PNG stalwart Nene Macdonald insists the top tier nations hold no fear for the Kumuls as they aim to win qualification for next year’s Pacific Cup under a new promotion-relegation format.
Macdonald, who has played 16 Tests for his native Papua New Guinea, said the players were embracing the opportunity to take on the third placed Pacific Cup team – Australia, New Zealand or Tonga – in a play-off if they retain the Pacific Cup.
The Kumuls will begin their title defence at Suva’s HFC Stadium on Saturday night against Fiji and host Cook Islands on November 2, with wins in both Tests assuring them of a place in the finals at CommBank Stadium on November 10.
“We have to win the next few weeks, and so do Fiji. We want to play for a place in the main Cup,” Macdonald said.
“It's what you play for. You want to play Australia and New Zealand, you want to play those top teams.
“We believe in ourselves, we believe that we can do it. I don’t think that anyone should be in the team if they don’t aspire to reach those limits, so it is what we want to do.
“I think we're going to have a strong battle this weekend but it’s going to be an exciting one.”
With 18 members of the playing and coaching staff arriving in Suva on Monday night after the Prime Minister’s XIII in Port Moresby on Sunday, the Kumuls were able to train as a full squad for the first time on Tuesday.
Leigh hooker Edwin Ipape and PNG Hunters centre Alex Max have been ruled out by injury and replaced boom fullback Morea Morea, the 2023 Queensland Cup rookie of the year, and second-rower Robert Mathias.
PNG open the scoring through Rimbu
Queensland Cup player of the year Judah Rimbu, who captained the PNG PM's XIII, is set to start at hooker in place of Ipape, who was injured in Leigh’s 38-0 semi-final loss to back-to-back Super League premiers Wigan.
However, Macdonald said the depth of talent available to Papua New Guinea now was far greater with the introduction of the Hunters a decade ago and the development work being done as part of the PNG’s bid for an NRL team.
“Probably the last seven or eight years, it's been a massive jump from when we used to come in,” Macdonald said. “The boys didn't know any plays out the back, drop plays, they didn't know any of that. Now we can be straight into that sort of stuff.
What a try for Finley Glare!
“The boys need to play at an earlier age, like in Australia. We play from six or seven years old, they're playing from 14 or 15 years old. It's a massive gap.
“I think putting in place this PNG bid and obviously having Fiji join the NSWRL [Jersey Flegg] and PNG joining the Queensland Cup, it's only going to grow in the game.”
Macdonald said the growing rivalry between Papua New Guinea and Fiji was strengthening the international game in the Pacific Island nations.
“I've got a lot of good mates that play for them. We get along well when we're off the field, but when we're on the field, it's like we're not friends anymore,” Macdonald said.
“It’s a good rivalry. We go at each other, but it all stays on the field, so we battle it out for our countries, and then we shake hands after.”
Fiji Bati v PNG Kumuls - Pacific Bowl final, 2023
Kumuls five-eighth Kyle Laybutt, who has handed the captaincy back to Rhyse Martin after leading the team to victory in last year’s Pacific Bowl is eagerly anticipating the prospect of playing in Fiji.
Laybutt said he was expecting a boisterous crowd, similar to the hospitable reception given by the PNG fans in Port Moresby during last year’s tournament.
“We have massive crowd support in PNG, so I'm expecting the same for the Fijians as well. But it's a good rivalry and it's played with the utmost respect, so I can't wait for it,” he said.
“It's going to be a challenge and we've got to match them physically."
