Nene Macdonald was at his thrilling best in Papua New Guinea’s opening game victory over Fiji in their Pacific Championships.
Jason Demetriou’s new-look side was dominant throughout the contest, as the Kumuls spoiled a homecoming party, 24 years in the making.
Macdonald, a star centre for Salford Red Devils in 2024, operated at fullback for this one, but it didn’t stop him from having his usual devastating impact with the ball in hand.
From the start, the 30-year-old showed intent and was the first to power his team downfield in the search for points.
A couple of early offloads allowed the supporting cast of Liam Horne and Robert Mathias to steal some easy metres and put PNG within range.
The third time Macdonald got his hand loose after a strong, tackle-busting carry, Judah Rimbu capitalised to slide over for the Kumuls.
A commanding 0-16 half-time lead was a shock to everyone inside the National Stadium, but not the visitors, who pressed home their advantage in the second forty.
Macdonald finally got the try his performance deserved from a lovely Robert Derby interception, who ran 80 metres before releasing the supporting fullback for a trademark frog-splash finish.
Stats don’t always paint the full picture, but Macdonald finished the contest with 277 metres, 10 tackle busts, two line-breaks and five offloads – a staggering contribution.
He caught the eye of everyone and was deservedly handed the Player of the Match medal at full-time.
Macdonald is next in action when the Kumuls take on the Cook Islands in Port Moresby on November 3rd – looking to secure a top-ranked qualification spot for the playoffs.
