National schools tournament a major success as NCD secures two titles

Year 7/8 champions Central in a post grand final celebration (Image: Supplied)

The PNG NRL Academy National Schools Tournament concluded with a thrilling grand final showdown at Santos Football Stadium on Saturday, where the National Capital District [NCD] clinched both the Years 9/10 Boys and Open Girls championships.

In front of a lively crowd of over 2,000 spectators, the day kicked off with the Years 7/8 Boys Grand Final. Central emerged victorious in a hard-fought 19-14 win over Lae, a match that featured exciting attacking play and steadfast defence. Central’s success was anchored by an outstanding performance from Sam Peter in the number 7 jersey, who showed composure and leadership in directing his team.

The Years 9/10 Boys final proved to be a tightly contested battle, with both sides demonstrating strong defensive efforts. NCD narrowly surged past Lae 12-10 in a match that remained on a knife's edge throughout. NCD forward Remexson Jocky was a standout performer, dominating the middle in a bruising contest between two committed forward packs.

Year 9/10 Boys grand final clash between NCD and Lae. The NCD boys won 12-10 *(Image: Supplied)*

The Open Girls title decider capped off the day with another gritty encounter, as NCD edged out Goroka 8-4. The match swung back and forth, but it was NCD’s number 13, Georgina Michael, who delivered a standout all-round performance. Her impact in both attack and defence earned praise, marking her as a rising star to watch.

The event attracted a number of high-profile attendees, including Australian High Commissioner Ewen McDonald, PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka, NRL Bid CEO Andrew Hill, Orchids chair Celestine Ove, Digicel senior vice-president Lorna McPherson, deputy NCD governor Dadi Toka, and SP Hunters head coach Paul Aiton.

Open Females title decider between Goroka (Blues) and NCD. NCD won 8-4 (Image: Supplied)

PNG NRL bid pathways and coaching manager Joe Grima was impressed by the quality of the matches.

“This tournament has produced a superb standard of play and has really highlighted the talent coming through in the male and female game,” Grima said.

“The teamwork and sportsmanship on display all day and the closeness of the finals shows that our players are learning how to play on big occasions in front of big crowds.

“It is also great to see that the hard work being done at Academy level is paying off and that the players are learning how to transfer those skills on to the field.

“I’d like to thank all the players, coaches, officials and volunteers who contributed to this tournament and helped make it such a success.”