Marabe)

26. 2015- Rabaul Gurias 26 def Chimbu Lions 18. (MOM Gurias Pidi Tongap)

27. 2016- Lae Tigers 14 def Rabaul Gurias 8. ( MOM Tigers Joe Joshua)

28. 2017 - Lae Tigers 11 def Rabaul Gurias 10. (MOM Tigers Charlie Simon)

28. 2018- Goroka Lahanis 10 def Enga Mioks 6 (MOM Lahanis Gonzella Urakusie )

29. 2019 Lae Tigers 15 def Hela Wigmen 4. (MOM TIgers Kafere Amose)

 

[mikail-eagle]

All up the Rabaul Gurias and the Goroka Lahanis have won 6 Premierships each.

Followed by the Pom Vipers and Mendi Muruks with 4 each.

Current Champions the Lae Tigers have 3 while the MT Hagen Eagles and the now defunct Lae Bombers have 2 each.

With Single titles for the Mioks and the Wigmen.

The Menjals also won in 2004 but it wasn't a full season and only had a handful of Teams.

 

[deluded pom?]

It’s a long time between drinks for the Vipers.

 

[mikail-eagle]

It’s a long time between drinks for the Vipers.

The Vipers used to have all best players from the Port Moresby Rugby League Competition all to themselves.

These days the other Franchises are equally or eveb more aggressive in raiding Port Moresby for players.

And alot of players eventhough born, raised and developed in Port Moresby get influenced very early by family to play for their Provincial Teams.

 

[mikail-eagle]

Bit of news out of PNG last week is that Michael Marum won't be coaching the Hunters next year.

He resigned at the end of the season and was farewelled during the Clubs end of year function.

Will try find the local news coverage of it and post it.

 

[mikail-eagle]

PNG Hunters Coaching Position being advertised.

Open to both PNG Citizens and non-citizens.

 

[yakstorm]

So will we see the PNG Digicel Cup expand again in 2020?

Teams who I know are bidding include:

• Western Barramundis - Looking to represent the Leagues of Daru, Kiunga, Tabubil and Balimo
• Ailan Chiefs - Representing New Ireland (And already in according to https://news.pngfacts.com/2019/08/new-ireland-side-set-to-enter-2020.html)
  
• Southern Blacks - Representing the Moresby South League
• Bougainville Pride - Looking to represent Bougainville Island. Originally bid for 2019 Digicel Cup.

Would be great if there was a way for the Pride, Chiefs and Barramundis to somehow get in... not sure if there is the monies for it, but it would cover the parts of the country which don't have representation in the National League.

 

[LeagueXIII]

What happened in 2004 that only half a season was played?

 

[mikail-eagle]

So will we see the PNG Digicel Cup expand again in 2020?

Teams who I know are bidding include:

• Western Barramundis - Looking to represent the Leagues of Daru, Kiunga, Tabubil and Balimo
• Ailan Chiefs - Representing New Ireland (And already in according to https://news.pngfacts.com/2019/08/new-ireland-side-set-to-enter-2020.html)
  
• Southern Blacks - Representing the Moresby South League
• Bougainville Pride - Looking to represent Bougainville Island. Originally bid for 2019 Digicel Cup.

Would be great if there was a way for the Pride, Chiefs and Barramundis to somehow get in... not sure if there is the monies for it, but it would cover the parts of the country which don't have representation in the National League.

Western Barramundis would be great.
If the huge Ok Tedi mine in the Province got on Board as sponsor. They could probably alternate between playing home games in Daru and Tabubil/Kiunga.

Ailand Chiefs made a statement that they have been accepted for next year. But haven't seen anything from the PNGRFL.

Southern Blacks is a tough one. There's already the Vipers, the Gulf Isou and the Dabari already based in Pom.

Bougainville is another funny one. The Island Province is about to have a Referendum in December and could be an Independent Country in the near future.

 

[mikail-eagle]

What happened in 2004 that only half a season was played?

From memory there really wasn't any competition in 2004.

There were financial issues because a new sponsor for the Competition could not be found and some of Teams could not field sides.

The Competition returned in 2005 with SP Brewery back as the Sponsor.

The Private Franchise Model was also introduced in 2005. Prioi to this nearly all the Teams were owned by the Local Member Leagues in each Province.

In 2005 Ownership of all the Clubs were sold to Private Companies or to the Provincial Governments in a couple of instances.

Most of the Companies who bought the Teams were already the ones sponsoring them in previous seasons.
But now they also had control of the Teams.

So the Pom Vipers got sold by the Pom Rugby Football League to the National Capital District Commission, the Rabaul Gurias got sold by the ENB Rugby Football League to the Agmark Group of Companies and the Lae Bombers got sold by the Lae Rugby Football League to the Lae Biscuit Company who renamed it to the Lae Tigers and so forth with the other Teams.