Paula DAVID

The Raiders withstood a withering comeback by Wests Tigers to come away with a 20-19 win at Campbelltown Stadium on Friday night. After leading 18-0 with 12 minutes to play the Raiders conceded three tries in four minutes and a field goal to fall behind 19-18 before a Jamal Fogarty penalty goal put them back in front. The sin binning of Raiders hooker Tom Starling in the 68th minute proved pivotal, the Tigers going into overdrive with tries to Jahream Bula, John Bateman and Brandon Wakeham in the space of four minutes levelling the scores at 18-18. Luke Brooks then calmly potted a field goal from 30 metres out to put the Tigers ahead 19-18 before Fogarty was collected late by Isaiah Papali'i as the Raiders No.7 launched a field goal attempt to try and level the scores. Papali'i made contact with Fogarty's legs as he tried to put pressure on the kick and the ensuing penalty goal put Canberra back in front 20-19 and that's how it finished. Fogarty was the star for Canberra with two tries from pinpoint kicks aimed at the goalposts and a try assist as the Green Machine made it 10 wins in their past 11 clashes with the Tigers. The Raiders got the scoring going in the seventh minute when Fogarty produced a pinpoint grubber into the goalpost pad and collected the rebound to score for an early 6-0 lead. The home side threatened to hit back in the 16th minute when Bula exploded into the back field and found Fonua Pole in support but Raiders centre Matt Timoko ran him down and the ball split free in the tackle. The Tigers created another opportunity in the 29th minute on the back of a sharp run by Api Koroisau and a string of offloads but back-rower Papali'i was bundled into touch just short of the line as the Raiders scrambled well. A towering bomb by Fogarty seven minutes before half-time led to the Raiders' second try when Bula put the ball down and Jordan Rapana pounced for his 100th career try. Fogarty's conversion made it 12-0. Back-to-back six again calls in the opening minutes of the second term gave the Tigers a chance to hit back but a poor pass by Koroisau saw them come up empty. The Raiders then stretched their lead to 18-0 after Fogarty again grubbered the ball into the goalpost and regained to complete just the second try double of his career. The Tigers continued to mount pressure but some poor last-tackle options from Brooks and Wakeham meant they were unable to crack the resolute Raiders defence. On the back of the Raiders giving away their eighth set restart of the night, Starling was sent to the bin with 12 minutes to play and the Tigers pounced, Tommy Talau creating space for Bula to score. The Tigers then made it two tries in two minutes when Bateman surged over from dummy half after a Brooks line break put them on the front foot. Wakeham converted the try to close the gap to six points. Wakeham then grabbed a four-pointer of his own from a grubber kick in the 73rd minute and the Tigers had remarkably drawn level at 18-18. A frantic final four minutes then unfolded as Brooks put the Tigers in front and Fogarty guided the winning penalty goal through the sticks to wrap up Canberra's eighth win of the season. The Tigers have now lost their past six games at Campbelltown Stadium but they can be proud of their effort to come back from 18 points down when it seemed the Raiders were cruising to an easy win. Source: NRL.Com

The red army nation Hekari United FC has gone down 2-1 to AS Academy of New Caledonia during the Women’s Oceania Football Champions (WOFC) League second match of day one on Thursday 01st May. Even though Hekari FC did not expect the loss, they still tried their best and pushed through till full time. Hekari was caught off guard in the first 2 minutes of the game when AS Academy’s Ronaldine Hnaune scored her side’s first goal of the match. Coming back at second half, Hekari pulled through with a penalty goal after AS Academy struck down Gloria Laeli right in their opponent’s 18-yard box. The penalty put both teams in a tie. But AS Academy did not settle for a tie as they came to be champs of their first inaugural WOFC match with another impressive quick play by Ashley Xadrudrue Gowet after coming off the bench to top the score board, 2-1. Hekari United FC Coach Erickson Komeng was pleased with the performance of his team but not the result he wanted in front of the home crowd going down to AS Academy FC of New Caledonia. “The girls played well today. That’s football. One team has to win and the other has to loose and we didn’t get the result today, I am proud of the girls. We just have to go back and comeback stronger in the next game. ” He added that the girls just need to trust themselves and believe in themselves to get better results in the next game. Meanwhile, AS Academy Feminine coach Coralie Bretegnier said it was a physically challenging game, but she is proud of her team’s effort for giving their all to claim their first WOFC win.

The SP PNG Hunters will resume the hunt this Saturday, 3rd June when they host the Tweed Seagulls at the Santos National Football Stadium in Round 12 of the QRL Hostplus Cup. The Hunters are in the midst of a four-game stretch on home soil having fallen just short to the visiting Northern Pride last weekend. Running out to an early lead in that game thanks largely to the involvements of halfback Jamie Mavoko, the Hunters were dealt a harsh blow with skipper Ila Alu leaving the field due to injury and two more Hunters players sent to the sinbin. Despite going into the sheds up 16-6, the Hunters couldn’t overcome the added pressure and fatigue caused by their disrupted bench rotation. In contrast, the Pride made the most of their opportunities in the second half and played to the wet conditions smartly. The Tweed Seagulls also come into QRL Round 12 following a loss, having capitulated against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls after taking an early lead. Currently sitting in 7th position on the QRL Hostplus Cup ladder, Tweed will be desperate to return to their winning ways against the Hunters on Saturday afternoon and maintain their position inside the Top Eight. The match will Kickoff is at 3pm. Team List 1. Morea Morea 2. Brandon Nima (Captain) 3. Julius Igila 4. Rodrick Tai 5. Solo Wane 6. Joshua Mire 7. Jamie Mavoko 8. Junior Rop 9. Judah Rimbu 10. Epel Kapinias 11. Benji Kot 12. Julius Yakopa 13. Tommy Moide 14. Trevor Solu 15. Sanny Wabo 16. Seal Kalo 17. Casey Dickson 18. Siki Konden 19. Matthew Jesse

A total of 78,966 Grade 10 students in Papua New Guinea have sat the National Written Expression Examination yesterday (June 1st 2023). The exam topic across all 452 high and secondary schools nationwide was "MY BEST FRIEND". In Western Province, the written expression exam was conducted in six secondary schools and five high schools within the province. In North Fly District, a total of 302 grade 10 students from Kiunga Secondary School sat the exams while in Middle Fly District, a total of 42 grade 10 students attending the Aiambak High School also sat the exam on Thursday 01st May. Within the province, a total of 1,657 students sat the written expression exams. Western Provincial Education Adviser Mr. Charlie Buia said all exam papers were distributed in days earlier prior to the exam date, adding that all schools within the province conducted the Written Expression Exam well. Following the Grade 10 exams, the written expression for all grade 12's across the country will be conducted on August 7th this academic year.

An outstanding performance by the Labasa FC of Fiji saw them secured their first historic win against Kiwi FC of Samoa 6-0 in the inaugural Women’ Oceania Football Championships (WOFC) League played at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium, Port Moresby. Labasa FC and Kiwi FC had the honors to play the first match to open the Inaugural OFC Women's Club Championships on Thursday 01st June. Eight minutes into the game, Labasa FC proved too good for the Samoan side, scoring their first goal by number 16 Sofi Diyalowa and with the wind on their side, Labasa took no chances and scored another set of goals by their striker Stella Naivalulevu taking them to 3-0 to lead in the first half of the match. Coming back at second half, Kiwi FC improved on their defence play as they tried their best to hold off Labasa from adding to their tally. But it was not over yet for team Fiji as Unaisi Tuberi scored another goal and Adi Vulitikoro claiming another point to take Labasa further up. Even though the stadium was not packed, Labasa got all the support from the small number of supporters from the Fijian communities living in Port Moresby to boost their side’s team to win their first ever Womens OFC Champions match. Labasa FC head coach Arthur Simmons was very happy with his teams result and said that it is very important to be on the front foot, but they need to improve on somethings before their next match on Saturday. “We’ve missed a lot of sitters and it could have been a bigger score margin. So that’s something that we have to work on tomorrow (Friday 02nd May).” He also added that the Fijian fans have gone around to the hotel where they are residing at and encouraged the team and telling them that they will be there to cheer their girls on, which was a boost to the team. Meanwhile, Kiwi FC Coach Leti Tamasese said even though her team lost this afternoon they still performed in their best ability. “Our goalkeeper was our saver today. Without the saves she made, the score would have gone up to 10 points against us. But they work hard together and keep going and they never gave up and I’m proud of that.” Overall, both teams stated that they are enjoying their time here, especially the hospitality.

Out of the 78, 966 grade 10 students nationwide who will sit for their National Written Expression Exam today, a total of 1, 657 Grade 10 students from six secondary schools and five high schools in Western Province will be sitting for their Written Expression Exam. Western Provincial Education Advisor Mr. Charlie Buia said that all exam papers have already been distributed to respective schools within the province to conduct the exams as scheduled on this year's academic calendar. He urged students and teachers to observe the exam rules and malpractices should not be entertained adding such practices would result in non-certification for students. He challenged the students to prioritize education for a better living and parents in Western Province are advised to must also play their roles in educating their children. Mr. Buia stressed that the students would be sitting for their final exams in October this year, for Grade 10's, 12's and 8's, hence students should focus on studies and strive for excellence.

After launching the Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIA) last Friday in Kiunga, more than 500 babies have been immunized. Health workers in Kiunga confirmed that vaccines for measles, rubella and polio as well as Vitamin A nutritional supplement have been delivered to children aged five years and below. Parents in North Fly District have been advised that immunizing children is important for their wellbeing. According to Kiunga District Hospital Management Team, six teams comprising of health workers have been dispatched to town including nearby settlements to conduct the Immunization program. This Immunization program is expected to continue for the next three weeks, not only in Kiunga, but rural villages along the Kiunga-Tabubil highway and the villages along the Fly River. In Western Province, common sickness like tuberculosis (TB), malaria and asthma have been affecting the lives of people; therefore, immunizing children at an early age will boost their immune system to fight against such sicknesses.

As the government continues its support and commitment to improving accessibility to health services throughout the country, Prime Minister (PM) James Marape officially opened the brand-new Level-4 hospital in Kupiano Station, Abau District, Central Province, on Friday, May 26th. He said his Government had identified health as one of its top priorities and was working towards achieving universal health for all citizens. The hospital was built by Santos through the Government’s Tax Credit Scheme (TCS) arrangement at a cost of K20.224 million towards development from feasibility, design and engineering in 2010 to final completion. He said, the construction work started back in 2017 is finally completed this year to serve the people. The hospital has been upgraded to a Level 4 District Hospital Status and includes an outpatient and emergency department with a procedure room, a general ward consisting of modern equipment with 16 beds, a maternity ward with a spacious delivery room, a minor procedure room, a nurses’ station and five ablution rooms. PM Marape said the Government continues to investing in building and upgrading health facilities across the country, as well as recruiting and training more health professionals, to achieve the goal of improving accessibility to health services nationwide.

Another disappointing loss by the SP PNG Hunters, who were beaten by Kenfrost Homes Northern Pride 22-16 in front of a heaving crowd at the Santos National Football Stadium (NFS) over the weekend on Saturday 27th May. Kicking off a stretch of four games at the spiritual home of rugby league in Port Moresby, the Hunters ran out to an early lead but couldn’t overcome two sinbins and an injury to talismanic skipper Ila Alu. In contrast, the Pride made the most of their opportunities after the break to score three second half tries as the rain began to fall on the Santos NFS turf. The visitors jagged an early try through Will Partridge in the left-hand corner, with the winger icing a smooth backline movement which stripped the Hunters for numbers on their own line. Partridge converted his own try to give the Pride a six-point lead after five minutes. It was all the Hunters from there, though. Shrugging off the early scoreboard pressure, the proud PNG-based club roared to life thanks largely to the involvements of halfback Jamie Mavoko. Making just his 17th QRL Hostplus Cup appearance, Mavoko’s continual development was on show as he steered the Hunters across the park and kicked smartly to end their sets. It wasn’t long before the Hunters found themselves in attacking field position thanks to Mavoko’s influence, and the halfback set up PNG’s first points from there. With Yakopa demanding attention from the defence and Morea a constant threat out the back, Mavoko dragged two defenders over the line to score his first try in the QRL Hostplus Cup. A challenging conversion attempt just missed the left upright, leaving PNG with a 10-6 lead midway through the first half and with Mavoko threatening on the edges and Wesser Tenza scheming around the ruck, PNG quickly found themselves back on the attack. The defence had no answer for Tenza’s speed and strength as the Hunters took a 16-6 lead into the break, following Mavoko’s successful conversion. Unfortunately for the Hunters, they couldn’t maintain their rage through until fulltime. The weather turned at the break as the clouds opened up and a light drizzle settled over the Stadium. Overcome by a weight of possession and field position, the Hunters looked like mounting another unlikely comeback when bench utility Sanny Wabo made two line breaks late in the piece, but neither led to points as the Pride scrambled desperately in defense. In the end, the Hunters were asked to play with 12 men for two separate 10-minute periods and the subsequent fatigue was too much to overcome. The loss of Ila Alu – one of PNG’s most productive yardage merchants and an important link man between the ruck and the edges – also hurt, as the Hunters battled against the odds to maintain their lead to the siren. The Hunters will play their next home game at the Santos NFS against the Tweed Seagulls on Saturday 3rd June.

Air Niugini announced the safe return of one of its aircraft following an engine shutdown during a flight on Friday morning, from Port Moresby to Goroka. The prompt and professional response of the airline crew, in accordance with established protocols, ensured the safety and well-being of all passengers and crew on board. According to Air Niugini, the De Havilland Dash 8-300 aircraft, operating flight PX160 from Port Moresby to Goroka, experienced a technical issue with the Left-Hand engine, having just departed Jacksons Airport, Port Moresby. The flight crew then immediately initiated the appropriate actions as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). They performed an engine shutdown and having sufficiently reduced the landing weight by burning fuel in a holding pattern, safely returned the aircraft to Jacksons. Passenger safety and well-being are the top priorities at Air Niugini, and the airline would like to reassure its valued customers that all necessary precautions were taken to handle this situation. Our highly trained and experienced flight crew successfully managed the issue with the engine. Air Niugini is committed to adhering to the highest industry safety standards, and the company has already commenced a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of the engine issue, that necessitated the shutdown. Air Niugini is also working closely with the aircraft and engine supplier, and relevant authorities to ensure a comprehensive analysis of the engine issue. Air Niugini’s Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gary Seddon said, “I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the crew members of PX160 who handled the situation with utmost professionalism and expertise, as well as our passengers for their understanding and cooperation during this unforeseen event. We are also thankful for the support and guidance provided by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and other relevant organizations.” “Air Niugini remains dedicated to maintaining the highest level of safety and operational excellence across our fleet. We have robust safety management systems in place and will continue to prioritize the training and well-being of our crew members. Our passengers can continue to have confidence in Air Niugini as we uphold our commitment to delivering safe and reliable air travel.”  

The Eels overcame the absence of their entire grand final forward pack and an early injury to new recruit Joe Ofahengaue to hold out the Cowboys 24-16 at CommBank Stadium. With Junior Paulo on NSW Origin duty and Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Shaun Lane and Ryan Matterson injured, the Eels this week signed Ofahengaue from Wests Tigers but he suffered a calf injury just 10 minutes into his club debut. Hooker Reed Mahoney and forwards Isaiah Papali'i, Marata Niukore, Oregon Kaufusi and Nathan Brown have all joined rival clubs. With Ofahengaue injured, Wiremu Greig was forced to play 47 minutes in just his 14th NRL appearance and he led the Eels forward pack as the home side withstood a late Cowboys fightback, sparked by fullback Scott Drinkwater. "You can focus on who is out of the team or you can focus on who is getting an opportunity and all of those guys I am so proud of, especially those middle guys," Eels coach Brad Arthur said. "They are getting limited game time from week-to-week and they come in and then we get an injury early and they are forced to hang in there for us, and they keep fronting up. They all did a great job." From the outset, the Cowboys looked a different side from the one humbled 66-18 by Wests Tigers and they opened the scoring when Drinkwater swivelled out of Clint Gutherson tackle in the eighth minute after an offload by Heilum Luki. However, Parramatta's first foray into North Queensland's 20 metre zone resulted in an easy try when Greig crashed over for his first NRL try in the 18th minute off a short Mitchell Moses ball. The Cowboys appeared set to hit back soon after when Drinkwater broke through the defence and found support from Peta Hiku, who passed onto Chad Townsend only for the playmaker to be cut down short by Dylan Brown. Townsend then saved a try himself on the last play before halftime when he tackled Eels winger Maika Sivo into touch to ensure the teams went to the break with the scores level at 6-6. The Eels dominated possession and field position in the opening exchanges of the second half but winger Sean Russell was twice denied tries within a minute as North Queensland's goal line defence held firm. Referee Todd Smith correctly disallowed a 48th minute try after a quick catch and pass from Will Penisini travelled forward before Russell caught it and strolled over untouched. Russell again looked set to score from the ensuing scrum, due to a Cowboys knock-on before the forward pass, but he lost the ball attempting to ground it as Ben Hampton came across in cover to tackle him. Sivo finally broke the 6-6 deadlock when he scored in the 55th minute after Brown, Gutherson and centre Bailey Simonsson combined to create a passage for the Fiji star to the tryline. Russell put the Eels further ahead when he was finally rewarded with a try in the 64th minute after quick hands by the Parramatta backline. However, the Cowboys refused to surrender and winger Kyle Feldt scored two late tries - both of which were laid on by Drinkwater. "What he said before the game I really liked. He wanted to touch the ball and have 20 carries and when he has got his hands on the ball we are a better team," Cowboys coach Todd Payten said of Drinkwater. "He took some tough yardage carries, he took some good options in good ball and he was a real threat for us. The kid cares about how his footy grows and cares about how we go as a team. "I have really liked his intent and effort, particularly these last six-to-eight weeks." Feldt's first try was created with a long pass by Drinkwater on the outside of Sivo, while the second followed a Parramatta knock on after Feldt chipped over the top of his wing opposite. Mitchell Moses secured the win when he scored in the 79th minute. Source: NRL.Com

Despite finishing on the wrong side of the scoreboard last week, the SP PNG Hunters are back on home soil this weekend when they host the Northern Pride at the Santos National Football Stadium this Saturday, 27th May in Round 11 of the QRL Hostplus Cup at 3pm. Staring down a 22-point deficit at one stage, the Hunters roared to life in the second half to score five unanswered tries and finish just four points shy of the Seagulls. They completely dominated in all key areas in the second half, running through the Wynnum Manly defence with ease and scoring points across the park. Currently sitting just above the Hunters in 9th position on the QRL Hostplus Cup ladder, the Pride need a win to stay in touch of the top eight. It makes for a titanic clash on Saturday afternoon, with both the Hunters and Pride fighting to hold their position in the middle of the table. The last time these sides met was in Round 5 this year, when the Hunters travelled to Barlow Park, Cairns but couldn’t best the home side in a 34-14 defeat. No doubt the Hunters will be eager to avenge that loss when they host the Pride at the Santos National Football Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Head Coach Stanley Tepend said the club is keen to make the most of a four-game stretch on home soil after finishing strongly in the second half last week. “We’ve had a tough last few week but it’s exciting to be back home at NFS in front of our fans.” “It’s a great opportunity for us to perform well, starting with the Pride this weekend.” “We took a lot of confidence out of how we finished last week’s game against Wynnum Manly, and it’s important we roll that into the Pride game on Saturday.” Tepend said the focus this week has been internal but admitted the Round 5 loss to the Pride earlier this season will be in the back of their minds. “We’ve been focusing on ourselves and what we need to improve this week, but I’m sure the boys will be eager to get one back against the Pride this weekend.” “We’ve improved a lot since then and we get a chance to show that improvement on Saturday." Team List 1. Morea Morea 2. Brandon Nima 3. Julius Igila 4. Rodrick Tai 5. Solo Wane 6. Sakias Komati 7. Jamie Mavoko 8. Junior Rop 9. Wesser Tenza 10. Tommy Moide 11. Epel Kapinias 12. Julius Yakopa 13. Ila Alu (captain) 14. Judah Rimbu 15. Sanny Wabo 16. Koso Bandi 17. Seal Kalo 18. Benji Kot 19. Henry Wan Noki 20. Casey Dickson