The Papua New Guinea (PNG) National Rugby League Competition (NRLC) has made some changes the 2024 Digicel ExxonMobil Cup draws after revising it recently. Following the announcement of the 2024 Public Holidays in January, and working closely with their clubs, some amendments to the original draw released in December were required. The 12-team competition will still kick off on the weekend of the 13th -14th of April. The season will witness the return of Asila Waghi Tumbe after a one-year absence and will host the Gas Resources Central Dabaris in a home match at Minj. There will be 108 matches…
Author: Paula DAVID
The last time the Panthers lost a grand final was way back in 2020 at the hands of the Storm and they have well and truly set the record since then with three premierships on the bounce. The last time the Storm lost a Round 1 game was 2001, with Craig Bellamy never having lost an opening round match in his remarkable two-decade reign as head coach. After being pushed to golden point by the Eels in Round 1 last year, the Storm again face a massive task if they are to keep the streak going, welcoming the back-to-back-to-back premiers…
Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien lamented his team’s lack of patience and poise in their 28-12 loss to Canberra at McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday night. After their whirlwind finish to last season, when they built a 10-game winning streak that culminated in a 30-28 extra-time victory over the Raiders in the first round of the finals, the Knights were out-muscled in the middle and looked out of sorts at the end of their sets. “Our game lacked any sort of grit,” O’Brien said. “We were impatient, it felt like we wanted the highlight reel, where the other mob, when you…
The National Department of Health (NDoH) is gearing up for a significant recruitment drive following the approval of its new structure by the Department of Personnel Management (DPM). In a bid to ensure a robust, transparent, and effective recruitment process, the NDoH has enlisted the expertise of a reputable, independent PNG-based recruitment firm. The PNG Australia Transition to Health (PATH) program has been engaged to evaluate submissions for Expressions of Interest and appoint the selected firm. This process is expected to finish within the week. The selected recruitment firm will assist NDoH with advertising and filling 164 priority positions, including…
The Raiders will be without veteran Elliott Whitehead for their season opener against the Knights as he battles a calf injury. Whitehead is expected to miss between 3-4 weeks, with his place for Thursday’s game taken by new recruit Zac Hosking. Also watching from the sidelines at McDonald Jones Stadium will be Knights hooker Jayden Brailey, who is nearing a return from a hamstring injury. “He’s very close, if it’s not Round 2 it’d be a definite Round 3,” Knights coach Adam O’Brien said on Wednesday. “He looks really good, every time I see him, but given his history, it’s…
Since the ground breaking ceremony for the proposed new state of the art hospital for the Central province two years ago, the construction work on the K700 million health project is yet to start. This is because the Central Provincial Health Authority (PHA) is still waiting on the technical team from the National Department of Health (NDoH) to do the tender evaluation for the best bidder so that construction work for the proposed Central Provincial Hospital can start, hopefully next year, Central PHA Chef Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. James Amini, said they have sent out the tenders for the master…
The SP PNG Hunters squad for the 2024 Hostplus Cup Season in the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) is all set to go with Head Coach Paul Aiton stating that he is proud of how the players and staff navigated a tough and enduring pre-season period, to get to this stage. Coach Aiton proudly unveiled his 30-men squad amidst esteemed guests and sponsors of the Hunters at the Stanley Hotel and Suites in Port Moresby recently. “I am extremely pleased with how the squad has come together and is looking forward to round one this weekend,” Aiton said. The SP PNG…
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, under the EU-funded STREIT PNG Programme, has collaborated with the PNG government through the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) to establish Provincial Youth Councils (PYC) in the West and East Sepik provinces to promote youth leadership in agriculture. This initiative aims to empower youths, particularly in rural areas, to have a platform to table youth issues, to become good leaders in their localities, and to contribute significantly to the country’s sustainable development through active participation in the agriculture sector. Under this initiative, a series of capacity-building workshops and training sessions…
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Rugby Football League (RFL), as a full member of the International Rugby League (IRL), is pleased with the completion and the meeting of compliance obligations with the IRL after its 2023 audit submission. Asia Pacific Rugby League (APRL) Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr. Jeremy Edwards said the APRL Confederation continues to work closely with both the International Rugby League and its members to ensure governance is universally implemented and standards are continually improved. APRL is one of three global confederations that combine to form the IRL. In highlighting one of the sport’s core objectives, Mr.…
The People of the Nakanai District of West New Britain (WNB) province have been urged to unite and work together with the Member and Minister for Oil Palm, Francis Galia Maneke, to develop the new District. Former Talasea Member Francis Marus who had challenged Mr. Maneke’s win in Court said he respects the Court’s decision which has dismissed his election petition. “The right forum to settle election disputes is through the courts not by any other means. I took the matter to court but Court has found that my case lacks substance for the court to progress further and the…