FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

  
 Current LIVE TV Match : Hull Kingston Rovers 28 - 0 Hull FC LIVE ON SKY SPORTS Half Time

It was a full house at the Oil Search National Stadium in Port Moresby for game two of the 2017 World Cup as John Kear’s Wales had the toughest of openers against Papua New Guinea. 

 

The warm and humid conditions were perfect for Michael Marum’s  Kumuls but a long way removed from the conditions that the Welsh boys are used to. Both sides had a number of players familiar to Super League fans, but many unknown quantities.

 

Playing on their home soil PNG were massive favourites with the bookies with few commentators giving Wales any chance of taking the points.

 

There was just under five minutes on the clock when Watson Boas found David Mead who went through a gap in the Wales defence and went twenty metres on the angle to ground. Ase Boas failed to add the conversion from wide right, sliding it in front of the uprights.

 

On nine minutes Mead found his way to the line for a second time when he took an inside ball from Ase Boas to score under the sticks from ten metres and give Boas a simple looking conversion, but he missed the kick for 8-0. It looked like it was going to be a long and painful day at the office for Wales.

 

Brute strength was winning the day when Nene McDonald muscled his way to the line to ground over the line after brushing off three attempted tackles. Rhyse Martin took over the kicking duties and slotted the ball between the uprights for 14-0 after twenty-three minutes.

 

On twenty-six there was a biting allegation made by Wales’ Ben Evans against PNG prop forward Wellington Albert which was put on report by referee Cummins.

 

The fourth try came on thirty-three when Kato Ottio was fastest to react to a Watson Boas grubber to collect in goal and ground. Martin added the conversion to make it 20-0.

 

Three minutes before the interval Wellington Albert went through a gap in the tired Welsh defence to ground one-handed by the right upright. When Martin added the conversion it was 26-0 and the Dragons were in all sorts of trouble as they went into the sheds for a John Kear roasting.

 

There was little subtlety to the Kumuls game plan, it was based on pure muscle and domination of the opposition, but it was super effective against a Welsh side who looked shell-shocked by the interval.

 

Three minutes after the restart PNG picked up where they’d left off when Martin took an Ase Boas pass duck under three attempted tackles and crash over. He converted his own try for 32-0.

 

On fifty-two Martin got his second of the night, a short range effort off an Ase Boas short pass. He failed to add the conversion but now it was looking like a humiliating rout for Wales.

 

Three minutes later and Justin Olam got his second as he grounded a Martin grubber kick by the right corner flag to bring up the forty points. Martin was unable to add the extras from the touchline.

 

On the hour David Mead became the first PNG player to score a World Cup hat-trick when he grounded a James Segeyaro grubber kick in the left corner. Martin again failed with the conversion but at that stage it didn’t really matter.

 

Ten minutes from the final whistle Paul Aiton grabbed the tenth try of the game as he walked through a broken Wales defence to score from ten metres out. Martin added the goal to bring up the fifty.

 

After the full-time hooter had sounded Wales avoided the milling when Regan Grace beat Garry Lo to a pinpoint kick to the corner to ground. Courtney Davies added the extras for a final score of 50-6.

 

Papua New Guinea dominated this game from the outset and Wales could never get or retain enough possession to make any impression. It was enthusiasm, conditioning and brute force which blitzed the Dragons and gave the home side their biggest ever World Cup victory. It was a terrific start for the Kumuls but a disaster for Wales who came into the game hoping for a far better showing.

 

Papua New Guinea: Mead (3T), Olam (T), Ottio (T), McDonald (T), Lo, Boas A, Boas W, Albert (T), Puara, Page, Martin (2T, 5G), Griffin, Aiton (T).  Subs: Baptiste, Minoga, Segeyaro, Maki.

 

Wales: Kear, Grace (T), Channing, Gay, Williams, Davies (G), Seamark, Kopczak, Parry, Joseph, Lloyd, Butler, Knowles.  Subs: Fozzard, Hopkins, Evans, Morris.

 

Referee: Ben Cummins.

 

Half-Time: 26-0.

 

Full-Time: 50-6.

 Attendance: 14,800.

 



facebook sharing button
twitter sharing button
pinterest sharing button
email sharing button
sharethis sharing button


Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Sat 28th Oct 2017 8:00 AM | Views : 45023 | Replies : 17 | BACK TO STORIES
RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
0m
The Record-Breaking Good Friday Derby Massacre
ComeOnYouUll
211
0m
Protest
Chris71
12
4m
Surprise Surprise
Dunkirk Spir
64
6m
Ky Rodwell
Trojan Horse
113
7m
Game - Song Titles
Wanderer
34337
7m
Rd 6 I Cas A
Backwoodsman
136
8m
BORED The Band Name Game
Wanderer
56061
13m
Hull FC
PopTart
36
17m
TV games not Wire
matt_wire
2876
21m
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
financialtim
35
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
11s
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
19s
State of the Nation
UllFC
232
19s
TV games not Wire
matt_wire
2876
29s
York - 14th April
PopTart
23
30s
BORED The Band Name Game
Wanderer
56061
42s
Fevround 2
The Phantom
92
49s
Rd 6 I Cas A
Backwoodsman
136
58s
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
financialtim
35
1m
Surprise Surprise
Dunkirk Spir
64
1m
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangements
WYSIWYG2
2
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Protest
Chris71
12
TODAY
New Investors
BullRaider
2
TODAY
Wigan/Saints
Douglas Blac
3
TODAY
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhinos Go Level Top
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
York - 14th April
PopTart
23
TODAY
Stats article
Sir Gregory
5
TODAY
21 man Squads - Devils v Leopards
WYSIWYG2
5
TODAY
Squad for Catalan
CW8
19
TODAY
The Wigan Way - New Podcast - Chairman Special
Jukesays
1
TODAY
Dons v Swinton Lions 30 June 2024
Wanderer
1
TODAY
Squad for Sheffield
AdamH
1
TODAY
London Away
Fartown58
1
TODAY
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
TODAY
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
TODAY
Saints a
apollosghost
26
TODAY
Leon Ruan signs on loan
Jemmo
2
TODAY
Wardle
Jo Jumbuck
3
TODAY
Huddersfield - Home
Deadcowboys1
9
TODAY
Max Wood on loan to Bradford 2 weeks
rubber ducki
7
TODAY
Jake Wardle 5 Year deal
Zig
22
TODAY
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
financialtim
35
TODAY
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangements
RLFANS News
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhino..
180
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangeme..
601
2024 Challenge Cup Quarter Fin..
722
Easy Does It For The Dragons A..
602
Warrington Demolish London For..
705
Leigh Leopards Beat Plucky Fea..
762
Saints Triumph Over Disappoint..
738
Easy Win for the Wolves Over L..
980
Dragons Condemn Castleford To ..
942
Leigh Leopards Secure First Po..
1093
St Helens Tame The Rhinos To W..
1060
Wigan Warriors Come From Behin..
1129
Betfred Championship and Leagu..
1104
2024 Challenge Cup Sixth Round..
3888
Featherstone Win Extra Time Cu..
1219
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Table 'boards.stats_fixtures' doesn't exist