FOR three men born and raised in Warrington, the experience of a lifetime lifts to another level this week.

Warrington Wolves’ Joe Philbin, Salford Red Devils’ Tyrone McCarthy and Widnes Vikings’ Ed Chamberlain flew into Papua New Guinea yesterday, Wednesday, for game two of their Rugby League World Cup.

They made history in Ireland’s win against Italy in Cairns, Australia, at the weekend – the first time three players hailing from Warrington appeared in the same team for a World Cup game – but now they, and the likes of Wolves’ George King, need to be prepared for something completely different if hopes of reaching the quarter finals are to be kept alive.

Amid all the welcoming fanfare and fanaticism they can expect from Oceanic islanders, for whom rugby league is both a national sport and a religion, there is a purpose.

It is potentially easy to get caught up in the hysteria, being mobbed like movie stars, and the beauty as well as mystery of a land whose residents share 850 indigenous spoken languages and accompanying cultures, when there is a crunch match to be won at Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby on Sunday.

And it is a match expected to be played in tropical conditions in front of a sell-out partisan crowd, as it was when the Kumuls’ no-nonsense approach beat a poor Wales side 50-6 in a first ever World Cup game on PNG soil on Saturday.

This is all a far cry from the trio honing their skills on fields in Culcheth, Latchford, Woolston, Orford and Great Sankey, carving out professional sports careers for themselves as youngsters.

Their adventures so far have taken different paths, versatile former Padgate High School student and Woolston Rovers junior McCarthy, 29, being the most experienced having won two Challenge Cups with Wolves before spending time with Northern Pride in Queensland, Hull KR in Super League and most recently St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL.

Hard-running Philbin, 22, who came through the junior ranks at Culcheth Eagles and Latchford Albion, has just enjoyed his best season to date in primrose and blue, while creative threequarter Chamberlain – an ex-pupil of St Gregory’s Catholic High School who started out with Rylands Sharks and Crosfields, has spent the year on loan at Workington Town.

But on Sunday, in the must-watch match of the weekend, they will join together with the aim of spoiling the party and surely sealing a date with England in the last eight.