YouTube gems : PNG highlands zone v australia - 1991

[roughyedspud]

A mid week tour game....looks bloody brutal,does anyone know the score? or line ups?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VWkooewZ_U&app=desktop

 

[mikail-eagle]

The score was Australia 28 defeating Highlands Zone 3

 

[mikail-eagle]

This is how the 2 Teams lined up.

 

[sharkies9]

Brutal game, were they getting tear gassed?
I love watching these YouTube gems! Thanks for posting! Any chance of any footage from the 2000 USA tomahawks tour when they played Oz Police, Forster select side, and souths?

 

[mikail-eagle]

Yep. That was tear gas from the police to control the crowd. It is almost a normal occurrence at Rugby League games in the Highlands of PNG.

 

[mikail-eagle]

But the game itself was tough and brutal. The Aussies gave as good as they got and the crowd loved it.

The two number 15's actually had a good side battle. In the first half Martin Bella flattened Mek Kepo from the Highlands Zone whom was stretchered out of the field. Kepo recovered and returned in the second half and returned the favour to Bella.

Also at this game a 19 year old John Okul made his debut at fullback for the Highlands Zone.

 

[cumberlandsashes81]

Brilliant find!

That's a pretty handy Australia side. The only name I had a question mark over was Bruce McGuire.

Turns out he had a pretty interesting career...

1981 Country Firsts rep forward from Nowra gave the game away for two years while he travelled on a working holiday around Australia. In 1983 McGuire represented Victoria and South Australia and played for Darwin against Great Britain in 1984. He returned to Nowra in 1985 before coming to Balmain the following year. After being suspended for seven weeks for an incident in a midweek Panasonic Cup match McGuire developed into a highly consistent forward, representing City (1988), NSW (1989) and appearing in both of Balmain's grand final losing teams in 1988-89. McGuire toured NZ with the Australian squad in 1989 and appeared in two Tests after making his State of Origin debut for NSW the same year. He shifted to C’bury in 1991 and represented Australia as a replacement player on the ground-breaking tour of Papua New Guinea although he played in only one minor tour match. McGuire saw out his career with the Sheffield Eagles in England but then shifted to Warrington where he turned out for the tour match against the 1994 Kangaroos.

 

[mikail-eagle]

Also from the same game. A try saving tackle by John Okul on a flying Rod Wishart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wHytKDPqpA&feature=youtu.be

 

[roughyedspud]

someone posted it on TRL then i remembered someone on here started a "youtube gem" thread....

so everyone keep browsing youtube and likes find all the gems out there,lets try and keep it to internationals & tour games though

 

[deluded pom?]

Johnny Okul now works in my local Aldi.

 

[roughyedspud]

really? lol

 

[miguel de cervantes]

PNG highlands bloody unlucky not to score a try by the looks of things

 

[langpark]

Incredible video! Thanks for sharing!

How did no-one back then see such talent and potential there and think to act. Why did it take us another 13 years to get a PNG team in the Qld Cup, for example?

 

[deluded pom?]

really? lol

Really.

 

[deluded pom?]

Incredible video! Thanks for sharing!

How did no-one back then see such talent and potential there and think to act. Why did it take us another 13 years to get a PNG team in the Qld Cup, for example?

Hull KR signed Stanley Gene and John Okul after the 1995 WC whilst Hull signed Marcus Bai. Typically Hull (coached by Phil Sigsworth at the time) blew Bai out before he had a real chance. I wonder what ever happened to him?

 

[mikail-eagle]

Hull KR signed Stanley Gene and John Okul after the 1995 WC whilst Hull signed Marcus Bai. Typically Hull (coached by Phil Sigsworth at the time) blew Bai out before he had a real chance. I wonder what ever happened to him?

It was another 3 years after this Highlands Zone match before John Okul made his Kumul debut in a Test Match against New Zealand in Port Moresby in 1994.

He scored a great solo try in that Test on debut. The following year he was in England for the 95 world cup and never returned home.

Here is the YouTube clip of his try vs the Kiwis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keBrrubeF1U

 

[cumberlandsashes81]

Who was the Kumul who went to play for the Bulldogs in about 1990 or 1991? Not sure if he made First Grade or not...

 

[mikail-eagle]

Before going to Hull KR with Stanley Gene in 1996, John Okul did spend the 1995 season with the Canterbury Bulldogs. He mostly played in reserve grade and also for Moorebank in the Metro Cup.

But the Kumul player that you are asking about is Bal Numapo. I think he spent a season or two also with Canterbury around 1990-1991. But am not sure if he ever played first grade.

 

[cumberlandsashes81]

Thanks mate... Yes, Bal Numapo is the one I'm thinking of.

I read an article about him last year...

http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/from-big-bal-to-george-benson-a-love-letter-to-png-football/

I understand he's now a Politician.