The Pacific nations’ top two ranked sides Fiji and Papua New Guinea have named their SP Brewery Pacific Cup squads ahead of all competing nations arriving in Port Moresby today for the start of the tournament.

Headlining a Fiji squad which performed so well at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup are Newcastle Knights flyers Wes Naiqama and Akuila Uate.

Adrian Lam’s Papua New Guinea squad – which came within a whisker of upsetting England in their similarly successful RLWC campaign – features an array of English Super League and NRL talent headlined by Gold Coast Titans rising star David Mead.

Local heroes Menzie Yere (Sheffield Eagles) and Charlie Wabo (Hunslet) have returned from England to join the squad while promising NRL Toyota Cup player Tyson Martin (North Queensland) has earned selection following a solid performance against the Australian Prime Minister’s XIII last month.

The Fiji, Tonga and Cook Islands squads arrive in Port Moresby today in preparation for the tournament, which kicks off on Saturday, with PNG already in camp.

Throughout the tournament’s two weeks all nations will be assisting the PNG Rugby League and AusAID with promoting critical HIV/AIDS related health messages while tournament staff will conduct a ‘Sports Conference’ on October 28 for the benefit of local sports administrators.

Following their upset victory over Samoa the Cook Islands will face Fiji in the first match of the tournament on Saturday, October 24 before host nation PNG take on Tonga on Sunday, October 25.

The following Saturday, October 31 will see a 3rd versus 4th playoff match before the Final is played on Sunday, November 1 to determine the inaugural SP Brewery Pacific Cup champions and the fourth nation of the 2010 Four Nations.

All matches kick off at 3pm (QLD time, 4pm NSW) at Lloyd Robson Oval, Port Moresby. Vision for news networks is available from Globecast.

Australian fans will be able to see all matches live online thanks to Telstra BigPond – visit NRL.com for more information – and through a Nine Network telecast on November 1 and 8 at midday.

For UK fans Sky Sports 1, 2 and 3 will broadcast match highlights on October 27-28 and November 3-5 while fans throughout the Pacific will be catered for through Fiji TV and local PNG fans through host broadcaster EM TV.

Fiji Bati 2009 Pacific Cup Squad

Surname
First Name
Club

DIVAVESI

Iowane

Lautoka Crushers

GOCK

Donas

Cabramatta Two Blues

HUGHES

Hamilton

Moore Park Brumbies

KOLINIAVU

Meli

Auckland Warriors

KOROI

Sevania

Nadera Panthers

MACILAI

Jone

Coral Coast Cowboys

MILLARD

Ryan

Newtown Jets

NAIQAMA

Kevin

Newcastle Knights

NAIQAMA

Wes

Newcastle Knights

RALOGAIVAU

Sitiveni

Nadera Panthers

RASAUBALE

Puna

Southern Districts Rebels

RATU

Mike

Leeds Rhinos

RAVUETA

Joe

Coral Coast Cowboys

SADRAU

Osea

Police Sharks

SARAVAKI

Asaeli

Nadera Panthers

TANI

Alipate

Coral Coast Cowboys

TANI

Kaliova

Coral Coast Cowboys

UATE

Akuila

Newcastle Knights

WAQA

Lepani

Wentworthville Magpies

WESELE

Jone

Police Sharks

Coach: Terry Gilogely

Papua New Guinea Kumuls 2009 Pacific Cup Squad

Surname
First Name
Club

MEAD

David

Gold Coast Titans

AIYE

Dion

Agmark Gurias

KAMBO

Richard

Wentworthville

PARKER

Jessie Joe

SBS Muruks

PETERS

Keith

Penrith Panthers

MAORI

Tu’u

Sydney Roosters

PORA

Rodney

Agmark Gurias

ASTON

Jay

Northern Pride

NIGHTINGALE

James

Redcliffe Dolphins

GANDE

Seigfried

Goroka Lahanis

MONI

George

Agmark Gurias

NAMI

Glen

Goroka Lahanis

CHAN

Jason

Celtic Crusaders

GRIFFIN

Rod

Northern Pride

WABO

Charlie

Hunslet, UK

WILSHERE

John

Salford Reds

MARTIN

Tyson

North Queensland Cowboys

BOND

Joe

Melbourne Storm

KUI

Anton

SBS Muruks

YERE

Menzie

Sheffield Eagles, UK

Coach: Adrian Lam