PNG Kumuls lose Coach Mal Meninga

Papua New Guinea Rugby League National coach Mal Meninga as accepted a lucrative offer from Australia  and will coach Australia until 2019. This was announced by Australian Rugby League Commission  yesterday in Sydney. Meninga is the current Kumuls coach and contracted with the PNGRFL and he is yet to resigned from the post, a situation both PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka and his chief executive officer Bob Cutmore said was “disappointing”. Meninga was in the country last week for a PNGRFL board meeting but did not confirm whether he would be seeking to coach the Kangaroos.

“Officially, he (Meninga) hasn’t told us that he no longer wants to be Kumul coach,” Cutmore said of Meninga, who was appointed Kumul coach in 2014.
“Obviously we congratulate Mal on his appointment but we are disappointed he didn’t show us the courtesy of notifying us before this news came out.
“It may have been an oversight by Mal not to have told us and resigned.
“He may have been too busy,” Cutmore said.
He said Meninga’s contract with the PNGRFL was still valid until he formally resigned.
“Realistically, in terms of his contract he is still the Kumul coach and he has to resign before we can properly move on.”
Cutmore confirmed that Meninga was owed “some” money but would not elaborate on the details, saying it was privileged information.
“There is no rush to replace Meninga but if we have to terminate his contract that could mean the PNGRFL might have to pay out the rest of his contract but we’re confident it won’t come down to that,” Cutmore said.
 With the Kumuls only confirmed to play one test in 2016 – a Pacific test on May 7 – Cutmore said the PNGRFL was not rushing to appoint a new coach however having Meninga end ties with the league was a priority.
“The Kumuls have only one test in 2016 and that’ll be in May so we’re not in a rush to appoint a new coach.”
Cutmore said the Kumul coaching job and Meninga would be discussed at the next PNGRFL board meeting next month in Port Moresby. Hunters coach Michael Marum looms as the leading local contender for the Kumul job but Cutmore said a decision would not be made immediately.
Meninga is one of the most decorated players and coaches of his generation, Meninga officially began his term with the Kangaroos yesterday after a successful stint with the Queensland Maroons where he won a record nine titles over a decade of coaching the state side.
NRL head of Football Todd Greenberg said Meninga would also be based in Sydney and would provide an ambassadorial role for the game, in addition to his coaching role.
“Mal’s work with us starts today – so it is a very important day for the Kangaroos,” Greenberg said. TN /PNG Today