Stanley Tepend

SP PNG Hunters Board and Management have reluctantly accepted the resignation.

They expressed disappointment to see Tepend go but would like to thank him for his services over the past few years with the Hunters, and for his long-term involvement in developing rugby league in the country.

Tepend served as an Assistant Coach of the SP PNG Hunters during the 2022 QRL Hostplus Cup season before taking over as Head Coach for the 2023 competition.

Speaking at yesterday’s Hunters media session,Tepend outlined the team’s strategy for the next seven weeks including inviting a Hostplus Cup team to come up to Port Moresby for a trial game towards the end  February.

When giving a snapshot on this year’s Hostplus Cup draw, Tepend said the Hunters will open their campaign this year with back to back away games against Clydesdales and Magpies on March 12^th and 18 respectively.

The Hunters first home game will be on March 25 against Brisbane Tigers at the National Football Stadium.

Bai who last represented the Kumuls in 2007, said although he would have wished for Tepend’s appointment to come at least a year earlier, he says Tepend is the right man for the job at the  given his unparalleled Digicel Cup premiership winning track record with the Lae Snax Tigers over the past six years.

Bai said with the short turnaround time given the Pacific Test against Fiji is only three weeks away on June 25.

He said it might not be ideal for Tepend putting a team together given the PNG Hunters not doing well currently in the Hostplus Cup.

POMRFL Administrator and Competition Manager, Meke Maino on behalf of the league sent well wishes to the coach Tepend and lauded the PNG rugby league fraternity in their good choice.

“Don’t forget Coach Tepend was once a local PRL boy, just like his predecessor former Kumul Coach, Michael Marum. Tepend has achieved much as a coach and we are all excited, with 2022 Rugby League World Cup just around the corner,” added Maino.

Tepend, who guided Lae Snax Tigers to six premierships in the PNG domestic competition before joining the coaching staff of the PNG Hunters in the Queensland Cup, will take over from Michael Marum after six years as his assistant.

Flanagan, who took Cronulla to their inaugural premiership in 2016 and is currently engaged as a list management consultant with St George Illawarra, will support and advise Tepend as Kumuls coaching consultant.

PNGRFL Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Hondina made this announcement yesterday.

He said PNGRFL wanted to build on the success of the Kumuls over the last few years, and Tepend who has served as assistant coach to Marum over the last six years has the experience and qualifications to provide that continued growth and stability for the team. 
“We congratulate Stanley Tepend, he’s worked hard and built an impressive coaching career making him a well-respected coach in Papua New Guinea. We are confident that he will build on the success of the national team,” said Hondina.

When one door closes, another one opens and for outgoing Lae Snax Tigers coaching guru, Tepend said the assistant coaching job with the Hunters did not come as a surprise being initially one of the top contenders for the Hunters head coach position in 2019.

After another stellar season with the Tigers taking out his fourth premiership title for 2021, he admittedly could not knock back the offer from the PNG Hunters Board to be assistant to Matt Church at the Intrust Super Cup season 2022.

The Lae Snax Tigers franchise owner and LBC Group Manager, John Chow, said it has been a huge success for Tepend over his last nine years as Tigers head coach. Chow is he can get better given the elevated recognition.

Following the announcement of Tepend’s appointment by the Hunters board last week, the LBC joined the rest of the franchises, supporters and especially the Tigers team in wishing Tepend the best with the Hunters.

Chow said the records speaks for itself for Tepend both at the domestic and international level.

The score was 18-12 when the hooter went off.

The home team claimed victory in the inaugural PNG Residents match, but not without a few minor hiccups.

Winning coach Stanley Tepend admitted to a slow start with a few errors, but credited the PNG boys for a great win.

The first try of the match was from the visiting team when Owen Blaire intercepted a pass and sped 70 metres to give his team an advantage in the first half.

Around 14 minutes later and a burly Muku Peter Kalu shrugs off a defender for PNG’s first try of the match.

His comments follow the major semi-final match over the weekend.

“It’s been a good effort by everybody. We’ve had injuries and a lot of things that went against us. We had three loses in a row for one patch of the season.

“Credit to the Gurias but our boys stuck it out for the 80 minutes. It was a really big effort by them,” said Tepend.

Tepend added winning the minor premiership this season was an added bonus for the Tigers.