By GABRIEL KATUHO
PROP forward Khaiya Waiembi is settling well with PNG Hunters after transferring from the Central Queensland Capras mid-season.
The 23-year-old Western Highlander is happy to be back home and has been warmly welcomed by his new coach Paul Aiton and team.
“I am really grateful for the team and the boys under Aiton’s leadership and the coaching staff and everyone here,” he said.
“We have a different system, like here I have to learn and adapt to the different system here, where Hunters have built a team culture and tradition so I am at a learning stage. But the boys are perfect. I just joined them in the mid-season but they have made me feel at home.”
Waiembi shared his experience with the Capras, highlighting the difference and how he is working on adapting to the Hunters system.
“Down there at Capras, the transition part was very hard but luckily Capras had some PNG boys down there that made it easy for me to dwell in well,” he said.
“My respect to the Capras where I just made it through from the Digicel cup without the skills and ability to perform at that level but I have learnt a lot form the club so I am really grateful.”
Waiembi started playing rugby league as a schoolboy in Kokopo when his father moved to the East New Britain provincial capital to work with the PNG Cocoa Board.
His emerging years as a future rugby league star was from 2010 to 2014 in Kokopo and when his family moved back to Port Moresby, Waiembi joined the Paga Panthers Club and later moved to the Hela Wigmen development squad in 2022.
The following year, he debuted in PNG National Rugby League season and with his consistency and explosive performance in the starting 17, he gained interest from both Hunters and Capras.
“I got the opportunity to join the Capras, so I choose Capras,” he said.
Since the player-swap deal with the Capras, Khaiya has scored on debut in Round 16 of the Hostplus Cup competition, which Hunters won. However, his second game against his former club was a 46-30 defeat for Hunters.
Despite the defeat, Waiembi remains focused on adapting to the Hunters’ system and adhering to the process under coach Aitons’ leadership and guidance.
“I am very keen and confident that we will come up with the two points. We just have to stick to the process and learn from last week’s match and play a must-win game against the Ipswich Jets,” he said.
Waiembi dreams of representing PNG as a Kumul and is giving his best in every game. His immediate focus is to help Hunters to get into the finals, with the hope of winning the grand final.