Kumuls rugby league coach Mal Meninga says the sport is still rebuilding in Papua New Guinea but he believes the future is bright.
Mal Meninga Photo: PHOTOSPORT
PNG will take part in the Pacific Test for the first time this evening against Fiji on the Gold Coast.
Ray Thompson and Nene MacDonald are the only NRL regulars in the Kumuls team, with Mal Meninga opting for familiarity.
He's selected nine players from the PNG Hunters included in his match-day squad, along with two sets of brothers, and believes it will bring out the best in each of them.
"That's probably our best players to be honest with you. They're doing very well and they're becoming better players because of it. It's a fair challenge for us to play against Fiji - they've got something like a dozen NRL players - but we'll be very competitive and I think the future for Papua New Guinea, if we keen doing what we're doing, is pretty bright. We will be competing at the highest level within four to five years - I'm pretty confident about that."
The winner of tonight's game will play the winner of Samoa - Tonga later this year for a spot in the Four Nations.
