Orchids captain Elsie Albert is adamant the tale of her nation's Pacific Championships campaign lies not in the results but in the enormous impact it will have on aspiring youngsters back home.
The Orchids' loss to Fetu Samoa on Sunday means they drop from the top-tier Pacific Cup down to the Pacific Bowl in 2025, but the skipper could hold her head high after another inspirational display as she went the full 70 minutes in blistering heat.
Playing in her 10th Test for PNG, Albert crossed for two tries, racked up 178 run metres, busted 13 tackles and made 23 tackles of her own to take home player of the match honours.
After being shut out 84-0 by the Jillaroos and 36-0 by the Kiwi Ferns, the Orchids were determined to score at CommBank Stadium, and when Albert powered over in the 48th minute the joy on her teammates' faces told the story.
“We just wanted to prove a point and get across the line, and I think I took that personally onto myself,” Albert said.
“I think it's the whole team that put an effort into that game to get me over the line, so I am proud of all the girls and the effort they put in throughout the competition.
“I think the positives that we can take out is the constant improvement from the first game to this game.
“I think the improvement is really great.
Elsie Albert 2nd Try
“We had a tough game against the Jillaroos, then coming back to play New Zealand at the back of that and then to this game, so I think the improvement is the biggest thing that we take out from this campaign.”
With the Orchids having already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, they were grouped with Australia and New Zealand as the next highest ranked team in the Pacific, meaning they were always going to be in for a tough few weeks on the international stage but domestically there is much to celebrate.
Along with the establishment of the national Santos Cup, which took place ahead of schedule this year, other players have moved to Australia under the PONI (players of national interest) competition to play in strong statewide competitions in their bid to emulate Albert's deeds in the NRLW.
“The competition back home, I think that will be adding great value to the girls to get that experience it and build from there,” Albert said.
“Hopefully we see more of our girls from PNG heading over this side (to Australia) as well and get exposure.”
