No fewer than nine Super League stars will be on show in this weekend’s Pacific Bowl clash between Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands, including a trio from Leigh Leopards.
All three of the Leigh stars involved are, perhaps unsurprisingly, donning a shirt for Papua New Guinea – with this the Kumuls’ opening fixture of their 2025 Pacific Championships campaign.
Half-back Lachlan Lam skippers Jason Demetriou’s side for the meeting with the Kuki’s in Port Moresby having scooped almost every gong at the Leopards’ awards evening earlier this month on the back of a tremendous Super League season.
Hooker Edwin Ipape is also in PNG’s starting line-up for Saturday’s game, with new team-mate Jacob Alick-Wiencke – who has penned a three-year deal to join Leigh from the Gold Coast Titans ahead of 2026 – named on the bench.
Leigh trio among 9 Super League stars on show in Papua New Guinea-Cook Islands clash
Lam, Ipape and Alick-Wiencke are among a total of six Super League stars named on the Kumuls’ team sheet by Demetriou.
Hull KR’s treble-winner Rhyse Martin starts in the back-row having kicked three goals at Old Trafford in the Robins’ Grand Final triumph over Wigan Warriors, becoming just PNG’s second Super League Grand Final winner ever.
The only other man on that list is Marcus Bai, and his son Cooper will feature alongside Martin here as he makes his official international debut just a few months on from his NRL bow for the Gold Coast Titans.
Back in Super League, Castleford Tigers utility Liam Horne starts at loose for PNG, while Salford Red Devils star Nene Macdonald will earn his 20th Test cap as he starts in the centres.
Of course, Salford are no longer in Super League having seen their relegation confirmed via the IMG gradings last week, but the likelihood is that Macdonald and colleague Esan Marsters, who he’ll line up against here for the Cook Islands, will move on to pastures new as they seek to remain in the top-flight.
Marsters is believed to be on his way to newly-promoted Bradford Bulls, and starts at full-back here.
The Kuki’s also name newly-promoted Toulouse Olympique duo Paul Ulberg and Reubenn Rennie in their 17, starting on the wing and in the centres respectively.
Providing they both stick around at Toulouse for 2026, which it looks like they are going to do, they will play in Super League for the first time in their careers next season.
Other notable names involved in this weekend’s clash include PNG pair Nixon Putt and Sylvester Namo, both previously of Castleford, as well as Cronulla Sharks star KL Iro – the son of Super League cult hero Kevin – who lines up in the centres for the Kuki’s.
The Cook Islands were beaten 44-24 by Fiji in last weekend’s Pacific Bowl opener, so defeat here would officially guarantee bottom spot in the group.
