Morobe Pride Put Rigo Rice Cup on Notice

The Morobe Pride exerted their dominance and defeated the Dust Turf in Leg 3 of the KCK Rigo Rice Cup opening round on Sunday, March 16th, 2025, at Bava Park in Port Moresby, and edged the Erima Hurricanes today (March 19th), registering two straight wins on the trot.

Both the Pride and Hurricanes earned a win each in round 1 and with a winning momentum at their backs, they went to the pitch firing on all cylinders and delivered a brutal but entertaining affair.

After a few minutes of physical encounter, the Erima Hurricanes scored the first try but did not convert the goal. The Morobe Pride hit back quickly with a four-pointer but failed to nail the extras, equalizing the points at 4-all in the break. 

The second half was marred with errors and ill-discipline from both teams. Under five minutes of play, the Hurricanes gave a penalty inside their 10-meter red zone and the Pride opted for a 2-point, taking a slight 6-4 lead. 

With ten minutes left on the clock, the Hurricanes executed a second-man play to stun the Morobean side, but the Pride’s center intercepted the ball to run 80 meters and put the game beyond doubt (12-4). 

Former PNG Residents forward and Morobe Pride coach, Keary Tapako, stated that it was an intense game, praising his players for finishing the game strongly.

“Big credit to the boys. Despite a tough game, they stood tall and got the job done. I’m happy for them, but there’s still more work to be done,” Tapako said.

The men from the industrial city aim to maintain their winning streak this weekend and head into the playoffs with an unblemished record. However, coach Tapako conceded that they needed to work on their discipline, ball security, and play as a team. 

Meanwhile, the KCK Rigo Rice Cup third leg finals will start next weekend and conclude the following weekend, with the final leg (fourth leg) expected to commence in the second week of April.