Two weeks into Mobile Legends Professional League PH Season 13 and coach Brian “Panda” Lim is already convinced that RSG PH is better off with Jonard “Demonkite” Caranto than John “Irrad” Abarquez.
RSG PH, the MPL PH Season 9 and Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup 2022 champion, spent the last two seasons without Demonkite which paved the way for Irrad to take the jungler position.
Though Irrad proved to be one of the fast-rising junglers in the local pro scene, he was unable to deliver a championship to RSG PH or lead them to the MSC or the M-Series world championship.
Panda said Demonkite is overall better for the team.
“Yes,” Panda swiftly answered when asked by Daily Tribune if RSG PH performs better with Demonkite around.
“(He is) more mature, more disciplined in the game, and more of a team player. I am not (disrespecting) Irrad, but my process of training Irrad, he has the best mechanical skills of all the junglers I trained — no disrespect to Demonkite,” he said.
“That was his strength, mechanical skills. But with Irrad, I really had to take lots of effort to train his discipline, mindset, and team play communications with the team. That takes a long process.”
Following a heartbreaking third-place finish in MPL Season 10, Demonkite opted to take a break for one season before playing for RSG Malaysia for another season where he was given a Most Valuable Player and Best Jungler citations.
Now back home in the Philippines, Panda aims to transform Demonkite into the best jungler in MPL.
“I am thankful to Demonkite after he came back from Malaysia after he became the best jungler that season. He came back with confidence and he has the eagerness to make a comeback in his home with his old teammates,” Panda stated.
“The chemistry is still there. I am going to do my best this season to make Demonkite the best jungler.”
