Six Dead in PNG House Fire as Community Mourns Family Lost in Flames

  Kumuls coach Jason Demetriou isn’t just celebrating his team’s big 50–18 win over Fiji. He’s already thinking about the future—and that future, he says, must be built on players from Papua New Guinea.

Just days before the match, star player Lachlan Lam got very sick and had to go to hospital. He only came out on Friday and wasn’t ready to play the full game. But instead of panicking, Demetriou gave young Finley Glare a chance—and Glare delivered.

“I believed in Finley,” Demetriou said. “He’s young, but he showed he can do the job. That’s the kind of confidence we need in our local players.”

PNG Kumuls Hooker Edwin Ipape [Photo PNGKumuls]

What made Demetriou most proud was seeing four key players—Edwin Ipape, Morea Morea, Cairo Olam, and Finlay Panapasa—all born and raised in PNG—starting together in the team’s spine (the playmaking core of the side).

“I don’t know if we’ve ever had a full PNG-born spine play together like that for the Kumuls,” he said. “That’s the direction we need to go.”

With veteran halfback Kyle Laybutt now retired, many wondered who would step up. Demetriou says the answer is already on the field—and leading by example is hooker Edwin Ipape.

“Can Edwin play in the NRL? Absolutely,” Demetriou said. “But more than his skill, it’s his attitude and leadership that stand out. He’s showing our boys what pride in a PNG jersey really means.”

Looking ahead, Demetriou has a clear message for every player dreaming of wearing the Kumuls jersey: your performances at club level matter most.

“Go back to your clubs and play your best,” he said. “Next year, spots in this team will be harder to get. We’ve got so much talent now—there were four or five other players who could’ve played Saturday and we’d still be strong.”

He also shared how the current squad got a boost from PNG’s rugby league legends. Members of the famous 2000 Kumuls team visited the camp and reminded the players of the pride and struggle that built the team’s reputation.

“They showed us what it took to put PNG on the map,” Demetriou said. “Now it’s our turn to keep that legacy growing.”

His long-term goal is simple: keep this core group together for the next four or five years, keep improving, and keep trusting local talent.

“We’re not finished,” he said. “We’re just getting better.”

And for young players across the country, that offers real hope. As Edwin Ipape put it: “You don’t have to leave PNG to be great. Our future is right here—at home.”

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Six Dead in PNG House Fire as Community Mourns Family Lost in Flames