Lam back in PNG Kumuls Colours

By AAP
Papua New Guinea rugby league great Adrian Lam admits he was brought to tears when he found out his teen son Lachlan would make his Kumuls debut this weekend.

The highly-rated Sydney Roosters-contracted playmaker will make his international debut in PNG's Rugby League World Cup clash with the United States in Port Moresby on Sunday.
The Australian Schoolboys and Queensland under-20s representative has been earmarked for big things and will next year join the Roosters fulltime squad where he will learn under Cooper Cronk.
During his playing career Lam eschewed interest from the Kangaroos to pledge allegiance to the country of his birth before going on to coach the Kumuls, who he took to the 2008 and 2013 World Cups.
He was highly emotional when told his son had been selected to represent the rugby league mad-nation and would follow in his footsteps to wear the Kumuls jersey.

"When I heard they'd picked him in the team I actually cried," Adrian Lam told AAP from Australian camp in Sydney where he is on Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga's staff.
"I'm an emotional idiot anyway.
"A lot of people don't know that I had an opportunity to play for Australia when (coach) Bob Fulton rang me in 1995 and I had 48 hours to make a decision whether I played for Australia or not.
"I decided against it at the time because I felt like I could offer something up there for PNG. I don't ever regret that and one day Lachie may have the opportunity to pull on the Aussie jersey."
Lam was cautious when asked if his son could make his NRL debut next year, pointing out Trent Robinson had a glut of great halves on his books in Cronk, Mitchell Pearce and Luke Keary.
However he said he had an exciting opportunity in front of him, as evidenced by his international debut coming when he was just 19.
While in camp with the Kangaroos, Lam said he had spoken to Cronk about taking his son under his wing next year and was hoping Lachlan would bloom with the Australian halfback's guidance.
"We spoke about (being in the same squad as Cronk) last week and Lachie's excited that he's going to be there to take that next step as a player and hone his skills and game management, which he probably needs to do," Lam said.
"I've spoken to Cooper about that as well and he's happy to help and I think he's really excited. Maybe one day they'll play together as well."

AAP