Jack Peppernell and Menker Lowah were announced as part of the side in April, while Mitch Atkinson was a late addition to the side prior to the first game. 

Peppernell’s mother, Michelle Smith, travelled with the team and said that all three boys played excellent football. 

“They went extraordinarily well, to be honest,” Smith said. 

“Menker scored two tries in the first game and Jack scored a try in the first game. They got awards from it, Jack got the Coach’s Award from the tournament, and Menker got the Quiet Achiever’s Award.”

The team first played against Papua New Guinea in Lismore on October 2, which resulted in a resounding 38-6 win. 

Despite the relatively one-sided scoreline, NSW Country coach Gary Jones said that Papua New Guinea were “great” and “relied on ad-lib football which made them hard to defend against.” 

The next game, against the Gold Coast Titans Under 16’s, took place on October 6 at Cudgen. 

It initially looked as though NSW Country were going to inflict a drubbing on the Titans when they went into half time at 20-0, but the visitors rallied and drew the second half to finish the match at 30-10.

Jack said that the experience he gained from the trip will be invaluable, particularly now that he and Menker have been selected for the Monaro Colts Under 18’s squad, which begins training on November 4. 

“It felt pretty good, it felt like all the hard work paid off,” Jack said of the successful North Coast tour. 

“I’ve learned a lot from the players I’ve played with and the coaches. 

“I learned like more off the coaches, like the positions to be in on the field and what to do and all that.” 

What was most important for all of the boys, Smith said, was that they learned from their trip and enjoyed the time that they spent on the field. 

“Papua New Guinea was a delightful game to watch, because everyone enjoyed every moment of it,” she said.