The first-ever Women’s Santos Cup Grand Final saw the Goroka Lahanis edge the Central Dabaris in a tightly contested 8-6 win to claim the maiden premiership on Sunday, September 15th, 2024, at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
In the season opener, the Dabaris defeated the Lahanis with a 14-4 scoreline. Having a score to settle, the energized and enthused Lahanis rose to the challenge on the biggest stage and exacted revenge on the high-flying Dabaris.
First half was a tug-of-war where both sides put their bodies on the line. The intense battle continued until the 35th minute, the Dabaris broke the deadlock through center Joan Kuman and took a 6-0 lead at the break.
The arm wrestle intensified in the second stanza. The Lahanis found their mojo in the 65th minute through skipper Delilah Ahose, who dummied and ran through a gaping hole to score under the uprights.
With eight minutes left on the clock before full time, the Lahanis ran a short-side play and second-rower Seroge Sabumei made a barn-storming, which attracted a couple of defenders to stop her and she offloaded the ball to an unmarked center Egi John, who scored an untouched try in the corner to seal the deal.
The Eastern Highlands girls started their campaign slowly, began crawling in the middle of the regular season, and hit their straps running in the finals, ultimately snatching the inaugural Santos Cup and etching their names into the annals of PNG women’s rugby league folklore.
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