Have just watched the video highlights of some Toulouse Olympique matches. The French club, which has defeated Leigh in the Challenge Cup and pushed Wakefield in a 40-22 Challenge Cup defeat at Wakefield (the score was Wakefield 28 Toulouse 22 at one stage), has unearthed an outstanding PNG winger/centre named Kuni Minga. The lad, who is only 23, has great speed and footwork and could be a SL star in the near future. He regularly scores tries for Toulouse.

I hope that Toulouse can keep him all the way in their rise to Super League status because he is a potential match winner. But his talent, appearing out of nowhere, suggests that there is a huge reservoir of rugby league talent in PNG that could bolster Super League, and the PNG national team, if only it could be uncovered by SL and NRL rugby league scouts.

He was the stand out player for Toulouse in the CC game at belle view, I remember thinking at the time he will be in super league before Toulouse are

You could be right. Toulouse will have to raise Kuni Minga's salary for next season if they want to keep him.

Shows how little you actually bother with the French game, he's not come 'out of nowhere', he was courted by Gilles dumas 3 years ago, yes that's right 'Frenchie' THREE years ago (when 19) becoming the first PNG player to play for Tolouse, keep up for facks sakes

we don't care.....

knockersbumpMKII wrote:Shows how little you actually bother with the French game, he's not come 'out of nowhere', he was courted by Gilles dumas 3 years ago, yes that's right 'Frenchie' THREE years ago (when 19) becoming the first PNG player to play for Tolouse, keep up for facks sakes This is probably the first he's heard of Kuni Minga. This is the same guy who spent about 6 months calling Fouad Yaha 'Mouad' and thought Gadwin Springer was German. At least he's heard of Jean Capdouze. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Capdouze

knockersbumpMKII wrote:Shows how little you actually bother with the French game, he's not come 'out of nowhere', he was courted by Gilles dumas 3 years ago, yes that's right 'Frenchie' THREE years ago (when 19) becoming the first PNG player to play for Tolouse, keep up for facks sakes This is probably the first he's heard of Kuni Minga. This is the same guy who spent about 6 months calling Fouad Yaha 'Mouad' and thought Gadwin Springer was German. At least he's heard of Jean Capdouze. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Capdouze

All joking aside Jean is right about one thing, PNG is a hotbed of RL talent. The recent test game, and relative success of the recently formed hunters in the QLD cup is testament to this.

For some reason though we don't see a great many in SL and only a few more in the NRL (most who have lived in Aus for most of their lives. I wonder if it's a visa thing, or they're just a little raw as I know there's a fair few Kumuls knocking round in the championship.

Kuni Minga is a top bloke.

After the Toulouse v Leigh match in the Cup me and my brother went back to the city centre and were in a bar when Kuni came over to us as he recognised our Leigh shirts and bought us a pint each. Sat with us for a while chatting all things RL and we bought him a couple of drinks in return before he went on his way.

Seemed a genuinely nice guy, glad to hear he is doing so well for TO.

Minga the Winger

I wonder if we will start seeing a few more PNG players in super league with the quality of NRL imports going down due to the gulf in salary caps. Sheffield Eagles seem to think their worth a punt, they have Menzie Yere, Garry Lo and Mark Mexico.

Garry Lo is outstanding. Looks like another Marcus Bai. Haven't seen him play much with the Eagles though.

Super League talent scouts need to go to PNG to grab the cream of the crop before the PNG Hunters do.