PAPUA New Guinea international and South Sydney Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston has declared his availability for the Kumuls’ June 25 Pacific Test against the Fiji Batis.
The Campbelltown Stadium clash in Sydney will be the Kumuls’ first Test match since 2019 when they recorded a historic win over Great Britain in Port Moresby.
Johnston, who is the 2014 premiership winner, told The National on Tuesday that he could not wait to play his third Test for PNG.

PREMIERSHIP winner Luke Lewis believes Papua new Guinea international James Segeyaro is “really staking his claim” to return to Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) now that his doping ban has been lifted.
While contracted at the Brisbane Broncos in 2019, the 31-year-old returned an A-sample drug test that was found to contain di-hydroxy LGD-4033, a metabolite of the banned substance Ligandrol.
Segeyaro faced up to four years out of the game, but last year, the NRL anti-doping tribunal downgraded his ban to 20 months after he successfully argued that he accidentally ingested the substance by using his housemate’s blender.

THE Papua New Guinea Kumuls will head into this year’s Rugby League World Cup with a new mentor following confirmation by Michael Marum that he will not re-apply for the role of head coach.
Confirming the end of his eight-year reign, Marum told The National yesterday that he was considering contesting a seat in his native East New Britain (ENB) in the upcoming general election.
He said he announced his decision during the PNG Rugby Football League annual general meeting (AGM) in Lae over the weekend.
“There had been a lot questions asked about whether I would re-apply for the role,” he said of the job, which had been first advertised earlier this month.
“But I have made my decision not to re-apply.

​FORMER Papua New Guinea Kumul Tu’u Maori passed away yesterday at the age of 33 after a battle with motor neurone disease in Australia.
The disease is a condition that affects particular nerves known as motor nerves, or motor neurons.
Those neurons generate and die, and slowly the muscles become weaker. This eventually leads to paralysis.
Born on Nov 22, 1988, the 2015 Brisbane Rugby League premiership-winning Ipswich Jets captain was diagnosed with the disease in February, 2019.
PNG coach Michael Marum paid tribute to the Kumul No.209 soon after he received the news. He told The National yesterday that the former Cronulla Shark and Melbourne Storm junior had always donned the Kumuls jumper with pride.

THIS year’s Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) has been postponed to 2022 in response to the withdrawal of Australia and New Zealand due to concerns over player safety due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) chairman Sandis Tsaka told The National last night that it was a decision that had to be made, given the difficult situation with Covid-19 restrictions around the world.
“Whilst Australia and New Zealand had withdrawn earlier, the situation and concerns for many of the 23 participating countries in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions were similar and would have impacted the World Cup in one way or another,” the Asia-Pacific Rugby League chairman and International Rugby League (IRL) director said.
“The seven nations from Asia-Pacific — PNG, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Australia and New Zealand — would have been greatly affected by the decision of the Australian Rugby League Commission and the National Rugby League clubs. “To maintain the integrity of the World Cup and the participating nations, the decision was the right one.”

SOUTH Sydney are confident that Papua New Guinea Kumuls fullback Alex Johnston will be back in action for the National Rugby League club before the September finals.
The 26-year-old is part of national coach Michael Marum’s plans for the Rugby League World Cup should it take place in October.

But the recent withdrawal of the world’s top-two sides, Australia and New Zealand, from the showpiece event has prompted questions on whether the spectacle will go ahead as scheduled.
And while competing in the World Cup is a goal for many players, Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly told The National that Johnston’s immediate focus was to win his second premiership with the Bunnies.

The National Schools Rugby League (NSRL) received a huge boost today, when PNG’s National Oil & Gas Company (NOC) Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (Kumul Petroleum) announced a sponsorship of K6 million for the next three (3) years.

Wapu Sonk, Managing Director of Kumul Petroleum said at the signing of the agreement that the NOC now becomes the Naming Rights sponsors of the National Schools Rugby League championships.

“Kumul Petroleum is proud to invest towards the development of juniors – both boys and girls – at the school level,” Mr Sonk said. “Every child has a dream and aspirations in their teen years and we want to support those young boys and girls who choose to play rugby league achieve that.”

OIL Search has reaffirmed its support for the Papua New Guinea Orchids which will help boost the national women’s team for this year’s Rugby League World Cup campaign in England.
Oil Search country manager Leon Buskins said their commitment to the Orchids comprised the 2020 and 2021 sponsorship which amounted to K1.4 million.
He said it was a commitment to rugby league especially for women and girls as well as helping the Orchids improve their world ranking.
“We were not able to sponsor (the Orchids) last year because of Covid-19 challenges and the number of international fixtures,” Buskins said.
“We are committed to roll over last year’s sponsorship to this year.
“We started the inaugural sponsorship of the Orchids in 2017 as we believe the country’s national sport of rugby league should be the domain of men and women.”

PAPUA New Guinea Kumul Dan Russell missed out on a National Rugby League (NRL) contract after he completed a six-week train-and-trial stint with the Melbourne Storm in the pre-season.
But before his side’s Queensland Intrust Super Cup (ISC) round-six clash with the SP Hunters, the Brisbane Tigers centre told The National that he was hopeful of securing another first-grade opportunity.
Russell said he had sustained a knee injury in the final two weeks of his Melbourne stint.

PAPUA New Guinea international Elsie Albert says she is eyeing a strong campaign with the St George Illawara Dragons in the upcoming National Rugby League Women’s season in Australia.
The PNG Orchids captain told The National last week that she would not be joining the Souths Logan Magpies in the Queensland Rugby League’s BHP Premiership.
However, she said she would do her own training while awaiting a call-up from the Saints.