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Kiwis thrash PNG; Kiwi Ferns beaten in final


The Kiwis have closed the curtain on a disappointing 2024 Pacific Cup campaign by avoiding relegation to the tournament's second-tier.


Teen debutant Casey McLean scored four of 10 New Zealand's tries as the Kiwis potentially unearthed a future star and prevailed 54-12 over Papua New Guinea at Sydney's CommBank Stadium on Sunday.


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Having lost the chance to defend their title after losses to Australia and Tonga, the Kiwis faced being replaced by the Kumuls in the Cup for 2025.


And early on PNG made them work for everything, with just four points between the two sides for much of the first half, but in the end the world No 2 Kiwis proved far too good.


Crucial to New Zealand pulling away on the scoreboard was 18-year-old Panthers wing McLean, who equalled the Kiwis try record for a debutant set by Brian Jellick in 1999, and set up another.



He was not the only young player in Stacey Jones' squad to impress, with 20-year-old fullback Keano Kini immense at the back, running for 301 metres from 20 carries.


At the other end of the spectrum Shaun Johnson bowed out of professional rugby league in style with five try assists, having paused plans to retire at the conclusion of the Warriors' NRL campaign after receiving an 11th-hour call-up to the national team.


Broncos wing Jamayne Isaako also scored a hat-trick, and booted six conversions for a personal haul of 24 points.


Shaun Johnson played his last international as the Kiwis cleaned up the Kumuls 54-12 in the Pacific Championships promotion/relegation match. PHOTO: NRL

After McLean got things going in the fifth minute, Isaako benefitted from a couple of late offloads from Peta Hiku and Johnson which set him free down a narrow corridor for the second.


But what was shaping as a cake walk for the Kiwis soon became anything but and for a short time there was real concern PNG would get on top.


Sylvester Namo steamrolled through Joseph Tapine and James Fisher-Harris on his way to the line on 21 minutes, before the Kumuls blew a golden chance to hit the front when Liam Horne fumbled over the line without a defender near him and Rhyse Martin had a claim ruled out due to a teammate being offside.



Appearing lost for options on the ball. New Zealand looked set to lead by just four at the break before they turned it on to strike twice in the final two minutes of the half and instead go 22-16 up.


First Leo Thompson charged over after some hot-potato footy, before McLean bamboozled PNG down the left to put Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad over.


The next try saw Johnson, in his last test, kicking for McLean to score the second of what is likely to be many tries in the black jersey.


After McLean grabbed his third and fourth of the night, which put the result well and truly beyond doubt, PNG halted things briefly with a hit back through Cowboys prospect Robert Derby.


A quickfire double from Isaako, which gave him three for the night, came either side of Naufahu Whyte going over, to take the Kiwis up over the half-century mark.



Meanwhile, the Kiwi Ferns have been beaten 24-4 by the Jillaroos in the Women's Pacific Cup final on Sunday.


The Ferns toiled hard for the full 70 minutes but they really struggled to crack open the tight Jillaroos' defence.


Mele Hufanga saw minimal ball in the first half but made some impact in the second as she finished with 145m from her 11 runs. Middle forwards Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa and Alexis Tauaneai were heavily involved with a combined 262m and 49 tackles.


Kiwis 54 (Casey McLean 4, Jamayne Isaako 3, Leo Thompson, Nicoll-Klokstad, Naufahu Whyte tries; Jamayne Isaako 6 con, Shaun Johnson con) Papua New Guinea 12 (Sylvester Namo, Robert Derby tries; Rhyse Martin 2 con). HT: 22-6


Jillaroos 24 (J Robinson, I Kelly, T Penitani, T Upton, T Aiken tries; T Aiken 2 con) Kiwi Ferns 4 (J Tufuga try). HT: 12-0

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