Southern Region has a lot to offer in league: Mairi

Caption:   Southern Confederation Director Gwaibo Mairi.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, November 29, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

WITH the conclusion of the Lakwaharu 9s tournament this week- the Southern Region Rugby League confederate is just warming up its offseason competitions with the aim to showcase the talents in the region.

Southern Zone Confederate Director Gwaibo Mairi made the comments when referring to the various off season tournaments to be held and the talent pool the regional body aims to expose.

“We basically sanctioned the programs because we expect our pathway development programs, leagues, affiliates, and clubs that want to showcase, by giving them the opportunity to showcase talent,” Mairi said.

“We have asked them to do that and it is up to them to show us.”

He gave recent example of the success regional products have given in the likes of current PNG Hunters Bland Abavu and Kato Ottio.

“To give you an example of why we are doing these programs is the case of Kato Ottio. He is now on trial with Canberra Raiders.”

“For Kato Ottio I can tell you honestly that he never played for any franchise team in Papua New Guinea.”

“He came up from a confederate program into the championships where he was spotted there and elevated.”

Mairi added that Ottio as being one of the only players in the country to come up from the confederate trials directly into the Kumuls without even playing for a franchise in the intercity program.

“That is the success story of an unsighted talent. Kato has become a basic example of an oversight into the whole identification program.”

“That is why we are really trying to go down to the grassroots level in asking them to participate because the Southern Region has a lot to offer, but unfortunately we are just disoriented and not organized.”

“I want us to get organized because I can tell you once the Southern and Central gets organized I think we are going to raise a few eyebrows.”

He mentioned the key stepping stone tournaments being the Lakwaharu program, Central 9s, Keleone, and the Southern 9s as offseason activities in the confederate and also scouting opportunities for intercity teams looking to balance their rosters.

“We will give chances to those leagues and franchises to check and balance their teams.”

“We invite them to come and check our programs and when they do eventually find out that they have got players that have potential an offer can come into place.”

“I am looking forward to that becoming and reality and with that Papua New Guinea will be more focused on southern region rugby league,” Mairi added.