Leigh Leopards star calls on Super League clubs to look at talent from Papua New Guinea

Edwin Ipape has been one of the founds of 2022.

Unknown before making the move to the then Leigh Centurions, Ipape has been one of the best performers of the last 12 months.

Man of the Match and subsequently the Ray French Award winner in the 1895 Cup Final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as well as the Championship Player of the Year, Ipape has caught the eye not least in the World Cup recently with a Man of the Match display against Tonga despite defeat as well as a typically dangerous performance in victory over the Cook Islands.

During the World Cup, he’s reflected on the last 12 months: “It’s been a good year for myself, a good support network around and from back home and around here who have put in the effort to get me where I am today.”

However, he has also called on more Super League and NRL clubs to look towards talent from Papua New Guinea: “The Super League and NRL has a lot of Tongan and Samoan players but not as many Papua New Guinean players so we’re trying to prove a point here, that we can play in Super League and NRL.

“I want to see more Papua New Guineans in the NRL or Super League because it would be good for international rugby league.”

There are a number of Super League, or at least future Super League following Leigh’s promotion, stars in the Kumuls squad with Ipape joined by teammates Lachlan Lam and Nene MacDonald.

Skipper Rhyse Martin has of course been one of the star players of Super League since he made the switch to Leeds Rhinos from the Canterbury Bulldogs.