Last updated at 11:43, Wednesday, 06 March 2013

New recruit Rodney Pora revealed the weather will not prove a problem to him at Whitehaven this season, declaring: It’s just like at home.

Rodney Pora

There were some questions over how quickly he would adapt to chilly English spring conditions, but the big prop does not see any difficulty, after taking stock at the Recre yesterday, a day after landing in the UK.

“The weather here is more like where I come from, in the islands. It’s quite cold up there,” he said. “It won’t be a problem to me here. I wanted to play outside PNG for the experience, and I’m very pleased to be here.”

Pora’s Papua New Guinea international team-mate Jessie Joe Parker wants his pal to lace up his boots as soon as possible.

“I’m keen to see him play,” Parker said. “We’ve played together a couple of times and he’s a good player who leads from the front.

“He’s a good off-loader and talker on the field, and he motivates the players – he’s a leader.”

Haven are Pora’s first club in England, and he’s hoping to be back in the UK in the autumn for the World Cup.

“I’m pretty sure me and Jessie will be playing in the World Cup,” said Pora, who will fly home after completing the season with Haven to launch his World Cup preparations.

“Everyone has to go back to PNG and stay with our guys back home, and we will fly here together. We play Samoa, France and New Zealand in the World Cup.

“New Zealand will be a bit tough, but we’ve played them before and we will get there.”

PNG open against France in Hull on October 27, when Pora could be packing down against new Recre team-mate Seb Martins, if the Frenchman can earn a recall to the international fold.

First published at 11:35, Wednesday, 06 March 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk