Barrow Raiders head coach Paul Crarey was delighted to see his players Stargroth Amean and Wartovo Puara play a big part in Papua New Guinea’s stunning victory over Great Britain.

The Kumuls hammered the final nail into what was a miserable comeback tour for the Lions, as they recovered from 10-0 down to record a famous 28-10 win in front of a delirious crowd at Port Moresby last Saturday.

Amean came in on the wing, while Puara kept things ticking at hooker for PNG, who more than bridged the gap in terms of where their players ply their trade, with only a handful of them doing so in either the NRL or Super League.

The duo became key players in what was their first season with the Raiders this year, once they had settled in after moving to Barrow, and they have had a busy autumn with their country, which also included playing in the inaugural World Cup Nines tournament.

Crarey said: “I was absolutely blown away for them. They both contributed massively - I think Wattsy has got a bit of the British style in his game, which I think helped PNG.

“He held the ball up really well and controlled it for the spells where it needed to be controlled and I thought he was outstanding.

“Stargroth Amean showed some brilliant touches, as did the other winger [Eden Gebbie], and it just shows you that it’s not all about superstardom, it’s about work ethic and desire to win, which they showed massively.

“It’s a lesson for our big players that sometimes you can have all the structures and the best things you want in the world, but if you haven’t got that desire and passion, you’re wasting your time.

“I just thought PNG were magnificent from minute one - they were relentless in their application, their attitude, the crowd were fantastic and Great Britain just couldn’t match it.”

Amean and Puara will now be spending the rest of the year with their families before returning to pre-season training with the Raiders in January and trying to help them climb out of Betfred League One in the 2020 campaign.

Crarey can’t wait to have them back, saying: “They just breed enthusiasm, which is just infectious, and what they’re doing in the community is unbelievable. I just can’t praise those fellas enough.

“It will do them good to have a little break - if you get lads who have played through the autumn, they’re going to hit the wall at some stage early on in the season, or mid-season.

“They can have a little bit of a rest now. They’ve played them few games, now they can get a rest until January and come back in feeling refreshed.”