Papua New Guinea stunned the bookmakers and thrilled their supporters by upsetting the highly-fancied Fiji side 26-14 to edge clear of their Pacific cousins in head-to-head meetings.

The Kumuls now lead Fiji 2-1 in their fledgling international careers.

Jarryd Hayne played at halfback for Fiji for the first time and kept PNG pegged back with good, tactical kicking early, but his team was starved of possession with loose play in possession.

​2018 Pacific Test
The 2018 Pacific Test has been announced, with the first two clashes confirmed. Fierce rivals Tonga will take on Samoa and Papua New Guinea will clash with Lebanon!

Campbelltown Stadium will rumble when it plays host to these powerhouses on Saturday 23 June.

Don't miss your chance to witness the next chapter of rivalry off the back of the Rugby League World Cup.

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​The National Sports Institute in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province will host the 2018 PNG Rugby Football League Super 9s challenge from February 17-18.
PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka said last Friday that it was one of the PNGRFL concepts that started in Lae in 2016.
He also said it was an invitational event.
“Last year due to the Rugby League World Cup preparations we did not host the challenge. This is the second time it is being held,” Tsaka said.
“The tournament will start on Saturday (February 17) and end on Sunday (February 18).”
The two-day tournament will see 16 teams in four pools including premier teams participating in the Digicel Cup and will also be aiming to select a squad for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
“There will be 16 teams participating including our premier teams participating in the PNG NRL competition (Digicel Cup) together with four confederate teams,” Tsaka said.
The four confederate teams are from the four confederates of Northern, New Guinea Islands, Highlands and Southern) given selections carried out during the respective confederate championships.
Tsaka said the tournament brings the cream of rugby league talent together to take part in selecting a squad for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
“The team competition has age restrictions (for U-23 players only) because the competition will be used as a selection trial for a team to the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
He added that during the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games there was an age limit (U-18) and that was when PNG won a gold medal. This year the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games has a restriction of U-23 players.
“It is an important occasion for us because this is the first officially sanctioned competition on our PNG Rugby Football League 2018 calendar,” Tsaka said.
“It also coincides with a week of coaching and refereeing accreditation run by Toksy Nema and development officials in Goroka.”
The coaches and referees course will be held next Friday (February 16) and will also see the arrival of teams to participate at the tournament. The announcement of the squad and team officials will be held on Sunday after the finals.
“Having four confederate teams and we have an invitation of a Madang team will also provide the opportunity not only for selection towards the Commonwealth Games but opportunity for rural based players to showcase their talents for Digicel Cup teams scouts,” Tsaka said.
“It promotes that player pathway where we bring the elite of our rugby league talent with our junior talent programs so it will be a great weekend of football.”
Teams participating include (pool A) Mendi Muruks, NCDC Vipers, NGI Confederate, Goroka Lahanis (pool B) Enga Mioks, Hagen, Northern Confederate, Gulf Isou (pool C) Chimbu Warriors, Madang, Southern Confederate, Hela Wigmen (pool D) Rabaul Gurias, Lae Tigers, Highlands Confederate, Waghi Tumbe. Post Courier

THE Papua New Guinea National Rugby League competition will introduce microphones for match officials in the 2018 season.
Manager Stanley Hondina, pictured, confirmed this at a press conference last Thursday.
Hondina said the microphones would be trailed during the PNGRFL National Super League Nines at Goroka over the weekend.
He said following the national 9s, the system would be used in the semi-professional Digicel Cup competition which starts next month.
Hondina said the system was costly but the benefits would be immense in helping improve referees and match officials ability to control fixtures and making the best decisions.
The electronic devices will be used by referees, touch judges and match officials as a quick clear line of communication when deliberating decisions and confirming plays in a quick and efficient manner.
“This is a big investment for our match officials which will help them make fairer decisions on the field,” Hondina said.
“These will help both the refs and touch judges to communicate through these wireless devices during the games.
“We are trying to raise the standard of the competition and we want to ensure that the games officials are equipped with these devices to also improve their duties and responsibilities.” PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka said that any PNGRFL-sanctioned competition would only involve one referee following the International Rugby League Federation rules.
Tsaka said the two referees controlling the match was only used in Australia’s National Rugby League.  The National
​

​Media Release

PNG Rugby Football League Chairman Sandis Tsaka sadly advised in a brief statement today that PNG LNG Kumul centre Kato Ottio passed away at the Pacific International Hospital in Port Moresby at 2am this morning.

He said details of the 23 year old’s death will be released later.

Chairman Tsaka said his body was taken to his Tatana home and at 10am this morning will be taken to the Funeral Home.

Funeral arrangements are being discussed with the family and will be advised in due course.

Tsaka extended his condolences on behalf of the PNG Rugby League fraternity to the family of late Kato Ottio of his sudden and untimely death.

The USA Hawks are prepared for a psychical encounter when they try to end Papua New Guinea’s three-game winning streak on Sunday at Port Moresby Stadium.

PNG all but sealed a spot in the quarter-finals with their win over Ireland last week, but a win over the USA will mean they do it in style by progressing through undefeated.
But on the other end of the spectrum is the USA, who are trying to remedy a four-game losing streak in which they conceded 35 tries across the matches.

But hooker, Dave Marando, who is normally a carpenter by trade, knows exactly to what to expect when he runs out in front of the 15,000 screaming Kumul supporters awaiting him.

“We asked a Fijian bloke what it’s like playing Papua New Guinea and he told us it was like running into a concrete post,” Marando said.

“We are going to be battered and bruised by the end of it, that’s for sure.”

Marando, 33, is normally used to the small crowds of his Sydney Shield games but will soak up every second of his chance on the world stage.

“THIS IS WHAT I CAME FOR, IT WILL BE THE GAME OF A LIFETIME REALLY AND A MOMENT I’LL NEVER FORGET.”
“I actually call it living the dream, I have a hashtag LTD and had that written on my wrist last game.”

With the stage set for an entertaining clash PNG coach, Michael Marum, has decided to mix his team up and try a new halves pairing for the match.

Lachlan Lam, son of PNG great Adrian Lam, will make his international debut for the Kumuls replacing Ase Boas in the halves.

Also coming into the team is Moses Meninga, Thompson Tete and Nixon Putt who will all join the starting side while Stanton Albert, Wellington Albert and Enock Maki make way.

The USA have also made some changes for the game with Joshua Rice, Matt Shipway, Charles Cortalano and David Ulch all dropping out in place of Jonathan Alley, Joe Eichner, Nicholas Newlin and Martwain Johnston.

Papua New Guinea will be looking to take full advantage of their final home game of the tournament and use the passionate crowd to their advantage.

The Kumuls have lit up Port Moresby stadium so far this tournament and expect them to do just that against an out matched Eagles outfit.

But for the USA a respectable defeat will be more than enough with Brian McDermott’s side improving each game as their combinations start to gel together.

James Coman1 | @JamesComan1
Rugby League World Cup 2017 Reporter‌‌

And tomorrow’s contest between PNG and USA at Oil Search National Football Stadium in Port Moresby will be the third sell-out crowd at the venue during the Cup’s preliminary rounds.Today’s crowd at Hamilton is the biggest to attend a Rugby League match in New Zealand since the 2014 Four Nations Test in Wellington three years ago (25,183 on 15 November 2014).
 
And the three biggest Rugby League crowds in New Zealand this year have been for RLWC 2017 matches over successive weekends.
 
Last Saturday the crowd of 18,156 for the Samoa-Tonga match at Waikato Stadium (Hamilton) exceeded the 17,857 fans who watched New Zealand’s 38-8 defeat of Samoa at Mt Smart Stadium (Auckland) the previous weekend.
 
With Waikato Stadium boasting a capacity of just under 25,000, the New Zealand-Tonga match is also set to break the previous biggest attendance for the tournament so far of 22,724 for the opening game between Australia and England at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
 
RLWC2017 Chief Executive Andrew Hill was thrilled with how fans in New Zealand have supported the tournament thus far.

"THE RLWC2017 IS THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE TOURNAMENT TO BE PLAYED IN NEW ZEALAND SINCE 2014 AND SUPPORTERS HAVE RESPONDED BY TURNING OUT IN GOOD NUMBERS FOR THE GAMES SO FAR," HILL SAID."Fans in New Zealand will have further opportunities to see the world's best, with quarter-finals in Wellington and Christchurch next weekend and a semi-final in Auckland the following week."  
 
The match in Hamilton will determine which team finishes first in Pool B, but regardless of the result New Zealand will play their quarter-final at Wellington Regional Stadium next Saturday and Tonga will play their quarter-final at Christchurch Stadium on the same day.
 
Hill said the third consecutive sell-out crowd at Oil Search National Football Stadium vindicated the decision to award Papua New Guinea hosting rights for the Kumuls' pool matches.
 
"The three matches in Papua New Guinea have been important to the success of the Rugby League World Cup and each game has highlighted the passion the country has for Rugby League," Hill said.
"The people of Papua New Guinea should be proud to have hosted three world-class events which have showcased their country to the world."
Interest is expected be high in all matches this weekend as each has a bearing on the make-up of the quarter-finals, including Saturday’s Samoa-Scotland game at Barlow Park in Cairns, which will decide the third-placed team in Pool B.
It is likely that the winner of that match will meet Australia in next Friday's quarter-final at Darwin Stadium, which will host the first match ever played by the Kangaroos in the Northern Territory.
Television ratings have also been strong for RLWC2017 in Australia, with the Kangaroos-England game on the Seven Network being the most watched Friday night match of the year and drawing the biggest viewing audience for any game this season besides State of Origin and the NRL grand final.
Fiji advanced to the quarter-finals with a 38-10 win over Italy in Canberra last night to complete their pool matches undefeated.
The full schedule of Round 3 pool matches remaining this weekend is (local times):
Saturday
New Zealand v Tonga at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, NZ (5.10pm)
Samoa v Scotland at Barlow Park, Cairns (4.10pm)
Australia v Lebanon at Sydney Football Stadium (8.10pm)
Sunday
PNG v USA at Oil Search National Football Stadium, PNG (3pm)
Wales v Ireland at Perth Rectangular Stadium (3.30pm)
England v France at Perth Rectangular Stadium (6pm)
Rugby League World Cup 2017 | @RLWC2017
Media Release

​Chairman of the National Football stadium (NFS) Trustees board and managing director of Oil Search Peter Botten (pictured) has praised the performance of the PNG LNG Kumuls and the NFS venue.
With the venue successfully hosting one of its highest profile events to date, Botten said the jubilant crowd was broadcasted all over the world and got great reviews overseas.
He said Saturday’s game had set a great platform to portray Papua New Guinea to the world.
“That telecast was beamed around the world. I have had a lot of texts from people in the UK, saying ‘hey this is Moresby at its best and we, never thought how good it would be,” Botten said.
“The crowd was magnificent and I think the stadium performed excellent and fantastic advert of the partnership with the government.”
“Oil Search and PNG rugby league about what can be done in Papua New Guinea but the kumuls were just outstanding and the crowd, let me tell you, I felt so proud to see them enjoy it in a safe, great environment.”
Botten said with two games to go and the good health of the national coach confirmed, the signs are looking good for the national team.
“We can go into the next game confident but not complacent.”
He also elaborated a vital fact in the impression the venue and game has given to the Welsh visitors as much as it has done for the country.
“I can tell you the Welsh were just so complementary of the stadium, the facilities, and the crowd and the whole experience of Papua New Guinea.
“So, we have now got ambassadors going back to Wales and I am sure Ireland and the US will say that PNG is a great place to come and the PNG people are great people, we really play good rugby league.” Post Courier 

​National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop (pictured) is confident the PNG Kumuls will beat Ireland and USA with runaway score lines.
Parkop told the Post-Courier after PNG beat Wales on Saturday, that it was an exceptional game that saw great defence and attack put up by the Kumuls.
“They did us proud. It was a great day today (Saturday) given that Wales are ranked 9th and Kumuls on 16th and they have beaten us by similar scores in our past three outings against them.
“Sweet victory and sweet revenge…this is the spirit we needed for our city and our country to leverage sports especially our national games to achieve more beyond the field,” he said.
Parkop said sports has the ability to unite the people and the nation by providing a platform for the young people to lift their self esteem, develop positive values and attitudes and find their place in life.
“As one of the major sponsors for the three World Cup Games, I am proud and happy the Kumuls have redeemed our position in the rugby league ratings and I am planning to go to the semis in Sydney in late November.
“Bring on the Kiwis and Kangaroos. I am super confident the Kumuls will beat Ireland and USA by a bigger score.
“Wales was the team I was more concerned about due to their ranking but with a score like that Ireland and USA should be easy beats,” he said.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has congratulated the PNG Kumuls for their historic win.
The PM who led half of the cabinet to watch the World Cup game has also thanked the coaching staff for an excellent win.
“Very good win by our national team and our appreciation and congratulations to the players and coaching staff for an excellent team,” O’Neill said.
He also thanked all the other NRL players, the PNG and non-PNG for their best performance.
PNG Kumuls have created history 1991 – Wales 68 vs PNG 0, 2001 Wales 22 vs PNG 8, 2007 Wales 50 vs PNG 10 and 2017 PNG 50 vs Wales 6. Post Courier