I wrote some time ago that a home and away game between Oz and NZ would be ideal preparation - before the final squad was selected - but failing that to have a game each against the remainder of the Qld Academy, and Sydney Academy, plus Colts to make up the numbers in both places, also before the final squad was selected - and it would be an avenue to pick overlooked Colts.
They should have dropped the third camp and did preparation for these two matches instead.
The marginal cost of that compared with what they did would have been small.
I asked Adrian Thompson about whether the PNG game was an appropriate preparation and he said that they were definitely looking at more robust competition for next year and said he hadn't been on board long enough to arrange anything for this year.
He seems a decent bloke and I would take him at his word.
I have written a blog on the game here:
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/?p=49018&preview=true
.