Kumuls must get ready for four nations' rugby league meet

By REGINALD RENAGI

 

The Papua New Guinea Rugby League administration must now get its act together to sort out the legal impasse or forget about PNG's participation in the forthcoming four nation rugby league tournament this October.

Time may be running out for the PNG Kumuls and PNG must also be concerned for several reasons.

While we stuff around, the Australian and New Zealand organisers of this important meet are also watching, and wondering whether PNG will be ready for this planned tournament.

We should not let the threat of resignation by Kumul coach Adrian Lam force us to come to a compromised decision that will destroy the integrity and long-term sustainability of rugby league in this country.

Let the rugby league administration now decide what is good for the development of rugby league in PNG.

What we decide now must be long in vision and mission, whether we are preparing for the four nations meet four months from now or the Australian NRL Bid proposal.

There is an urgent need for the Kumuls to must start preparing now or PNG may not be sufficiently prepared for this year's four nation tournament.

 Adrian Lam is the best Kumuls' coach so far, and it will be a shame if he was to step down as the Kumul's coach.

 Lam values his professional credibility more than the silly games the league administration is currently embroiled in at this moment.

The PNG Rugby League Administration's lack of clear direction has now prompted Sports Minister Philemon Embel to personally take matters into his own hand to try to resolve the legal impasse (which will no doubt drag on for some time, and time is what we cannot afford right now).

The Sports Minister must be commended for his foresight and quick action here.

 It's somewhat surprising to see the Sports Federation not taking a more-proactive action here to directly address the situation early until the resignation threat by Adrian Lam as recently reported in the media.

Last Saturday's meeting at Port Moresby's Crown Plaza hotel organised by the Sports Minister for all rugby league stakeholders to meet and resolve the present impasse has a temporary but a positive outcome. 

The meeting decided to have a caretaker rugby league administration in place until the court decides who the rightful rugby league board is. 

This is a positive start. 

What are really needed now are a good strong leadership and management within the PNG Rugby League administration to take the rugby league code forward into the future.

We must do this without any undue political and external interference to make decisions that will only compromise the growth and sustainability of this popular sporting code in PNG.

 

Reginald Renagi

*Former President, Defence Force Rugby League and Union