Edene Gebbie a few months ago a lot of critics and fans said he wasn’t a big game player after the samoa test and that he isn’t fit for international football. Even just a week ago with the announcement of Johnston many said Gebbie isn’t good enough for the Number 1 Jersey and that he shouldn’t be selected on the wing because he is a specialist number 1.

With an all overseas based and affiliate first 13 run on side for the very first time the team has showed significant improvement in standard.

The standard of the game shown by the PNG KUMULs was impressive.

I am not surprised at the results of the Fiji PNG rugby match. During my brief term as a Chairman for PNGRFL I witnessed first hand such manipulation by faceless men who for some reason do not want PNG to be a part of the game at the highest level.

Diplomacy using sports is a very clever method of political influence. It’s very much at play here in PNG. Even our favourite sport is manipulated by foreign interests and we don’t even see it.

Should we have had The Team Gold Vs Team Red Match this year a few weeks before this years PM Xlll Match . We could have choosen players from Digicel , Hunters and Overseas players to pick this years PM Xlll Squad .

Yesterday PM Xlll squad clearly states to make this years PNG Kumuls you must be playing for SP Hunters or playing in Australia in ISC , NSW Cup or NRL . No domestic players were choosen for this squad.

How would you feel if you were Digicel Cup player or The Franchise Owners know after spending millions this season you come away with nothing to shoe.Now you expect The DIGICEL Cup players to play an Exhibition Match as Zones players .
I can't see this being an evenly match event .

If this is the way the future PNG Kumuls will be selected from what's the use of having The DIGICEL Cup .
If Digicel decide pull the pin on there Sponsorship of Inner City Comp where will the PNG Hunters get their players from .

By Chris Thompson 

Along with numberous Digicel Cup players such as Josiah Abavu , Richard Kambo, Enoch Maki plus more they have been overlooked for selection all together . 
Current NRL player Ray Thompson from North QLD Cowboys was not selected too he is career best form this year and a very versatile player too can play halfback and hooker . 
Our UK contingent has not got a look in either players available were Paul Aiton , Jesse Joe Parker, Menzie Yere , Neville Costigan , Jason Chan and Makali Aizue .

By Chris Thompson

There is so much critics both for and against and also praises for the current selection of the All stars team (Both Zones and Digicel Cup) and also the PM's XIII match. Let me put this straight - PNGRFL in those days of late Kevin Murphy and others had never got the support from the government as now can be seen. If rugby league is being used as hidden vehicle driven by the so called politicans for its politican gain, then I still don't believe that PNG will reach the utlimate goal in having a team in the NRL so soon - The PNGNRL Bid vision infact failed with the peoples' money worth K20 million funded into the PNGNRL Bid probably not accounted for. If it was, then it would have been a public information which to me, I know nothing about it and now where??? The national sport, the way it is going is to back up for the political numbers. I am not surprised rugby league is also used as a political tool - The love and passion for rugby league has grown mad for this beautiful country and we all know that therefore the nation or people get behind anyone who supports rugby league - We should also ask the question if the Hunters players were given a contract by a NRL club, have we not forgetten that the VISA problem has held most PNGeans back - Has that been sorted out yet, or not??? PM's XIII match is an annual event, and if we are serious, we should pick those PNG players that play here in PNG and got contracted to overseas clubs - Players like Benjamin John just completed his grand final - Menzie Yere, I spoke to him previous night and he said he is available for the PM's XIII and the Tonga test match - How can a world cup player like Enoch Maki be dropped back into the Digicel All stars team?? You have aspiring players like Joshaia Abavu, David Loko, Charlie Wabo - --- If we are to develop players leading towards the 2017, why not get more of the PNG U/19 boys that went onto winning the commonwealth title?? etc etc and you can add on... My point here is, if there is no Digicel Cup here in PNG, where do PNG stand in rugby league????? The Hunters should have played the Digicel select side to form the PM's 13 game, not a one weekend zone select side to take on Digicel side, that's in itself is a mockery or joke and a slap on the face of the Digcle Cup organsiers. I am wondeirng now, how Hubert Warupi and Sudhir Guru will think about that. I believe - Those Zones players should be drafted into the Hunters training list so the government's money is worth developing these young blocks to rise up to the level where Digicel Cup is being run and not paying so much for the consultation fees - Over to you all - This is my thought

By Kevin Teme

I WOULD like to reply to John Wagambie’s comments as well as those who are querying and blaming Adrian Lam, Mal Meninga and overseas-based players for their performance in the 2013 World Cup (Nov 26).
I am proud of overseas-based players, with the involvement of Lam and Meninga bringing the Kumuls to the next level to meet the international standard of rugby, apart from them, no one will get this job done and it says it all with the current so-called leaders of this nation.
PNG started playing rugby many years ago and we should match the Australian and New Zealand standards, unlike the other small Pacific Islands like Tonga, Samoa and Fiji who just started to play rugby and most of them are exposed to overseas.
So stop making senseless comments and get back to your own local village and organise your local boys to produce good players for the team to get better end results.
 
Kumuls Fan
Port Moreby