A total of eight Super League players have been included in the Papua New Guinea squad ahead of this autumn’s Pacific Championships.
Papua New Guinea will take on Fiji and Cook Islands in the Pacific Bowl in the hope of securing promotion to next year’s Pacific Cup and a raft of Super League players will be aiming to help them do that.
Hull KR bound Rhyse Martin has been included and after bringing his time with Leeds Rhinos to an end he’ll be looking to add to the 17 caps he already has with his country. He’ll be in the back-row and it seems he might just partner Warrington Wolves’ 2025 recruit Dan Russell, who saw his switch from the NRL to the Halliwell Jones Stadium announced earlier this week.
Russell will be joined in the PNG squad by Warrington’s Rodrick Tai, who was one of the surprise packages in Super League this season.
Lachlan Lam is an experienced PNG international at this point of his career and he is one of two Leigh players selected, with Edwin Ipape also being called up. The pair have impressed in the colours of Leigh so far this season and they’ll be keen to take that form onto the international stage.
Castleford Tigers pair Sylvester Namo and Liam Horne have also been called up by head coach Jason Demetriou, while Dream Team centre Nene Macdonald features after his remarkable year at Salford Red Devils.
There are only four NRL players included, with Jeremiah Simbiken (Dolphins), Robert Derby (North Queensland Cowboys), Jack de Belin (St George Illawarra Dragons) and Jacob Alick-Wienke (Gold Coast Titans) being joined by a raft of players from PNG Hunters and other Queensland Cup sides.
Papua New Guinea take on Fiji on October 19 in their first game of the autumn before hosting Cook Islands in Port Moresby on November 3. Should they finish top of the group they will take on the third placed Pacific Cup team for a spot in the top flight next year.
Papua New Guinea squad: Jacob Alick-Wienke, Ila Alu, Koso Bandi, Jack de Belin, Robert Derby, Liam Horne, Edwin Ipape, Lachlan Lam, Kyle Laybutt, Nene Macdonald, Rhyse Martin, Alex Max, Sylvester Namo, Valentine Richard, Judah Rimbu, Elijah Roltinga, Dan Russell, Jeremiah Simbiken, Rodrick Tai, Sanny Wabo, Khaiya Waiembi.