Rhyse Martin's return sets up crucial clash against future Hull KR team-mate

Incoming Hull Kingston Rovers signing Rhyse Martin is set to return to Papua New Guinea action on Sunday to face a New Zealand side containing Robins centre Peta Hiku.

Martin had missed PNG's victory over Cook Islands last Sunday in Port Moresby for personal reasons, as they won 42-20 to secure the clash with the Kiwis. The match is a Pacific Championships promotion-relegation play-off, with New Zealand finishing bottom of the three-team Pacific Cup table and PNG finishing top of the three-team Pacific Bowl table - and both Martin and Hiku have been named in their teams' respective starting line-ups. The sides face each other at CommBank Stadium. Martin will again captain the PNG side with Lachlan Lam having stepped up to that in his absence against Cook Islands.

Martin had played in the other PNG game, kicking three conversions as they won 22-10 against Fiji in Suva on October 19. Hiku, meanwhile, has played for New Zealand in their 22-10 defeat against Australia in Christchurch on October 27 and in their thrilling but costly 25-24 defeat against Kristian Woolf's Tonga in Auckland on Saturday.

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Australia and Tonga finishing first and second in the Pacific Cup table means that they face each other in the final. In the Pacific Bowl table, PNG booked their spot in the play-off by finishing ahead of Fiji in second, with Cook Islands third. In the women's event, Australia face New Zealand in the final, while the play-off is between PNG and Samoa. All those games, men's and women's, also take place at the CommBank Stadium on Sunday.

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