#JustinOlam

[daveeastgate-blog]

May 2019, I’m standing in the lobby of my hotel in Melbourne after a performance of @murielsweddingthemusical waiting for the lift, when I see a fella who is clearly from Papua New Guinea waiting with me. I strike up a conversation in Pidgin, which to be fair, freaks him out a little! “Who’s this weird white guy speaking Pidgin?!” was basically the look on his face! Anyway, I try & impress him w my PNG credentials by telling him I’ve got a tattoo of a Kumul (the Bird of Paradise on the National Coat of Arms). He quickly retorts with, “I am a Kumul.” Meaning, for those who don’t know Rugby League, that he plays for the PNG National Team! Hahaha! We end up hanging out w a bunch of his wantoks, then kicking on at the Casino til the wee hours 🥴 That year was his first full season playing for The Melbourne Storm in the NRL. The next year he wins the premiership & this year he wins the award for Best Centre in the comp! This for a bloke who only started playing competitively while completing his Bachelors Degree in Applied Physics at PNG University of Technology! What an incredible journey for such a genuine, humble, hard working young man. Congratulations @jay_blockz_dkb you are a credit to your family, your community and your country! This is just the beginning, blood! 🇵🇬🇵🇬🇵🇬#papuanewguinea #png #kumuls #melbournestorm #justinolam #nrl #namedroptuesday @storm @nrl https://www.instagram.com/p/CUWw3YdhhIz/?utm_medium=tumblr

[enisports-blog]

Bennett confirms Burgess fitness against Papua New Guinea

Bennett confirms Burge ##AseBoas ##Bateman ##Brown ##Currie ##DavidMead ##Gale ##GarryLo ##Graham ##Hall ##Hill

Sam Burgess

Wayne Bennett has confirmed that recuperating Sam Burgess is fit and will play on Sunday, and no much worries about Jermaine McGillvary who was suspected of an ankle problem last time out.

The Red and Whites will lock horn with high-flying co-hosts of the ongoing Rugby League World Cup Papua New Guinea in the quarter finals.

The South Sydney Rabbitoh stand-off was left out of the team…