From the capital Port Moresby to Rabaul on the island of New Britain to Hela Province in the Southern Highlands, there’s no shortage of interest in the fortunes of Leigh Centurions 8,600 miles away in Papua New Guinea.
The growing connection between the island to the North of Australia and the town to the West of Manchester – in both, the sporting landscape is dominated by Rugby League – is down to Leigh coach Adrian Lam, born in Rabaul, and his close-season signings Nene Macdonald (Port Moresby) and Edwin Ipape (Hela).
Having both represented and coached the PNG national team, whose nickname the Kumuls means birds-of-paradise in Tok Pisin, a creole language spoken throughout the country, Lam is a household name there.
Along with former Hull KR, Hull, Huddersfield, Bradford and Halifax star Stanley Gene, the 51-year-old ex-Sydney Roosters and Wigan scrum-half and Queensland State of Origin representative is the most successful of a string of Papuan players to ply their trade in England, stretching back to Philip Ralda, who became the first Kumul to be signed by an overseas club when he joined Bradford in September 1983.
Centre Macdonald, who played in the NRL for the Roosters, Gold Coast Titans, St George Illawarra Dragons and Cronulla Sharks before helping Norths Devils win last year’s Queensland Cup title under Rohan Smith, who is now coaching Leeds, has been high-profile all year thanks to his impressive try-scoring record.
Meanwhile hooker and sometimes halfback Ipape, who turned out for PNG Hunters in the Queensland Cup, having previously played for Wynnum Manly Seagulls in the same competition, hit the headlines on the big stage of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a man-of-the-match display as the Centurions won the 1895 Cup by besting their Championship promotion rivals Featherstone 30-16.
His performance particularly pleased Lam who, after three years in charge of Wigan, became Leigh coach in mid-November and joined forces with head of rugby Chris Chester to build a squad capable of challenging for an immediate return to Super League.
Ipape, who emerged with Lae Snax Tigers in PNG’s domestic Digicel Cup, earned a trial with NRL team Manly Sea Eagles after impressing in three appearances for the Kumuls in 2019, one of them the 28-10 win over Great Britain in Port Moresby, where he scored a sparkling solo try to spark a fightback. He had long been on Lam’s radar.
And although it meant being away from his family, the 23-year-old was keen to take up Leigh’s offer.
“My missus, son and mum and dad are back in Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“Some of them were watching the final, and I feel I did them proud.
“To play in the final and win was an amazing feeling. Games like that don’t come around too often.
“Getting man-of-the-match meant a lot, especially being away from the family and sacrificing a lot to come over here.
“The day before, we had a meeting and they showed me a video from home, which was really emotional, because the boys caught me off guard. I wanted to do well for my family and to make them proud.”
Ipape was one of five Leigh try-scorers and added: “To hear the fans singing my name was unreal and very special.
“The credit goes to all the big boys. They are doing the hard yards in the middle and I am playing off that.
“We prepped really well throughout the week, and we all knew what we had to do and were clear on our own jobs.
“There is a strong PNG connection at the club, which has helped me settle.
“Lammy is a big influence. When I was growing up, he was a household name, and you’d hear folk talking about him and what he was doing.
“To come here and play under his leadership and coaching is amazing. He has done a lot to bring the best out of me and the other boys here.”
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