Current PNG Kumuls team ‘one of the best’, says Marum

PNG LNG Kumuls head coach Michael Marum will be using the Tri-Nations challenge this weekend in Fiji to finalise his 17-man squad for the opening match against Wales on October 28.

The Tri Nation’s tournament will involve hosts Fiji Bati, Australian Kangaroos and the Kumuls in a 40-minute game time unlike the usual 80 minutes time interval.

Marum is optimistic that all players named can be trialed at the two-day tournament.

“We are not sure whether we will be using all the players, but we will ask the other two teams if we can use all our players in the 40-minute matches,” he said.

Marum said the Tri-Nations is the only tournament that will be used to see how his players combine before making the final team for the opening match against Wales.

“We will select all the 21 players to play in this match. “All of them will be playing. “Those who will be playing more than one position will be given enough time to play them. Again, we still have to go there and talk to Fiji and we will push to play all the 21 players,” Marum said.

Marum is also convinced that the current team is one of the best team picked and he is impressed with the first training.

“We had a good session today (Tuesday) and most of the boys had passed their fitness and medical tests. There are few boys with minor injuries so we will be slowly monitoring that and making sure that we don’t take the risk in this weekend’s game,” Marum said.

The players that are under the cloud with minor injuries are Watson Boas, James Segeyaro, Ase Boas, Nene McDonald and Rod Griffin.

“Watson got a sore calf muscle,” he said.

“Both Griffin and McDonald both got minor knee injuries and they got separate programs from the club but they still part of what we do but on extras they just do bit more and hopefully they should be fit before the weekend’s game.”

Marum said this weekend’s match will be more of a trial run for him.

“I just want to bring the team out there and play them together as a team. If the team wins, it will be a bonus for us but we just want to go out there to see how the boys play and combine with each other.”

The team leaves tomorrow for Fiji.


SOURCE: POST COURIER/PACNEWS