PAPUA NEW GUINEA PM’S XIII 10 AUSTRALIA PM’S XIII 28
TOM SMITH, Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Sunday

TRAI FULLER lit up a rainy Port Moresby with four tries as Australia’s Prime Minister’s XIII overpowered their Papua New Guinea hosts.

The Dolphins speedster found the whitewash three times in the opening half hour as the NRL-experienced side flexed their muscle over an outfit made up mainly of second-tier Queensland Cup players.

Newly appointed Australian coach Kevin Walters got a look at some potential Kangaroos of the future en route to England for this autumn’s Ashes.

And in the hosts’ corner, Jason Demetriou continued to pump valuable experience into his PNG squad ahead of next year’s World Cup, which the island nation is co-hosting with Australia.

The big crowd in the Papua New Guinean capital were riding on the announcement by Prime Minister James Marape that their new NRL franchise – set to enter the premiership in 2028 – will be called the Chiefs, following a public naming competition.

This clash also marked the 50th year of PNG’s independence from Australia, and the 20th anniversary of this PM’s XIII concept.

However, this result means the locals have still never won this fixture since it began two decades ago.

The scoreline perhaps flattered the PNG line-up, given the Aussies’ goal-kickers Jayden Campbell, Mitchell Moses and Kyle Flanagan missed all seven of their conversion attempts.

A lovely pass by Souths fullback Jye Gray handed Fuller his opener on eight minutes.

And after Jack De Belin almost burrowed over, prolific Townsville Blackhawks winger Dudley Dotoi latched onto a spectacular Finley Glare cut-out to get the home side on the board and send the stadium into raptures.

But the Australians asserted their dominance thanks to Tallis Duncan.

First the Rabbitohs back-rower raced through some stretched goal-line defence, then he produced a superb offload to hand Fuller his second.

On the back of a Campbell 40/20 and another neat ball by Gray, the 28-year-old Dolphins flanker completed his hat-trick.

However, the wayward goal-kicking meant the visitors only enjoyed a 12-point buffer at the break.

The hosts had their moments in attack as the rain tumbled in Port Moresby, although the Australians eventually found their fifth, when Campbell stabbed an inch-perfect grubber kick for try-scorer Bradman Best.

Virtually from the restart, Moses dummied his way through PNG’s line to hand Tyran Wishart four more points.

Then with 10 minutes remaining, Fuller posted his fourth – but not without a big slice of luck.

Best unleashed a signature flick offload, which ricocheted perfectly off the winger’s knee into the in-goal.

The outgunned locals toiled hard all afternoon, and gave their fans one last try to cheer about five minutes from the full-time siren, when prop Epel Kapinias crawled over beneath the sticks.

Many of these players will next line up for the Kumuls when the Cook Islands visit Port Moresby in a fortnight, followed by Fiji a week later, in the Pacific Bowl.

Best, Moses, Ethan Strange and Keaon Koloamatangi are the only Aussies from this match whose seasons will continue with the Ashes in London, Leeds and Liverpool.

GAMESTAR: Trai Fuller sizzled down the left flank for the Aussies, collecting four tries – including three in the first 28 minutes.

GAMEBREAKER: The visitors had already wrapped up the win, but Epel Kapinias’ late consolation try got the passionate Port Moresby crowd on their feet.

MATCHFACTS
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
1 Nene Macdonald (Salford Red Devils)
2 Robert Derby (North Queensland Cowboys)
3 Robert Mathias (PNG Hunters)
4 Alex Max (PNG Hunters)
5 Dudley Dotoi (Townsville Blackhawks)
6 Finley Glare (PNG Hunters)
7 Gairo Varo (PNG Hunters)
8 Epel Kapinias (PNG Hunters)
9 Liam Horne (Castleford Tigers)
10 Sylvester Namo (Brisbane Tigers)
11 Jacob Alick-Wiencke (Gold Coast Titans)
12 Nixon Putt (Central Queensland Capras)
13 Jack De Belin (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Subs (all used)
14 Judah Rimbu (PNG Hunters)
15 Cooper Bai (Gold Coast Titans)
16 Ila Alu (PNG Hunters)
17 Valentine Richard (Central Queensland Capras)
18 Jacob Taulani (Newcastle Knights)
19 Morea Morea (Central Queensland Capras)
20 Sanny Wabo (PNG Hunters)

Tries: Dotoi (14), Kapinias (75)
Goals: Morea 1/1, Glare 0/1

AUSTRALIA
1 Jye Gray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
2 Jason Saab (Manly Sea Eagles)
3 Bradman Best (Newcastle Knights)
4 Ethan Strange (Canberra Raiders)
5 Trai Fuller (Dolphins)
6 Kyle Flanagan (St George Illawarra Dragons)
7 Jayden Campbell (Gold Coast Titans)
8 Corey Horsburgh (Canberra Raiders)
9 Tom Starling (Canberra Raiders)
10 Keaon Koloamatangi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
11 Tallis Duncan (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
12 Josh Curran (Canterbury Bulldogs)
13 Matt Eisenhuth (Penrith Panthers)
Subs (all used)
14 Jack Williams (Parramatta Eels)
15 Harrison Edwards (North Queensland Cowboys)
16 Tyran Wishart (Melbourne Storm)
17 Liam Henry (Penrith Panthers)
18 Fletcher Hunt (Newcastle Knights)
19 Mitchell Moses (Parramatta Eels)

Tries: Fuller (8, 23, 28, 70), Duncan (20), Best (58), Wishart (60)
Goals: Campbell 0/4, Moses 0/2, Flanagan 0/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 4-4, 4-8, 4-12, 4-16; 4-20, 4-24, 4-28, 10-28

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Papua New Guinea: Nene Macdonald; Australia: Trai Fuller

Penalty count: 4-4
Half-time: 4-16
Referee: Jarrod Cole