You Don't Know Me: Stargroth Amean

In the lead up to the tournament, we have a look at some of the less known players who are promising to make an impact later this year.

PNG

A product of rugby league mad nation Papua New Guinea, it is no surprise to hear that one of Stargroth Amean’s childhood dreams was to one day represent his country and play for the Kumuls.

A talented back, it took little time for Stargroth to make a reputation for himself in the local club competitions in the northern province of Enga. With a determined attitude and speed to burn, by the age of 20, Amean had been signed by Digicel Cup (PNG’s premier domestic competition) side, the Hela Wigmen to play for the club in the 2011 season.

Starting for the Wigmen, it didn’t take long for Stargroth to become a player in demand throughout PNG. Chased by multiple clubs, it was the Port Moresby Vipers who secured Amean’s signature for the 2012 season, desperate for the fullback despite knowing that he had played a large part of the 2011 season with a serious ankle injury.

With the pressure of an ever-growing reputation after an impressive debut year and the likelihood of one of his childhood dreams coming true, Stargroth started the season for the Vipers in 2012 despite still suffering significant pain from his left ankle injury.

Running on one leg didn’t stop Amean impressing for the Vipers, however as the season wore on, the weight Stargroth put on his right leg eventually mean that he would end up dislocating his right ankle and be left unable to walk.

With both legs in serious pain and being unable to walk long distances, let alone run, it looked like Amean’s Rugby League dream would be over, with the player forced out for the remainder of 2012 and the entire 2013 season.

Unable to run, Amean elected to chase his other dream of becoming a doctor and enrolled at the University of Papua New Guinea, taking a major in Science.

Remarkably, despite many feeling Stargroth would never take the field again, by mid-2014, almost two years after he dislocated his second ankle, Amean was back in the Port Moresby Vipers line up.

From there, things have only been on the up for Amean. After solid performances for the Vipers in the later half of the Digicel Cup season, Stargroth was called up to the newly formed PNG Hunters to make his debut later that year and earned a starting contract for the following season.

Cementing himself as the starting fullback for the Hunters, it took Stargroth only a bit over a season to finally realised his first childhood dream when he was called up for the Kumuls for the Pacific Test against Fiji.

Stargroth scores his first against the Cook Islands

Despite not scoring, Amean was a strong performer on the Wing for the Kumuls, helping the national team to their first ever win on foreign soil since the 2000 World Cup, and naturally was called up for the Kumuls in their next Test, against the Cook Islands the next year.

With another season for the Hunters under his belt and back in his preferred position of fullback, Stargroth put in a man of the match performance against the Kukis to help the Kumuls record back to back wins.

Stargroth scores his second against the Cook Islands

Since the Stargroth has continued to excel for the Hunters back in the Queensland Cup, scoring nine tries, including two hat tricks in the Intrust Super Cup and is continuing his medical science studies.

A clear lucky charm for the Kumuls and currently a key performer for the currently table topping PNG Hunters in the Queensland Intrust Super Cup, expect to see lucky charm Stargroth running around in the Yellow, Red and Black of Papua New Guinea this October.

Player Facts

Name: Stargroth Amean
Nation: Papua New Guinea
Club: PNG Hunters
Position: Fullback
Born: 9th March 1991
Height: 185cm
Weight: 87kg