Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Will Genia may be a proud Papua New Guinean and a rugby diehard, but Michael Cheika has brought in the former Wallabies halfback as his secret weapon for Lebanon’s Rugby League World Cup opener in Port Moresby on Saturday.
Cheika’s Cedars squad, which features NRL players Jacob Kiraz and Jason Saab, flew to the PNG capital on Wednesday afternoon after a few days training in Brisbane.
On board was Genia – the 110-cap Wallaby who played at two World Cups under Cheika and is now based in PNG – after being asked to lend a hand as the country’s “liaison officer” for the clash.
With the Cedars expecting a hostile reception in Port Moresby, where 15,000 partisan local fans are expected to pack out the Santos National Football Ground, Cheika – who thrives on being the underdog – dialled up his old general.
“He just messaged me out of the blue and asked, ‘Mate, we’re going to PNG, obviously with Lebanon, to play – do you want to be our liaison officer?’” said Genia, who was born in Port Moresby.
“I just said, ‘Whatever you want. You’re the boss’.
“I’ll just be there basically saying, ‘Here’s a good café, go here’, or, ‘Don’t go here’, or filling up water bottles.”
Genia’s role might seem minor, but given PNG remains a developing country and its capital ranks as one of the most dangerous cities in the world, his local knowledge will be invaluable for Cheika.
”The people of Papua New Guinea love their rugby league and so the fact that we’re part of hosting Rugby League World Cup and having some games there, it’s huge,” Genia said.
“It’ll be massive, the stadium will be sold out, there’ll be a good buzz around the city and the ground.”
While the PNG Chiefs are building their roster ahead of their entry into the NRL in 2028, Genia says he has little interest in making a permanent code shift.
“Not at all,” he said. This isn’t anything about wanting to position myself for a job with the Chiefs or get a coaching job in league.
“I’m just helping Cheik out, you know what I mean? If Cheik doesn’t reach out to me, I’m not sitting in clamouring to see if I can get a gig. I’d only do it for Cheik. I don’t think I’d set up cones for anyone else.”
Nonetheless, Genia is excited about the Chiefs’ arrival in the NRL and believes the decision to grant the country a licence will pay off in spades.
“The Chiefs coming in is actually a great thing, because it gives young kids a great opportunity to be able to have something they can see and touch to aspire to,” he said.
“Everyone wants to play rugby league, but they don’t feel like they have much of an opportunity because there’s nothing on shore, nothing for them to see, touch and feel.”
Genia might be on the Cedars’ payroll, but he can’t quite bring himself to say he wants Cheika’s side to win.
“I’m a Papua New Guinean. I want PNG to win, I’m not going to lie,” he said.“I’ll tell you what, I’ll probably cop a bit of heat from the people back home but I want PNG to win. But Cheik’s looked after me a hell of a lot over my time in rugby.”
Meanwhile, Genia said he had been impressed by the Wallabies’ character despite their heavy Bledisloe defeat at Eden Park.
The 38-year-old, who returned to PNG earlier this year after finishing up a long stint playing in Japan, even suggested Les Kiss’s side might have a bigger chance at next year’s World Cup than his generation.
“When I watch these boys play, it’s different to teams that I’ve seen in the past, they have a genuine sense of belief combined with a collective talent,” he said.
“If you look back on some of the older teams, like my time, maybe – even just after my time or before my time – you’d say some of the individuals in those teams might be better, but I don’t think collectively we were as good as these boys.
“They just fit so well together as a team in terms of the combinations, and also how they want to play, and I really like the way Les has them playing.
“They seem to have a sense of belief within themselves that instills a sense of belief in old players like myself and supporters and fans getting behind it, and that’s a powerful thing coming into the Rugby World Cup.”
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