The SP PNG Hunters 2023 campaign has come to an end at the hands of Norths Devils on Saturday, 19th August, falling short 30-40 in Round 22 of the QRL Hostplus Cup. Although they finished on the wrong side of the scoreboard, the Hunters made the most of their last showing this season to give fans plenty of hope for what is to come. It’s been a year of learning for Head Coach Stanley Tepend’s men, who have developed out of sight to just miss out on a finals berth this season. With one of the youngest and least experienced squads in the entirety of the Hostplus Cup competition, the Hunters have embraced the underdog tags all season and produced some memorable performances. A farewell game for Devils skipper Jack Ahearn made things too difficult for the Hunters in their last game of the year, but not without threatening to spoil the party at the Devil’s home ground. A trademark try to Hunters prop Junior Rop kicked off an entertaining contest at Bishop Park. As he’s done all year, Judah Rimbu’s craft from behind the ruck bamboozled Norths goal-line defence and gave Rop an opportunity to crash his way over the line. Burrowing low and using his strength to drive into the in-goal, Rop gave the Hunters first points in their last game of the season. Try scoring sensation Solo Wane almost added to Norths troubles when the Hunters backline combined smoothly down the right edge. Rodrick Tai’s quick hands sent Wane down the touchline, but a desperate tackle from the man of the hour – Jack Ahearn – managed to hold Wane up over the line. The game quickly settled into a grind from there as the try scoring opportunities dried up and the Hunters and Devils traded blows in yardage. A try to Gagan just before halftime gave Norths a 20-14 lead at the break which lasted less than five minutes into the second half. A trademark Komati show-and-go, split the Devils defence on their try line to score first points after the break before Rimbu crashed over himself just three minutes later. Both tries came on the back of some Devils’ ill-discipline and the Hunters impressed to take the opportunities presented to themselves in attack. It’s a good example of the Hunters development this season. Rimbu – once a utility and now a specialist hooker – and Komati – playing in just his first year at Hostplus Cup level – have consistently turned half-chances into points in 2023 and the Hunters improved ladder position is testament of this. With 20 minutes to go and everything to play for, it was the home side who finished strongest. It’s hardly a disappointing end to the Hunters 2023 campaign, though. A desperate and emotional Norths Devils side were too good on the day, but the Hunters were never out of it. It’s a good example of the improvements made by Stanley Tepend this season to put the Hunters in a position to win almost any game in their 2023 campaign. With key players like Rimbu, Mavoko, Morea, Tai and Whallan Tau-Loi now all a full season older and wiser, the Hunters will begin the 2024 season with a host of confidence and experience – something they’ve lacked in previous years.

A pioneering carbon market regulatory framework recently developed to guide the carbon market in the country received resounding validation from national stakeholders in Port Moresby recently. This landmark step signifies an epic stride towards climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability through a robust and accountable market mechanism. Led by Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), the Climate Change (Carbon Markets) Regulation 2023 was developed through rigorous consultation involving environmental bodies, regulatory agencies, industry leaders, NGOs and Community Based Organizations. CCDA’s Acting Managing Director William Lakain said that the carbon markets exist to incentivize emission reductions and help mobilize resources and reduce costs to give countries and companies the space towards a low-carbon transition. Mr. Lakain said that the challenges confronting the country in the absence of a regulatory framework prompted the need for the government to regulate this sector. “Recently, we have experienced an influx of interest in the country from developers targeting the Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) in the absence of a regulatory framework, posing significant risks of governance, transparency and standards.” “Given that challenge, the Government of PNG through the CCDA was tasked to ensure administrative processes are established to provide for regulatory guidance and oversight for project developers pursuing the Voluntary Carbon Markets,” said Mr. Lakain. Many stakeholders in the country expressed their contentment on the final draft of the Climate Change (Carbon Markets) Regulation 2023, but also provided additional inputs on the contents of the regulation. Next step is for the regulation to go before the National Executive Council (NEC) for endorsement. CCDA’s Acting General Manager for MRV and National Communication, Ms. Debra Sungi who officially closed the validation program, sincerely thanked all the key stakeholders who have contributed to the development of the regulation.

The BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) has added its financial support to become a gold sponsor for the Cry of the Poor (ANCOP) PNG Learning Centre, who will lead the ANCOP global walk on Sunday 15th October. The Cry of the Poor (ANCOP) PNG Learning Centre - located at Gerehu Stage 7 in Port Moresby - runs learning and nourishment programs for under privileged children below the age of 8 years, with no formal early education. “Through our pre-school program, we aim to provide children with a strong foundation upon which to build their future academic and personal success,” Cecille Chuacuco, ANCOP POM Fundraising Chairperson said. “Our program includes a comprehensive curriculum, tailored to the needs of young children, that focuses on developing key skills such as literacy, numeracy, and socialization. In addition, we also provide daily nutritious meals to our students, ensuring that they are receiving the sustenance necessary to support their physical and cognitive growth. “This will be our first time engaging with corporate companies in PNG, and we are very grateful that BSP is supporting our foundation’s effort,” she added. Community and people are among BSP’s core values and take pride in helping underprivileged children not only in Gerehu, but from other suburbs in NCD. “We are more than just a bank,” said Amelia Minnopu, BSP Corporate Sponsorship Manager. “As a responsible corporate organization we give back in sponsorships, donations, and charity work. In 2022, we invested over K2.4 million in sponsorships, more than K800 thousand in donations and K1.6 million in community projects here in PNG. “It is our belief that when our communities prosper, our ecosystem thrives, and our customers, stakeholders, shareholders, and businesses remain successful. Our donations reach organizations, charities, community groups and other worthy causes that contribute meaningfully to improving lives. It is our hope that we are able to enrich and empower for the better.

For the first time in 21 years the Warriors have won six games in a row, after a Dallin Watene-Zelezniak hat-trick helped them overcome a dogged Sea Eagles side 29-22 on Friday night. In front of 24,112 at the Warriors' traditional home in Auckland – renamed Daniel Anderson Stadium for Round 25 in honour of their former coach who suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury late last year – the home side were forced to overcome a 22-16 deficit at the break to earn a victory which ensures they will remain third heading into Round 26. Earlier both sides went on first-half runs which saw them score 16 unanswered points, but with Manly edging out an advantage thanks to Jason Saab's hat-trick and an earlier Jake Arthur strike. The Sea Eagles were ultimately left to rue a series of missed opportunities late in the game, with the defeat all but ending their hopes of playing finals in 2023. After being a late call-up to start at five-eighth, Arthur made a dream start when he bounced through two would-be tackles and dived over from close range, but that joy would prove to be short lived as the Warriors promptly ran in 16 points in the next 17 minutes. First captain Tohu Harris got over for his third try in as many games, before Watene-Zelezniak took it upon himself to give the hosts the lead with a pair of special tries. The first was a trademark flying finish in the corner, before he embarked on a monster run that left Arthur flat on the deck on his way to the line. But whatever the Warriors could do with ball in hand, so too could the Sea Eagles it seemed, as they then had their turn at running in three tries, during a period which saw both sides also have four-pointers ruled out by the Bunker. Saab was responsible for all three with near carbon copy breaks down the right flank as Daly Cherry-Evans and Sea Eagles took full advantage of some leaky edge defence. Saab's third three minutes from the half was followed by a sideline conversion from Reuben Garrick which put him into fifth on Manly's all-time scorers list and gave his side a 22-16 lead at the half.  Watene-Zelezniak's third and a Adam Pompey sideline conversion tied scores at 22-all and they stayed that way until the 73rd minute when Marata Niukore – who was playing in the centres after Marcelo Montoya's 67th minute injury forced a reshuffle – was put into a gap by Shaun Johnson and ran 35 metres for the match winner. It came just minutes after Garrick missed a go-ahead penalty from out wide, before Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad hit Garrick in mid-air in a collision which didn't draw a penalty, due to the bouncing ball negating the mid-air tackle rule. The Sea Eagles had their chances late but couldn't find a way through, before Johnson kicked a field goal to ice the win at the death. Source: NRL.Com  

The Roosters overcame the loss of two of their leaders as they outscored the Eels 34-12 to keep their finals hopes alive. Prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was a late withdrawal before the match due to acute neck pain, but in big news, captain James Tedesco left the game mid-way though the second half for an HIA, with the head knock later deemed to be Category 1 by the independent doctor, which would rule him out for next week's match against the Tigers. Going into tonight's game, there was all to play for with both teams needing to win to keep their finals flame flickering. The Eels were always going to do it tough without their chief playmaker Mitchell Moses, who suffered a facial fracture last week and it showed, despite them looking up for the contest early, displaying the type of intent expected of a game of this importance. Parramatta even scored the first try of the match to the delight of the home crowd at CommBank Stadium when a fully outstretched Bryce Cartwright reached out and was able to touch the ball down on the line to garner a green light from the Bunker. The Roosters however were able to soak up more pressure before returning fire, going bang, bang, bang with three unanswered tries to close out the first half. They got their first try thanks to skipper James Tedesco following a scrum, with the Eels defenders falling for his dummy and falling off their attempts to tackle him as he ran through the score. They went back-to-back, again following a scrum play, but this time by going to the other corner, with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii finding space down the right side. The third try came by exploiting Parramatta's left-side defence once more, with Joey Manu galloping down field, producing an offload back on the inside to Tedesco who was trailing up the middle, who then ran over for his second of the match and the third try of the half for the visitors. The second half saw the Roosters open the scoring with Tedesco again involved, setting up Suaalii to do over for his second. Eels skipper Clint Gutherson provided a brief moment of hope when he was able to run in for a second half try, with his conversion narrowing the margin to 10 points. But that hope was short-lived, with Siua Wong and Nat Butcher adding to the scoreboard extend the lead for their side. Prior to this win, the Roosters' season looked to be on a knife's edge after suffering a heavy loss to the Broncos, but they have since won three games in a row and are showing good attacking form. Source:NRL.com

Cronulla have kept their top four hopes alive and put North Queensland's finals aspirations in jeopardy with a statement 32-12 win over the Cowboys on Thursday night. The beginning of the match saw an even contest play out with both sides trading sets and tries but new Cronulla halves pairing Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall proved the difference in the end, with their kicking and game management a class above in Townsville. As if a place in the top-eight wasn't motivation enough, the Cowboys also celebrated captain Jason Taumalolo's 250th match in front of home fans but couldn't overcome a gallant and gritty Sharks who are now three wins on the trot. After both sides traded sets in the first 13 minutes, the Cowboys quickly capitalised on a Sharks no-try, marching the ball downfield before Scott Drinkwater scooted from dummy-half and sliced through Sharks defenders to score the opening try. Five minutes later the Cowboys were made to pay for their first error (offside) and the Sharks hit back when Hynes and Connor Tracey combined superbly out the back to set up Ronaldo Mulitalo flying over on the left edge. Hynes' conversion locked the scores 6-6. But the scoreboard continued to reflect the see-sawing style of the first-half when Chad Townsend stamped his authority on the match, busting the Sharks wide open and delivering a superb pass to Semi Valemei who burrowed his way over to put North Queensland back in front. Five minutes after entering the fray, Cronulla cult hero Tom Hazelton got one back for the visitors thanks to some nice lead up work from hooker Blayke Brailey and the scores were brought back to a 12-12 deadlock. Seven minutes before the break the Sharks stole the lead when Royce Hunt carried several Cowboys defenders over the line to score his third try of the season and hand the Sharks a 18-12 lead. The arm wrestle continued early in the second half with both teams trading sets before the Sharks extended their lead 24-12 with departing skipper Wade Graham scoring his second try in as many matches, pouncing on a perfectly weighted Hynes' grubber in-goal. Come the 72nd minute and Hynes' put the game out of reach for North Queensland, showing off some classy footwork to stretch the visitors' lead 32-12 and put them into contention to leapfrog the Storm into fourth position on the NRL ladder. Source: NRL.Com

Coach Mal Meninga has firmly backed his skipper James Tedesco to guide Australia from fullback when the Gallagher Kangaroos face off against their Pacific rivals later this year. Speaking at the announcement of the Pacific Championships, which will be held across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in October and November this year, Meninga praised the performances of Tedesco, whose place in the team has come into question in some corners of the game, given the hot form of contenders such as Reece Walsh and Kalyn Ponga this season. “Teddy is the incumbent, he's the captain of the Kangaroos, he led the team to a successful World Cup last year,” Meninga said. “He's coming back into (form). Everyone’s questioned his form, but I thought he's been going well I think year. His effort levels are great, so certainly in my mind – we've got a couple of other selectors – but in my mind, (he is) the number one fullback at the moment and out of loyalty, he should be selected.” When asked about Walsh, Meninga said while he admired where the Broncos fullback’s game had gone to this year, there were a number of players who would also be in the mix for inclusion in the Kangaroos squad. “There's a whole heap of fantastic fullbacks in our competition; most teams have got a great fullback who really influences games,” Meninga said. “I think versatility is really key to picking squads for the Kangaroos in national space. “Reece, I know he can play fullback, obviously, I know he can play in the halves as well. “I'll be interested to see whether he can put his head in the scrum, play 13; because that's what you need, you need a player who plays 14 or a player that sits on your reserves that can play a number of positions. “That'll be spoken about it at the selectors meeting …He is certainly putting pressure on actually being in the team itself, but so is Dylan Edwards and so is Kalyn Ponga, players of that ilk; you have Ryan Papenhuyzen coming back, so there's plenty of good fullbacks around who can play a number of positions.” When the coach of Queensland, Meninga often picked players who had done the job previously for the state, despite arguably displaying indifferent club form in the lead-up to Origin games, and said as ever, finding the balance between strong form and loyalty was a consideration for national selectors. “Form plays a part in selection in my mind, loyalty does as well, obviously, rep footy does, all those factors will be taken into consideration,” Meninga said. “I don't believe that playing right through the final series puts you in a better place than if you get knocked out in the bottom nine basically, so I just feel that the rest could do some people good. “And if you talk about Teddy, they're [the Roosters] still in the hunt [for finals] of course, but if he gets to have a bit of a spell for a number of weeks, he'll come back a better player, more refreshed and looking forward to playing the green and gold jersey.” A vocal advocate for the expansion of the game, Meninga joined Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as part of a notable contingent of international rugby league representatives on hand for the announcement and said with time, the passion for these games would rival that seen during State of Origin. With Australia facing off against World Cup final opponents Samoa to launch the men’s tournament in Townsville, Meninga said he was hoping to see plenty of support for the national teams. “It was fantastic atmosphere at Old Trafford, 73,000 people there (for the Rugby League World Cup 2021 final)”, Meninga said. “I think we'll get a full house up in Townsville for that game. “The women are playing there as well, which is great, so it's a double header and I am looking forward to it definitely. “And I know all the players are really excited about putting on their country colours because it is a passion and I would dare say that if we keep going on the international line with players putting on their country colours, their ancestral colours, I think will rival Origin down the track in passion.” Source:NRL.Com  

England reached their first Women's World Cup final after beating Australia 3-1 on Wednesday despite a wonder goal from Matildas striker Sam Kerr as the co-hosts' fairytale run came to an end. After falling at the semi-final stage in the previous two World Cups, England will face Spain on Sunday looking to add a world title to last year's European Championship triumph. Attacking midfielder Ella Toone gave England a first-half lead to silence the crowd of 75,784 but a stunning strike from Kerr, making her first start of the tournament, squared things up after halftime as Stadium Australia erupted in euphoria. However, Lauren Hemp restored England's lead before Alessia Russo put the result beyond doubt shortly before the end. "This is the one thing I've always wanted, to make finals at a World Cup and after two times of getting huge disappointment, honestly I can't believe it," England full back Lucy Bronze said. "We all dreamed of being in the final and all our family and friends who booked to stay here until the final because they all believed in us." Sarina Wiegman's side clearly had a game plan to impose themselves physically on Australia, committing nine fouls in the first half as they nullified their opponents' attacking options. England opened the scoring in the 36th minute when Russo worked her way to the byline before cutting the ball back and Toone smashed it into the top right corner for her first goal of the tournament. Historic moment Australia started the second half much brighter and began pressing England higher up the pitch, looking to create a historic moment that would match Cathy Freeman's incredible 400 metres victory in the same venue at the 2000 Olympics. And they got it in the 63rd minute when Kerr received the ball in her own half, ran toward goal and fired an unstoppable rocket into the top left corner from 25 yards out beyond the diving Mary Earps. The stadium erupted as Australia fans finally got to see their star striker score at this tournament, reigniting hope that Tony Gustavsson's side could yet play for the title. But the hosts found themselves behind again less than 10 minutes later. Matildas defender Ellie Carpenter failed to deal with a long ball over the top from Millie Bright, allowing Hemp an easy finish into the bottom corner to restore England's lead. The 23-year-old was involved once more as the game entered the final stages. Shortly after Kerr had missed a golden chance to equalise again, Hemp turned brilliantly on the halfway line before releasing Russo, who fired a low shot into the far corner to seal England's place in the final. Australia will play Sweden in the third-place playoff on Saturday and Kerr said they were proud of what they had achieved despite falling at the penultimate hurdle. "We can't thank the fans enough, they've been amazing," she said. "We've felt the love all over the country. Just to see the support has really pushed us on. "So hopefully this stays around because this has been amazing for us... It's hard to think about (the third place playoff) now but Tony's already said it's a quick turnaround. "We've got to pick ourselves up and hopefully not go home empty-handed." After leading her native Netherlands to a runners-up finish in 2019, Wiegman becomes the first coach to take two different teams to a World Cup final. "This team has ruthlessness, whether it's up front or in defence, we really want to keep the ball out of the net, we really want to win and we stick together and we stick to the plan, and it worked again," the 53-year-old said. "I've never taken anything for granted, but I'm like 'Am I here in a little fairytale or something?'" Source:rnz.com

Tonight’s the night. The biggest match in Australian football history: the Matildas against England for the right to face Spain in the World Cup final. Australia have reached the semi-finals for the first time in history, while England lost in the semi-final stage at the last two Women’s World Cups. But the Matildas have recent history against England, ending a 30-game unbeaten run for the Lionesses with an impressive 2-0 win in a friendly in April. The match begins at 8pm AEST at Stadium Australia in Sydney. The Matildas claimed a stunning win over France in the quarter final. Now they’re looking to go one better. England are the European champions, the world’s fourth-ranked team – six higher than the Matildas – and even with several of their finest players missing the tournament through injury they come into the match as strong favourites. Tony Gustavsson isn’t afraid of being the underdogs. “If you look at rankings, they’re the favourites,” he said. But there’s two key reasons the coach believes his Matildas side is perfectly positioned to deliver another upset. He added: “But if you then add the belief we have and the one thing they don’t have, which is the support and the belief from the fans. “That in itself is going to be massive.” As for England, they’re not buying into the favouritism tag despite being the highest-ranked team left in the tournament (fourth, with Spain sixth and Australia tenth). “I don’t think Australia are the underdog, they are playing at home and the stadium will be very full,” coach Sarina Wiegman said. “There are two teams that are very strong and have grown into the tournament, it’s going to be very tight and competitive. “We approach the game as any other game, we prepare how we want to play and analyse our opponent really well so we can hopefully expose some weaknesses.” In yesterday’s pre-match press conference, Tony Gustavsson said the match would be a fascinating tactical battle. He openly mused whether the Lionesses would stick to their possession style or change their approach to try and nullify Australia’s extreme danger on the counterattack. “It will be an interesting tactical game in that sense, is England going to stay true to their possession game? Or are they going to take away our transition game by playing a different style of football than they normally do?” If there’s one match-up that Australian fans will be looking forward to, it’s Sam Kerr against England’s superstar goalkeeper Mary Earps. FIFA WWC Semi-final 2 Australia vs England Where: Stadium Australia, Sydney When: 8pm AEST Source: Fox Sports

The Australian Rugby League Commission has announced details of a Pacific Championships involving international men’s and women’s matches in October and November this year. The Commission has also announced a partnership with the Australian Government in order to promote and develop Rugby League in the Pacific through the Championships. The Albanese Government will partner with the NRL to ensure Pacific Championships matches can be played in the Pacific, enabling players to play in front of their loyal local fans. Six men’s teams and seven women’s teams will take part in the 2023 tournament across two pools, which will begin on October 14. The men’s tournaments will culminate in finals in Hamilton, New Zealand, and Port Moresby on November 4-5. The 2023 Championships will include two match days in Australia, two in New Zealand and four in Papua New Guinea (PNG). 2023 Pacific Championships Schedule Week One – October 14-15 Australia v Samoa (men) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville Australia v New Zealand (women) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium Townsville PNG v Cook Islands (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Samoa v Fiji (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Week Two – October 21-22 New Zealand v Samoa (men) at Eden Park, Auckland New Zealand v Tonga (women) at Eden Park, Auckland Fiji v Cook Islands (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby PNG v Cook Islands (women) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Week Three – October 28-29 Australia v New Zealand (men) at AAMI Park, Melbourne Australia v New Zealand (women) at AAMI Park, Melbourne PNG v Fiji (men) at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Week Four – November 4-5 The Final of the men’s Pacific Cup tournament on November 4 in Hamilton, New Zealand The Final of the men’s Pacific Bowl tournament on November 5 at Santos Stadium, Port Moresby Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa and Papua New Guinea will take part in the 2023 men’s Pacific Championships, while Tonga travel to England for an historic three Test series. It is envisaged that Tonga will play in the 2024 Pacific Championships, possibly with another nation travelling to Europe, before England men’s and women’s teams come to Australia in 2025 for a revival of the Ashes. The 2023 Pacific Championships will include two match days in Australia, two in New Zealand and four in Papua New Guinea. The men’s tournaments will be spread across two pools from October 14 and culminate in finals in Hamilton and Port Moresby on November 4-5. Tonga women will join the other six nations in a series of international fixtures that make up the women’s 2023 Pacific Championships when they take on the Kiwi Ferns at Eden Park on October 21, along with the Kiwis and Samoa. The Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns will meet twice in Townsville on October 14, as part of a double-header featuring the Kangaroos and Samoa, and in Melbourne on October 28, alongside the Australian and New Zealand men’s teams in a trans-Tasman double-header. “The Commission’s focus on growing the international game will combine with an equally strong desire to grow rugby league in the Pacific,” ARLC Commissioner the Hon Kate Jones said. “The 2023 Pacific Championships will showcase the best of international Rugby League in matches across three countries. Importantly, the international matches will be highlighted by both men’s and women’s matches. “The southern hemisphere tournaments will deliver on the broader NRL Pacific Strategy objectives - to create pathways for aspiring athletes, coaches, referees and administrators from the Pacific along with further growing international Rugby League.” Source: NRL .com

PNG FM Limited on Tuesday 15th August, donated IT equipment to the Don Bosco Technical Institute (DBTI) in Port Moresby to help support the school’s IT department in carrying out more practical work. Don Bosco Technical Institute IT Department-Area Coordinator, Mr. Noel Kibai said they do not have a lot of equipment on hand at this time and with such donations, this will surly assist with a lot of practical work. “With the equipment’s donated, these will really help us to carry our more practical work for the students, especially hands on work now. ” He also mentioned that apart from the IT department, the other departments also need such important donations to carry on their operation. Meanwhile, PNG FM Ltd IT Officer, Mr. Sam Kopi said it’s always good to give back for a good cause especially to the schools to help educate the younger generations. “We are happy to support and not only that, this donation also provides that pathway for grater outcomes and that partnership between the school and the PNG FM.” “There are plans in place for a formal partnership between the school and PNG FM that will be announced soon and we are looking forward to it because this will benefit everyone involved.” Mr. Kopi is also appealing to other organizations to look at such areas and donate for a good cause.

Penrith winger Brian To'o fell short of declaring the Broncos as the team that were the most threatening to their chances of a three-peat but said he "looked forward" to a potential finals showdown. The Panthers and Broncos are locked in a battle for the minor premiership with both level on 38 competition points. A bye this weekend gives the Broncos a guaranteed two more with To'o's side set for a final away clash against the Titans. Penrith have won two minor premierships in the past three years - losing out to the Storm on for and against in 2021 - but among their closest opponents this year have been the Broncos and Knights on the scoreboard. "Yes, in a way, but we’re still on the same goal to reach the end," To'o said on Tuesday when asked if the minor premiership was a focus. "[The Broncos] have come a long way in the past 2-3 years. I’m really happy for them to see where they’re at and they’re heading to the top as well. "We’re looking forward to seeing them down the track and are still building to reach where we want to be." Part of the Panthers' chances of claiming the J.J. Giltinan Shield could rest on whether Ivan Cleary opts to rest players ahead of the finals like he has done in previous seasons. Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards and winger Sunia Turuva have played every game in 2023 while Mitch Kenny (21) missed his first match last weekend. For To'o, who equalled his best try-scoring efforts with 15 tries in 19 games last week, he's not in the mood to sit on the sidelines as the finals approach. Part of the reason is due to pulling up well after a gruelling Origin series where he featured in every match, along with the reality two his closest teammates - Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu - were departing at season's end. "Hell no, I don’t want to rest," To'o said. "I love putting on the jersey. There’s nothing more that I want than to play for this team and the boys. "I’ve felt alright. Usually my body is sore after Origin but I feel pretty good. Mentally I’m sweet, if you have the right support, good friends and family. "I don’t want a rest at all. Every game, just make the most of everything. Even though I’ll see him outside of footy. You live these moments to the fullest and that’s something I want to do especially for Spencer and Critta as well." Crichton and Leniu's exits will discussed for much of the off-season but just like the recovery efforts this year after Api Koroisau and Viliame Kikau departed, the success has kept on coming. "It's the whole development and it starts from the juniors and just what the club has done with past players to send them off to their next step in their career," To'o said. "It’s something special and hopefully we can send the boys off on a high who are leaving this year as we." Source: NRL.Com