Ishmael Vaieke confident to leave his mark in NPL tourney

Gulf Isou five-eight, Ishmael Vaieke, has left the PRK-sponsored franchise to join the Moni Plus NCDC Port Moresby Vipers in the off-season.

Vaieke traveled with the Vipers to Australia yesterday (January 22) to participate in the Nines Premier League (NPL) tournament on the Gold Coast, slated for January 24-25, 2026.

Despite being Vaieke’s first time to travel overseas to take part in the nine-a-side event, he remains focused and confident to ply his trade on ‘The Glitter Strip’. 

“The preparation has been good, and I’m ready to play in the tournament. I’m confident that we’ll win the NPL title and bring it to Port Moresby,” he said.

Though he is new to the Vipers’ system, Vaieke has slowly built a good combination with the spine, featuring experienced playmaker Ben Fege and recruit Jeremiah Ben. 

“My combination with Ben Fege and Jeremiah Ben has been great. We are gelling well and look forward to executing the game plan during the tournament,” he added.

The 19-year-old mentioned that transitioning from Isou to Vipers has been an eye-opening experience for him, describing that he wants to keep on learning and improving his game. 

Besides the NPL tournament, he aims to win a premiership with the Vipers in the DEM Cup this season and hopes to get selected by the PNG Hunters and make it to the PNG Chiefs in the NRL by 2028.