PNG NRL Bid Academy Head of Player Pathways and Junior Kumuls coach, Joe Grima had nothing but praise and commendation on the young Kumuls outfit, who gave the talented Australian School boys a run for their money, ending the Prime Minister’s XIII fixture in a thrilling 22 points apiece.
The Junior Kumuls was on the cusp of pulling off an upset, but the resilient Australian School boys made a late comeback to finish the match in a stalemate, locking the scores at 22-all on Sunday, October 13th, 2024, at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
A strong first half performance saw the hosts Junior Kumuls take a 10-4 lead over the visiting Australian School boys. The PNG boys were equal to the task, asking questions and putting the youthful Australians under pressure in the opening 40 minutes.
The high-flying Kumuls extended their lead in the second half and took things under control, but the champion Australian lads produced a herculean effort to tie the game in an entertaining fashion.
Despite not achieving the result coach Grima wanted, he was proud of the Junior Kumuls and credited the players for competing tenaciously, and lauded the Australian School boys who fought back to equalize the points.
“We were in control of the game and had a lot of opportunities to win, but we just lost the momentum in the last quarter. Regardless, I’m happy with the result,” Grima said.
“That’s why Australia are the world champions. They just can-do things and respond at certain or critical times. The word ‘moment’ is a word used in sports a lot, and they executed their plays and defense a little bit better than what we did in those important moments.
“But, if you look at the transition from last year to this year, we are making some inroads. What we are doing at the academy programs is starting to bear fruits. Win, lose or draw, we’ve already won.”
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