You would be forgiven for thinking that, as the only country in the world that considers rugby league to be its national game, Papua New Guinea would be hugely excited by the prospect of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. However, a bitter dispute with the sports governing body has overshadowed the islander’s preparations to date and the Kumuls hopes of on-field success have taken a backseat to a series of high level wrangling and a public squabble that threatened to overshadow the games flagship competition before a whistle had been blown.

The chairman of the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League, Sir Bob Sinclair, reacted furiously to the news that the islanders had been drawn in a super pool with England, New Zealand and reigning World Cup holders Australia. Sinclair expressed his disappointment that the decision had been made without consulting him and revealed that the PNGRFL were considering boycotting the competition.

Whilst the likes of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji all have realistic chances of progressing from the first round, the Kumuls appear, on paper at least, to have very little hope of reaching the latter stages of the tournament and the PNGRFL have made little secret of their belief that the International Rugby League Board’s decision could seriously damage the sports development.

“It is like sending the lamb to the slaughter house,” said Sinclair of the draw.

Jim Green looks at Papua New Guinea's World Cup issue in the latest Code13 Magazine.