JASON DEMETRIOU paid tribute to the impact of his experienced figures, while sharing his excitement over the next generation of Papua New Guinea talent, after their brave World Cup exit.
A second group-stage defeat, against England, marked the end of their tournament, and saw the conclusion of several player’s journeys – including retiring captain Rhyse Martin.
“Those guys are a pleasure to coach,” Demetriou said.
“They can’t wait to get into camp – they’re excited to put on the shirt. Sometimes for the guys on the fringe it can be frustrating for them because they’re so desperate to wear the shirt; it’s just about managing that a little bit. They all get on well, they’re a great group.
“We wanted to come here and express ourselves, and enjoy what we do. In the second half (against England), we got to see that at the elite level.
“We saw that against Samoa as well; we just need to focus on putting that together in an 80 minute performance.
“There’s some exciting players coming through over the next couple of years. There’s going to be some really special people.”
