An Aidan Sezer field goal has helped the Wests Tigers secure a 17-16 win over the Eels in a thrilling Easter Monday clash. After the visitors skipped out to a one-point lead with 30 seconds on the clock, an offside penalty set up a grandstand finish with Clint Gutherson handed a chance to steal the victory from almost 40 metres out. But with the ball falling left of the uprights, Benji Marshall's side celebrated back-to-back wins for the first time since Round 10 last year. The Round 4 victory came on the back of an impressive defensive performance from the Wests Tigers, with Parramatta having over 53 per cent of the football and rookie Lachie Galvin sent to the sin bin in the second half. Galvin made an early statement against his junior club, punting a perfectly weighted grubber through the line which bounced up perfectly for a powering Justin Olam to score on the left edge. Parramatta centre Morgan harper went close to getting his side on the board in the 11th minute but was denied after putting his foot into touch in the left corner. A string of errors from the Wests Tigers invited the Eels into their half and the visitors were made to pay when Maika Sivo went over on the left edge thanks to some nice lead up work from Harper and Gutherson on the inside. With possession creeping into Parramatta's favour, the home side continued to throw everything at the Wests Tigers but Marshall's side showed great defensive resolve to hold onto their two-point lead. With Parramatta struggling to find a way through on the line, Gutherson opted to take a two-point penalty goal on the back of an offside penalty to level the scores 6-6 at the break. Parramatta came out firing in the second half and skipped out to the lead when J'maine Hopgood broke through the line and into space before finding his skipper Gutherson in support. Gutherson converted to make it 12-6. Galvin was sin binned three minutes later for a hip drop and Gutherson knocked over another penalty goal to give Parramatta a 14-point lead. Back to full-strength, the Wests Tigers wrestled back momentum and forced Parramatta to defend their own line for several sets before Justin Olam found an overlap and powered over the line for a double. Come the 69th minute and Galvin came up with a superb play, fooling former schoolmate Blaize Talagi before finding Jahream Bula in support to put the Tigers back in front 16-14 with ten minutes to play. After a captain's challenge for a Sezer escort penalty was denied, the Eels slotted their third penalty shot for the night to lock the scoreboard 16-16. A frantic final moment then unfolded with Super League recruit Sezer slotting a field goal in the final minute before the Eels were handed a chance to steal the victory with a two-point field goal. But with the ball going wide and not a second left on the clock, the Wests Tigers celebrated their first back-to-back win under their new coach. Source: NRL. com

This Easter Prime Minister (PM) James Marape embarked on a heartfelt trip to the devastated towns of Angoram and Wosera-Gawi to witness himself the destructions caused by the recent natural disasters, and also assured the people of government assistance. The people living in these regions were put to the test by a seismic event as well as flooding, but when the PM showed up to reassure them of the National Government's unshakable support, they felt a glimpse of hope. Along with his wife, Mrs. Rachael Marape, who is also from the province of East Sepik, PM Marape conducted an aerial survey of the damage caused by the recent disasters. The images below portrayed a bleak image of food gardens destroyed and houses completely submerged by nature's merciless rage. Sepik residents, living along the mighty Sepik River, found their lives overturned as heavy rains swelled the river, flooding homes and destroying crops. The situation worsened on March 24th when a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the province, worsening the prior situation. During his Easter Sunday visit to Pagwi, Marape expressed his sympathy and solidarity with the devastated residents. He declared that K2 million would be released immediately from the National Treasury to support relief operations, while the East Sepik Provincial Government would be gathering information on the destruction. Speaking directly to the people of East Sepik, Marape reassured them of the government's commitment, stating, "Despite the politics that is going on in Waigani, we must put our differences aside and recognize the needs of our people in the affected areas." In order to successfully handle the situation, he stressed the importance of cooperation between the national government and local administrations. Along with assurances of financial support, the Prime Minister's visit carried a message of unity. In order to quicken relief operations and start the process of restoration and development, he asked the provincial government and members of parliament from Sepik to collaborate closely with the national government. The people of East Sepik Province took comfort in the idea that their hardship had not gone forgotten. In the wake of his visit to East Sepik, Prime Minister Marape extended his journey of compassion to the landslide-ravaged regions of Gumine and Gembogl in Chimbu province. The National Government's pledge of assistance provided a glimmer of hope for individuals struggling to deal with the consequences of nature's wrath there as well, among the ruins and wreckage.

The Kumul Petroleum Junior PNG Tennis Team has left for Fiji to participate in the West Pacific Regional Championships. With two committed coaches at their side, the team left last Saturday with a strong desire to represent their country. The PNG Tennis Association President, Barbara Stubbings, highlighted the importance of this event for the young players and thanked the sponsors and clubs for their committed support. Stubbings highlighted the difficult selection process the players underwent, stating, "The kids have earned their positions following the PNG Junior Open earlier this year, sponsored by Kumul Petroleum." With a mixture of talents from the Port Moresby Rackets Club and Lae Tennis Club, the team contains 14 players. Stubbings noted the diversity within the team, with three players hailing from Lae and the rest from Port Moresby, reflecting the unity and strength of PNG's tennis community. The competition kicked off today, Monday April 1st, and the team is ready to face off against tough opponents from Fiji, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and potentially Norfolk Islands, aiming to make their mark on the international stage.

A drunken brawl at Goroka's Hoffmans Club swiftly turned into violent altercations that spilled over to the public area in Goroka town. More tensions were raised when attackers targeted local leader, Mr. Jeffery Sasue and took his car keys before running away. The dispute reportedly extended to the Main Market crossroads, resulting in the altercations that broke out this morning between Sasue's followers and the perpetrators who have not yet been identified. The attackers' identities are still unknown despite efforts to stop the violence, and authorities are now using information from vehicle registration numbers to locate them. Eastern Highlands Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Michael Welly, has confirmed that Goroka Police have begun a broad search for the perpetrators in response to the rising hostilities, focusing their efforts in nearby provinces such as Simbu, Hagen, Lae, Jiwaka, and Madang. But confrontations are still breaking out throughout Goroka town, which emphasizes how unstable things are. Speaking to the public, the PPC warned against opportunistic conducts and emphasized that there will be no tolerance for those who cause disruptions. While officials attempt to bring peace among the chaos, business activities in Goroka have been temporarily halted. In order to secure justice and stop the violence from escalating further, law enforcement officials are stepping up their efforts to capture the offenders. It has been recommended that residents use caution and abstain from any behaviors that could make the situation worse. Police continue to closely monitor Goroka town due to the high level of tension, and precautions have been taken to contain and deal with any future violent outbursts.

Prime Minister (PM) James Marape, urged public servants in Papua New Guinea on Good Friday to put the people first. Speaking at the opening of the new Markham district Administration complex, he emphasized the importance of serving the community with dedication and care. Since taking office in 2019, the government has been working hard to support all districts, including Markham, with more funding than ever before. Prime Minister Marape wants public servants to make sure this money is used wisely to benefit the people. “I want to tell the public that there is so much money being funneled into your hands,” said Prime Minister Marape. “We must work with compassion to serve our people.” He believes that by working together with a spirit of service, public servants can make a real difference in people’s lives. The new Markham District Administration complex is seen as a big step forward in helping public servants do their job better. He hopes it will make it easier for them to serve the people of Markham in areas like education, small businesses (SME’s), farming and other important activities. For PM Marape, serving the people isn’t just a job, it’s a commitment from the heart. He wants public servants to remember that every action they take should be to make life better for the people they serve. The new establishment of the Markham District Administration complex was recognized by the Prime Minister as a pivotal development that should facilitate public servants in delivering exceptional service to the people of the district.

The Razorbacks Women’s 7s team are on a blazing trail of victory as they ended the pool rounds with three wins in all three games and now look to become one of the top teams vying for the Niu Pawa Sports Tok Rugby 7s Tournament Women’s Cup title. Despite the odds and two of their players on the mend after a head clash, the Razorbacks Women’s team won all three of their pool games in the Niu Pawa Sports Tok Rugby 7s tournament held at Bava Rugby Union Park in Port Moresby over the Easter weekend. The team included a mix of Rabaul-based players and Port Moresby based players, some of whom are part of the national 7s squad. The Razorbacks Coach, Mr. Godfrey Stanis stated that despite having new girls on the team, he has hopes that playing alongside experienced players such as PNG Palais 7s players Joyce Taravuna, Cynthia Peters and Jessica Refrika, the new girls will be able to learn a few things. “There is still a lot of things that they need to learn.” “We have a lot of raw talent players such as Keto Taravuna, Ronalisa Bongoi, Josepha Kawang, Melissa Toresa and Lulu Bart and I am hoping that they will pick up a few skills from the big girls, as well as gain the experience and the confidence to play at such tournaments.” He highlighted that they needed to work more on their defense and also their attacks to help them stay in the fight for the cup. “Everything is okay, the girls played so well but we will have to adjust ourselves and put in a little bit more effort into our attack and defense strategies.” Meanwhile, Stanis mentioned that the girls are ready for their qualifying finals games and are looking forward to giving their best for the remainder of their games.

Former PNG Games’ NCD gold medalist Kelly Yambi continued a formidable performance in the 4th-day of the 43rd Voda Phone Port Moresby Open Snooker tournament. Kelly, who also captained Team Pink Panda to premiership in the recently ended mix-doubles pool tournament hosted by the Lamana Hotel, was at his peak. Playing in the pool G at the Aviat Club, Kelly defeated Kametan Sibunakau and Karai Taukarai respectively on Saturday March 30th, in the best of 3 frames competition. This led him to the top placing in their pool. In other results from Saturday, Miria David beat Toka Owen 2-0, Miria Rima defeated Maryanne Acorin 2-0, Tom English beat Wala Kopi 2-0 and Poliap Pokanau defeated Lasark Joseph 2-0. The 4th-day tournament was also played at the Lamana Q' Club and Car Club as well, and continued yesterday, Sunday March 31st. Grand finals are expected today, Monday April 1st. Events coordinator Kametan Sibunakau thanked everyone for their participation and acknowledged Voda Phone for their sponsorship.

Cocoa farmers in the Markham district of Morobe province stand to benefit from a pledged funding of K5 million from the government targeting the improvement of the local cocoa industry. This funding was announced by the prime minister at Mutzing station on Good Friday while he was there to open a new district administration complex and launch the district’s Five- Year Development Plan 2023- 2027. Prime Minister (PM) James Marape said this investment, which would go to the District Development Authority, is targeted for the development of the cocoa industry among other economic ventures, aligning with the surge in global cocoa prices to unprecedented levels. “Cocoa is now paying K1, 300 per bag,” said the prime minister. “There is money in cocoa, corn, taro, coffee, oil palm. If you want the Government to bring in development, you too must work for your country.” Marape also laid out a vision for grassroots economic empowerment, suggesting that if 5, 000 young men from Markham engage in agriculture, earning K10, 000 each annually, it could inject K50 million into the district's economy. That is a massive revenue for the district to be used to improve services and development for the people of Markham. Prime Minister Marape, who has been a staunch advocate for agriculture since assuming office in 2019, says the Markham district can benefit a lot from cocoa just like the successes in the Sepik provinces, Bougainville, and East New Britain, where locals have significantly benefited from high crop prices. He then challenged the people of Markham to embrace the example of people in these provinces, and harness the full potential of their land for substantial economic gain.

A masterful kicking display by Adam Reynolds and a herculean performance from Carl Webb medalist Pat Carrigan inspired the Broncos to a 38-12 win over the Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night. Heading into the Queensland derby as the NRL's only unbeaten team, the Cowboys were their own worst enemies with 17 errors cruelling their chances. The Broncos exploded out of the blocks with a try to Billy Walters out of dummy half just three minutes into the game. Four minutes later the Broncos kicked out to 8-0 when Reynolds landed a penalty goal after Murray Taulagi spilled a bomb and Val Holmes picked the ball up in an offside position. A towering Reynolds bomb in the 13th minute was spilled by Scott Drinkwater and the Broncos feasted on the scraps to send Jesse Arthars over in the corner for a 14-0 lead. The Cowboys steadied the ship in the 16th minute when Murray Taulagi found space on the right wing and sent a pinpoint kick back inside for Val Holmes to regather and score. Midway through the half the home side were in again when Reynolds sent a perfectly weighted grubber into the in goal for Kotoni Staggs to follow through and score. Down 18-6 the Cowboys came up with their fourth error of the night through Griffin Neame to invite the Broncos into the red zone and Tristan Sailor earned a repeat set with a neat grubber but the visitors were able to get the ball back on a short dropout. Come the 32nd minute and the Cowboys hit back when Drinkwater sliced into the clear, put a sizzling sidestep on Sailor and defied a last-ditch Ezra Mam tackle to cross in the corner. Holmes' sideline conversion made it 18-12. An offside penalty against Reece Robson in the 36th minute gifted the Broncos two points to make it 20-12 before Kyle Feldt put down a towering Reynolds bomb and Selwyn Cobbo picked up the loose ball and dived over but replays showed he had knocked on before grounding it. The Cowboys opened the second half in bright fashion and on the back of a repeat set they threatened to grab a third but Cobbo pounced on an intercept and took off on a 90-metre run to the line. Just as Broncos fans were starting to celebrate, Dearden came across in cover and pulled off a superb tackle to deny the try. Another Drinkwater error shortly after undid Dearden's heroics and the Broncos crossed through Tyson Smoothy out of dummy half to extend the lead back to 14 points. With 10 minutes to play the Broncos put game to bed when Mam grubbered for himself and touched the ball down for his first try since his grand final hat-trick. A great moment for veteran Corey Oates when he grabbed a late try off a Reynolds grubber to make the final score 38-12. Source: NRL. com

As PNG experiences a spate of natural disasters across several regions, and recovering from recent violent activities, and going through political challenges, Prime Minister James Marape is confident the country will persevere if everyone learns to coexist peacefully and respectfully, letting go of grudges and embracing a path of compassion and understanding. In a heartfelt Easter message, he urged as the role of Christians, forgiveness and repententance and respect for rule of law, must be practiced to emulate Christ's love and care for one another and for all to reflect on the selfless sacrifice for mankind Christ made by dying on the cross. "At this point, we continue to have our own fair share of challenges, like every other country on Earth." "Unemployment, under-development and lawlessness are our biggest challenges at the moment." "Your government continues to do its utmost best to assist all of you in all parts of our country, including the Special Region of Bougainville." He highlighted how the essence of this sacred season is to unite in harmony as a nation of diverse tribes. "To practice love, forgiveness and compassion means respecting each other’s rights; it means respecting the Rule of Law and abiding by the law." "These are easy acts to do and costs nothing for the doer, yet achieves great results for our society as we learn to live with each other." "This Easter, I remind us all of the core values of Christianity that the Easter occasion comes around every year to return our attention to." "Let us not just adopt Christianity but live as Christians." "Whilst Government has full responsibility to make our country better physically, we must work on bettering ourselves mentally and emotionally." "Our individual characters shape Papua New Guinea in a much deeper way." "When we change our attitude and the way we think and do things, we shift our country into one of peace, tolerance and respect for people – a place of peace and prosperity." "Only then can we triumph as a nation." "Blessed Easter to you, my people of Papua New Guinea." "I also share special blessings to all our guests from overseas who are in PNG this Easter." " The only eternal God whose Son Jesus Christ died in Israel in year 31 AD loves you too as Papua New Guinea loves you." "I wish you all a blessed Easter filled with peace and joy."

Get ready to enjoy some great cricket, as the Cricket PNG’s Men’s Isuzu T20 SMASH starts today (Friday, March 29) at 2 pm, kicked off by the Cassowaries and Mudmen, at Port Moresby’s Amini Park, the home of cricket in PNG. The four sides competing are Cassowaries, Mudmen, Mariners, and Black Bass, with the tournament running for three consecutive weekends, which will see each side play one another twice in a round-robin group stage with the two top sides progressing to the final. The teams are made up of five Barramundi players, four Under-19 Garamut players, and four local players selected from an open draft. The full teams released by Cricket PNG are: CASSOWARIES 1. Lega Siaka (c) 2. Hiri Hiri 3. Chad Soper 4. Hila Vare 5. Alei Nao 6. Dauncey Tom 7. Vagi Morea 8. Igo Morea 9. Ware Robin 10. Nelson Pate 11. Peter Karoho 12. Suvenia Ta 13. Jermiah Nigani MUDMEN 1. Charles Amini (c) 2. Kiplin Doriga 3. Riley Hekure 4. Nosaina Pokana 5. Jack Gardner 6. Gaba Frank 7. Wallace Opi Nou 8. Anthony David 9. Miria Griffin 10. Tau Nou 11. Vagi Guba 12. Katenalaki Sing 13. Baeau Gabutu MARINERS 1. Asadollah Vala (c) 2. Gaudi Toka, 3. Michael Charlie 4. John Kariko 5. Sema Kamea 6. Nou Gini 7. Toua Boga Nou 8. Sam Momo 9. Dai Mahuru 10. Sigo Kelly 11. Herea Kilapat 12. Aue Oru 13. Malcolm Aporo BLACK BASS 1. Norman Vanua (c) 2. Tony Ura 3. Sese Bau 4. Kabua Vagi 5. Patrick Nou 6. Frank Naime 7. Lekwa Nao 8. Puka Raho 9. Oala Puka 10. Doko Rupa 11. Kelly Galama 12. William Daure 13. Chris Kamea The tournament will double as final selection trials for the PNG Barramundis and PNG U-19 Garamuts. Cricket PNG said for the first time it will be live streamed on TV across PNG and also streamed live into India.

The Panthers withstood a late second-half surge from the Roosters to claim their third win of the season and their ninth win in a row against the Tri Colours. Panthers winger Sunia Turuva scored a hat-trick in the 22-16 win to add to his impressive try-scoring streak which has seen him cross for 11 tries in his past eight NRL games. Before the game, some had feared the gloss of the contest may have been diminished with Penrith missing their biggest names in captain Nathan Cleary and forward leader James Fisher-Harris, but the match delivered plenty of entertainment. While the Panthers machine rolled into gear to claim the victory, they were forced to endure some tense moments at the end of the match as the Roosters threatened to steal a late win. The Roosters too were missing some of their most potent go-forward weapons, with Lindsay Collins out with a hamstring injury and it showed early on in the game, with the Panthers on the front foot early. Turuva started the point-scoring in the 10th minute crossing for the first of his three tries, before fullback Dylan Edwards crossed soon after to put the Panthers out to a 12-0 lead early. Edwards took on the goal kicking duties for the night and converted both tries, then extended the lead with a successful penalty kick in the 32nd minute. An impressive try to Sitili Tupouniua 30 seconds out from the half-time break gave the Roosters hope, with Sam Walker's conversion seeing the home side trail only 14-6 at the break, despite only having 45 percent of possession. In the second half, the Roosters started with intent, but a successful Captain's Challenge by Panthers winger Brian To'o contesting a call of a knock on relieved the pressure for his team who were otherwise looking at defending three sets in a row on their tryline. With the momentum now again in their favour, the Panthers continued to work their way into a winning lead, with Turuva scoring two more well-worked tries off the back of some fast passing, adding to his impressive tally so far this season. A late try to Brandon Smith from dummyhalf saw the Roosters narrow the gap and somehow once again breath life into their hopes. When flying winger Daniel Tupou scored with 25 seconds left on the clock, it was still game on. The Roosters declined the attempt at conversion to squeeze as much time as they could with the ball to launch an attack, but the Panthers were able to hold them out to claim their third win in a row. Source: NRL.Com