Hela warming up

Wigmen working way back to form, eyeing Muruks

FORMER champions Hela Wigmen arrested a worrying streak of five losses last week when they beat the Lae Tigers and now look to repeat the dose against the Mendi Muruks on Sunday.
The round 12 Digicel ExxonMobil Cup clash at the Santos National Football Stadium pits the ninth-placed Hela side against a former competition leader that has fallen from grace and is working to regain their early season form.
The Wigmen-Muruks match at 3pm will be the second game of a double-header in Port Moresby with the Central Dabaris and Waghi Tumbe to open proceedings at 1pm.
For the first time in a decade, the Kroton sponsored Wigmen have struggled to stay in the top six after winning four games and losing five and adding a pair of draws to their ledger so far for 2024.
A change in the Wigmen coaching staff was inevitable given the poor run by one of the competition’s glamour clubs.
Ian Yaro was appointed as interim coach replacing Seth Rip a fortnight ago. Under Yaro, the Wigmen have a win and a loss and while it is early days, the win over a top four side in the Tigers could be a sihn that the Helas are building momentum and confidence for a run at the playoffs.
They will have to account the Muruks who are themselves working to regain the spark that saw them win their opening five games of the season before a drop off in form saw the men in black and white tumble down the standings from one to four.
The Muruks’ regression was as dramatic as their rise with the opening five weeks of success in contrast to their last six weeks that has returned only two wins.
The PRK-sponsored side managed a 34-12 win over the lowly Gulf Isou and coach Andiki Andrew will be hoping this has instilled the desire in his charges to recapture the form that they showed in April and May.
Key operators for Mendi will be their halves combination with MacQuine Gabriel and Victor Ario developing their partnership into a potent force that can direct the Southern Highlanders to strong positions on the field and ultimately result in wins.
For the Wigmen, the return of veteran half Solomon Pokare and the inclusion new five-eighth Simon Arana provided the ignition for the side in a crucial fixture that could end being the turning point for either team.
In other fixtures, Mt Hagen Eagles will host Gulf Isou at Jon Amban Oval in Minj, Jiwaka, tomorrow. Sunday’s matches will see Enga Mioks host the Rabaul Gurias in Wabag, Lae Tigers roll out the welcome mat for the Kimbe Cutters while Goroka Lahanis meet Port Moresby Vipers at the NSI in Goroka.