Gene 'not scared of England'
Papua New Guinea forward Stanley Gene "not scared" of England
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Friday, 24, Oct 2008 05:27
Loose forward Stanley Gene has claimed Papua New Guinea are "not scared" of England ahead of their opening World Cup group match.
The South Sea Islanders face a stern task in qualifying from group one of the tournament, where three of the four teams in the section - which also includes New Zealand and Australia - go through to the semi-finals.
However Gene, 34 - a respected veteran who plies his trade in Europe's Super League with Hull KR - believes the Kumuls should fear none of the expected top three.
"It's a really difficult group, full of quality but we know we can win games here," he said.
"A lot of us have had a tough upbringing in PNG and we're not scared of anyone."
Gene moved to the UK after being spotted in the 1995 World Cup and has forged a successful career with both Hull-based clubs, Bradford Bulls and Huddersfield Giants.
And he said he is sure some of his team-mates have what it takes to emulate his achievements.
"I've told the young lads in our team to work hard and play hard," he continued.
"There'll be some scouts watching us out here and anyone who plays well might get a chance like I did."
England play Papua New Guinea in the opening match of the World Cup in Townsville, with the match due to kick off at around 10:00 BST on Saturday morning.