Four tries to Naomi Kelly provided the backbone for Papua New Guinea's tear-away 58-4 win over France to open their 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup campaign in style.
Everyone was searching the record books to see if the Orchids' 12-tries-to-one win at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby on Saturday was a record, but that remains a 70-0 drubbing of Brazil in the 2022 World Cup.
Kelly is well known to home fans, being the top try-scorer in the local women's competition, the Santos Cup, this year helping Central Dabaris to a 16-12 grand-final win over the Port Moresby Vipers.
The winger only enhanced her reputation on Saturday in her third Test for PNG with 166 running metres - the most of either team - alongside three line-breaks and three tackle breaks.
Also laying some of the foundations for the victory were props Elsie Albert (154 metres) and Essay Banu (127 metres), who busted out of 13 tackles between them.
They were among eight players in the PNG side with NRLW experience and are obviously thriving under new coach Craig Sandercock, who put Wests Tigers into their first finals campaign last month.
It was an unhappy weekend for France after their men's side went down 78-4 to Samoa on Friday night in Sydney.
The Orchids only took six minutes to get on the scoresheet on Saturday, centre Relna Wuruki-Hosea fending off two players to cross for the home side.
After a drinks break midway through the half, the Orchids went on a scoring spree with five tries in 23 minutes - complemented by four conversions from lock Emily Veivers - pushing them out to a comfortable 32-0 halftime lead.
Standouts among those were a 30-metre dash from Fleur Ginn - who plays centre for Parramatta but was five-eighth for PNG on Saturday - and another fine solo effort down the right touchline from ex-Wallaroo Ivania Wong, making her PNG debut.
A 64 per cent first-half possession helped the Orchids tremendously.
It was a rare kicking error from PNG that allowed France fullback Manon Samarrra to score early in the second half as momentum started to shift.
However, three players scoring their second four-pointers - Kelly, centre Tia Molo and Ginn - swung the pendulum back in PNG’s favour (46-4) well and truly.
After Kelly scored her hat-trick to bring up the half-century in the 51st minute for the home side, the result was never in doubt.
The 26 year-old made certain of it with her fourth three minutes later.
Things don’t get any easier for the French women. They next face the New Zealand Ferns in Christchurch on October 25.
The Orchids remain at home to host Fiji in Port Moresby next Saturday.
