The newly appointed SP PNG Hunters head coach Paul Aiton lauded his predecessors in Stanley Tepend and Matthew Church.
Aiton said while working under Tepend and Church, he has learned a lot things that he is ready to implement in his tenure.
However, there are other things; Aiton will have to make them right in his tenure. Aiton said, the final 30 squad he picked at the conclusion of the preseason training will be the squad for the reminder of the season.
He made this comment in response to his predecessor selecting players straight from the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup competition into the SP PNG Hunters starting lineup instead of sticking with the squad he picked at the SP Hunters preseason training.
Aiton said, “They (Hunters players selected in the top 30 squad) will train with us all week, and then for their captains run, they will to their local teams to play but know that they are the next one up. So we won’t just Pick from Digicel ExxonMobil Cup. They will be an understudy ready.”
The SP PNG Hunters CEO Scott Barker expressed similar sentiments as the SP PNG Hunters Head Coach Paul Aiton.
Barker said, “With the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup franchise and the franchises managers know about how we are going to manage that process for the course of the season so that it’s fair and equitable so this won’t happen.
They have come from the squad and they have been part of the system but when they go back, everyone Understands what’s the expectation and what is expected of the Digicel ExxonMobil club and what is expected of the Hunters.”
The SP PNG Hunters are in the preseason training camp after naming their preseason squad on November 16. The team will be trimmed down to 30 at the conclusion of the preseason training.