​Papua New Guinea Rugby League is pleased to confirm the Prime Minister's XIII squad for the upcoming friendly match against our Australian counterpart.
Twenty players have been invited to take part in the week leading into the PM's XIII in Brisbane, with camp commencing on Wednesday, September 21.
Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) Chief Executive Officer Mr Stanley Hondina, on behalf of the PNGRFL Board, congratulated the team and commended coach Stanley and his support staff for the great work done. 
“We have every confidence in the team and know they will do us proud on Sunday,” Mr Hondina said
“Our domestic partners in PNGLNG, Digicel, KPHL, NGCB and BSP, without your support this wouldn’t be possible and PNGRFL is greatly indebted by that,” Mr Hondina stressed.
With players whose clubs are deep into finals footy unavailable for selection, the opportunity for incoming squad members to put their best foot forward at the camp to enhance their bid for selection in the World Cup becomes very real.

The Australian Rugby League Commission has announced the Australian Men’s Prime Minister’s XIII squad to take on a PNG PM’s XIII team at Suncorp Stadium next Sunday, September 25.

ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys AM said: “The Commission is thrilled to have the PM’s XIII match in Australia for the first time especially ahead of the much anticipated World Cup. The relationship between Australian and PNG is so important to all of us. Both countries have in common a passion for rugby league and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the emerging players alongside the experienced stars on the international stage.”

Australian Men’s PM’s XIII Coach Mal Meninga said the match would be a vital selection guide ahead of the World Cup, which starts in October.

THE national men’s rugby league team have received a boost to their World Cup preparations, thanks to Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited’s (KPHL) three-year platinum sponsorship of more than K3.3 million.
The World Cup will be held in England from Oct 15 to Nov 19.
The managing director of the national oil and gas company, Wapu Sonk said yesterday the sponsorship would cover the World Cup and Test matches between 2022 and 2024.
“KPHL is proud to continue its sponsorship of the Kumuls for another three years,” he said. “We have been involving all tiers of rugby league in the country.

By Martin Lenehan
NRL Senior Journalist
The PNG Kumuls sent retiring skipper David Mead out on a high with a 24-14 win over Fiji at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday night.
Mead grabbed a try and ran for 139 metres as he led his country to their eighth win in their past 10 Test matches.

PNG Kumuls Coach Stanley Tepend has named 19-men squad that were selected from the NRL as well as the Hostplus Cup. 

1. Alex Johnson - South Sydney Rabbitohs 
2. Robert  Derby  Northern Pride
3. David Mead - Brisbane Broncos
4. Justin Olam   - Melbourne Storms
5. Terry Wapi - PNG Hunters
6. Lachlan Lam  - Sydney Rooster
7. Epel Kapinas - Wynnum Manly
8. Wartovo Puara  - PNG Hunters
9. Sylvester Namo - PNG Hunters
10. Nixon Putt -  Central Capras
11. Daniel Russel -  East Tigers
12. Liam Horne - Norths Devils
13. Kyle Laybutt - Townsville Blackhawks
14. Emmanuel Waine - PNG Hunters
15. Mckenzie Yei - PNG Hunters
16. Jacob Alick - Burleigh Bears/GC Titans
17. Dilbert Isaac - PNG Hunters
18. Sherwin Tanabi - PNG Hunters
19. Cruise Ten - South Logan Magpies 

St George Illawarra’s Jack de Belin won’t be included in Papua New Guinea’s squad for their upcoming Test match against Fiji but newly appointed head coach Stanley Tepend is hopeful the lock will accept a call-up later in the year. 
Tepend and his predecessor Michael Marum have held discussions with De Belin about representing his grandmother’s birth nation over the last 12 months.
De Belin only returned to the NRL last year and hasn’t played representative football since 2018, with the 31-year-old ruling himself out of Kumuls selection ahead of next week’s Test at Campbelltown.

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.