Sport: PNG league officials believe PMs match passed the World Cup test

12:22 pm on 1 October 2016

Bar a few over-enthusiastic supporters, Papua New Guinea rugby league officials believe last weekend's match against the Australian Prime Minister's XIII was a successful test run for hosting next year's World Cup.

The visiting team captained by Kangaroos and Queensland star Greg Inglis, thrashed the PNG selection 58-0 in front of a sold out crowd of 15,000 at the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.

World Cup CEO Andrew Hill and Australian Rugby League Commission Chair John Grant were among the invited guests.

Australian star Greg Inglis talks to local kids in PNG

Australian star Greg Inglis talks to local kids in PNG Photo: EMTV

PNG Rugby League CEO Bob Cutmore said the Australia team was impressed by the enthusiasm and facilities in the nation's capital.

"They had four thousand people at the airport to greet Greg Inglis and the Australians when they arrived - their bus trip to the stadium was very slow because the number of people on the side of the road just wanted to see these superstars," Cutmore said.

"We had about four to five thousand people outside the ground on Saturday as well, who couldn't get in."

Cutmore said Grant had told him that Wests Tigers star James Tedesco was taken by the NFS and facilities for players.

"He said, 'I'm going to get a contract with the PNG Hunters because these facilities are better than what we train at.' The NFS is a wonderful facility and the player facilities here are magic so the World Cup people were very happy with everything that has been put together."

Cutmore said concerns were discussed with World Cup officials, including last month's Digicel Cup semifinal that ended in violence after the referee was punched by an official from the losing team.

Bob Cutmore is happy with PNG's world cup dress rehearsal.

Bob Cutmore is happy with PNG's world cup dress rehearsal. Photo: EMTV

"Head of security for the World Cup, Craig Sheridan, came up as well...we've had all the stakeholders working together but it wasn't really a problem here on Saturday even though the reports in Australia (suggested so).

"People did come over the fence for the excitement, because they wanted to touch the Greg Inglis' of the world and the Josh Jackson's and the Matt Moylan's and the only time it did happen was...I think it was Aaron Woods took his shorts off to swap with one of our players and I think the public thought they were going to give their gear away."

Cutmore said it wasn't harmful in any way but the ground is sacrosanct and they can't allow it.

He said Craig Sheridan met with the PNG Police Force during his trip and they also had a meeting with the Australian Federal Police on the ground in PNG.

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