Kumuls thump Cedars

The PNG Kumuls smashed the Lebanon Cedars 42-18 in the opening round of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup on Saturday, October 17th, at Port Moresby’s Santos National Football Stadium. 

Meeting France in the World Cup for the first time, who boasted quality NRL players and emerging talent, the Kumuls proved too strong to secure a 24-point victory against the determined Cedars.

PNG started brightly in the opening ten minutes. Cedars made a mistake in the 8th minute, and debutant Gairo Voro picked up the loose ball and raced to score under the uprights. 

Robert Derby crossed over the line in the 21st minute before Nixon Putt scored in the 30th minute. Captain Rhyse Martin nailed all three conversions, leaving the score at 18-0.

However, the Kumuls left the foot off the gas, with the Cedars registering back-to-back tries through Abbas Miski and Tannous Sukkar and narrowing the margin to 18-12 at halftime.

PNG hit their straps running in the second half, bagging two tries through Finley Glare and Epel Kapinias and increasing the lead to 30-12.

Lebanon responded through Miski, who scored his second try, and PNG returned the favor with two tries from Rhyse Martin and Bailey Biondi-Odo to put the game beyond doubt. 

Debutant Gairo Voro won man of the match, captain Rhyse Martin converted 7 straight goals, and Nixon Putt was very busy. Everyone played as a team to get the result. 

PNG Kumuls coach Jason Demetriou said they knew the Lebanese would come hard, admitting his men could not play to the standard they would’ve wanted, but he was pleased with the outcome.

“We expected them to come hard. They had some experienced players in there. It’s hard to gauge Lebanon because they probably haven’t played for three years, I think,” Demetriou said. 

“If you look at their result in the last World Cup (2022), they are a very competitive side. They’ve got some experienced NRL, Queensland, and NSW players, so we knew they would be tough and play with a lot of passion. 

“But ultimately, we knew that if we do the things that we do well, we are a stronger side, and we’ve shown that over the last couple of years. It was rusty, but it was good to get the win today.” 

Coach Demetriou described the victory as “decent”, explaining that the first game is always scrappy as the players begin to build combinations and understand the team’s structure.

“It was decent. I said this all the time that the first game is always the most difficult because you have a lot of boys who haven’t had games for a month, and they are in the same boat,” he stated. 

“It was rusty, but as the competition goes on, we'll be a lot more free-flowing and fluid, so I’m really happy to get the result.

“In saying that, we still scored 42 points, so considering that we are going to get better, it's a good sign.”

Despite selecting Bailey Biondi-Odo, a versatile playmaker, coach Demetriou explained his reasons for starting Gairo Voro and Finley Peter in the halves and bringing Biondi-Odo from the bench. 

“Bailey only had two training sessions with the group, and as you know, I’ve had those boys with me in London the whole year; they know the way I coach and the way I want the team to play,” he said.  

“They were the starting spine players in last year's game against Fiji, so I felt like getting the best result was important by starting with the players who played together and understood each other. 

“I felt like Bailey got the introduction and actually stabalized us really well with his end of sets and showed us what he can do. He has some versatility for us going into next weekend.”   

Captain Martin was perfect with the boot, crediting his teammates for making his job easier by scoring the tries close to the posts, while mentioning hours of practice.

“Don’t go right,” Martin jokingly said after he was asked about his performance of converting consecutive goals without any misses. 

“The boys scored the tries in front of the sticks, so it wasn’t too challenging. I’ve been kicking goals for 12 years, so that helps, and practice. That’s all. Every week, I am trying to nail my routine, so that’s all I need to do.”

The skipper praised Goro Voro’s growth in the game over the last few years, especially under coach Demetriou’s tutelage.

“I think going over to London has given him (Gairo Voro) more confidence, and playing under JD (coach Jason Demetriou) has definitely helped him,” captain Martin commented.

“Coming to this tournament (Pacific Championships) last year was a bit quiet, and then he’s coming here this year (World Cup), and has been a bit confident around the team. 

“He did some really good things today. He has got us on the front foot early. We need to keep focusing on our game plan and strengths, and that’s going through the middle, and that will open up for him later on in the games.”  

Grouped in a tough pool, Demetriou said the win was crucial, urging the fans for their strong support as the Kumuls look forward to hosting the Toa Samoa on Saturday, October 24th, at Santos National Football Stadium.

“It’s very important. If we want to give ourselves any chance, we need to win today. I think sometimes that can put some anxiety on your performance as well, but I thought the boys handled that really well,” he said.

“It helps to play in front of a passionate crowd. I hope that next weekend, it will be even bigger and louder. We are going to need their support from the stands.” 

The Kumuls’ mentor stressed that facing the Samoans would be challenging, emphasizing that they must trust their process and play together as a cohesive unit.