The Papua New Guinea (PNG) LNG Kumuls Veteran, current PNG Kumuls fullback and Man-of-the-Match Nene McDonald remains satisfied and pleased for the Kumuls effort claiming the title as the “2024 Pacific Bowl Champions” after taking down the Cook Islands Aitu with 42-20 win at the Santos National Football Stadium (NFS).
While celebrating after a dormant win, McDonald told PNG HAUSBUNG about the challenges and efforts behind the outstanding performance.
McDonald emphasized that despite the distracting tough lead in the first half with 16-14 including the hot weather above 30°, he remained focused on the second half which in return paid off with an outstanding performance from the backline in defence and attack, scoring 5 tries in the second half while the Cook Islands Aitu scored one.
As the fullback, McDonald stressed that the high-level performance wouldn’t be possible without the outgoing communication within the team on the field especially between his wingers Robert Derby and Elijah Roltinga, also highlighting communication as the key fundamental to the progressive stages in the game.
McDonald concluded by expressing his gratitude to the crowd of 11,219 in NFS who were in every critical stage of the game motivating and supporting the team and its players to push through their limits.
The match saw Nene McDonald claim two tries for his side in the first and second half, contributing to the exhilarating overall performance.
The PNG Kumuls celebrated eight tries and five conversions while the Cook Island Aitu scored three successful tries and conversions.
After a victorious triumph at the Santos NFS, McDonald remains calm and fixed on the next game against the New Zealand Kiwis in Final Crossover Game into the Pacific Cup Championship on Sunday 10th November in Sydney.