The Papua New Guinea (PNG) LNG Kumuls head coach Jason Demetriou remains focused to the future, emphasizing player development, squad depth, and the pride of homegrown talent as the foundation of the team's success following commanding 50 - 18 victory over Fiji Bati.
The victory at a packed Santos National Football Stadium on Saturday secured the Kumuls' third consecutive Pacific Championship Bowl, a dominant performance featuring eight tries and a perfect nine goals from captain Rhyse Martin.
While the score line reflected a team at its peak, Coach Demetriou revealed in his post-match press that hardship faced just days before the match. Star playmaker Lachlan Lam had been hospitalized with a severe stomach illness, only being discharged on Friday.
"Yeah, well, Lachie's been in hospital. He was in hospital on Thursday and only got out on Friday, halfway through the day," Demetriou revealed."
“He wasn't in a good way... I knew he wasn't going to last, so we couldn't afford to put him out there for the start."
Despite this setback, came an opportunity to showcase the team's growing depth. Demetriou expressed unwavering confidence in young Finley Glare, who stepped into the crucial role.
"I was confident in Finley, to be honest. I picked him for a reason," Demetriou stated. "I have a lot of belief in what he's capable of and where he can go to as a player. His ability to jump in from seven to nine and have it equally as effective is impressive for a young man."
The coach's pride, however, was most palpable when he highlighted the composition of his starting spine. "I was really excited about the starting spine today. To have Edwin [Ipape], [Morea] Morea, [Cairo] Olam, and Finlay—all PNG-born and bred—out there on the national stage... I'm not sure how often that's happened."
This homegrown core is filling a significant void, with Demetriou pointing to the retirement of long-time halfback Kyle Laybutt.
"That's a big hole to fill, and these guys have come in and done a great job."
Moreover, he reserved special praise for hooker Edwin Ipape, whose stellar form has sparked talk of a move to the NRL.
"If you're asking me, can he handle NRL, then he can more than handle NRL. He'll be a standout," Demetriou asserted. "He's a standout out there playing against a lot of NRL players... What's impressed me about Edwin is his character. He was the leader amongst the born-and-bred PNG players."
Demetriou revealed that the squad's inspiration was drawn from the past, with members of the iconic 2000 Kumuls team visiting the camp.
"Listening to those guys and how they represented, and what they went through to put this team on the map 25 years ago, was pretty special. I know how much it meant for the players, and it was good to see that come out in our form today."
Looking ahead, the coach issued a clear message to his squad and aspiring Kumuls stating, “performance at the club level is paramount. With fierce competition for places expected next year, form will be the ultimate selector.”
"My message to all the boys will be, go back and play good footy," Demetriou said.
"The competition for places next year is going to be high. There were four or five players we could have picked in this squad, and the squad still would have been as strong, which is a great reflection of the depth that's around."
He concluded with a promising vision for the national team's future current and upcoming players, echoing Ipape's own sentiments, "We can keep them together for four or five years. We're going to only keep getting better."
The future looks exceptionally bright for the PNG Kumuls, with a perfect blend of emerging local talent and a coach instilling a culture of high performance and accountability.
