Paul Aiton is the newly appointed Head Coach for the SP PNG Hunters.
When making the big announcement today SP PNG Hunters Chairman Stan Joyce said he is excited to see one of PNG’s finest Rugby League products take the helm at the Hunters and help more of our young Papua New Guinean young men to develop and realise their dreams to play overseas.
Aiton was equally excited after today’s announcement and thanked the board for their trust and faith in his coaching resume adding he’s learned a lot from his predecessors and is now ready to step up to the next challenge.
It also marks another stepping stone in his short coaching career.
This announcement of Aiton as head coach and the 40-man training squad is critical and important to the team’s preparation and focus for the upcoming season.
Preparations for the 2024 QRL Hostplus Cup season have already begun and Aiton will oversee an extended squad of 40 players in the opening stages of the preseason. The final SP PNG Hunters 2024 playing squad will be chosen from this group.
The team has retained -20 contracted players from the 2023 season,-19 on train and trial- 6 Junior Kumuls and 4 of trial.
The final SP PNG Hunters 2024 playing squad will be chosen from this group.
FULLTIME CONTRACTS
Morea MOREA Solo WANE Brendon NIMA Siki KONDEN
Joshua LAU Jamie MAVOKO Judah RIMBU Epel KAPINIAS
Benji KOT Sherwin TANABI Sanny WABO Seal KALO
Tommy MOIDE Trevor SOLU Sakias KOMATI Whallan TAU-LOI
Junior IGILA Joshua MIRE Junior ROP Ila ALU
TRAIN AND TRIAL CONTRACTS
Douzen HOYATO Douglas PIRIKA Elijah ROLTINGA Clent LAMA
Kevin YAKO Zachariah SELU Garry JAMES Finlay Glare
Limbi HENRY Junior TALIN Atua JOSHUA Alex MAX
Jordan PAT Anthony WOROT Norman AKUNAI Chris URAKUSIE
Wendle KIPSY Ishmael WAINE Robert MATHIAS
JUNIOR KUMULS TRIALLING
Reynolds TAI Gregan FORMAT Gabrial KAUPA Bruce BAWASE
Gairo VORO Felix BEKI Jerry JOE Brendan TURI
Manash KAI Weiayh KO
Having most recently worked alongside Justin Holbrook in the PNG Kumuls dominant Pacific Bowl Championship series, Aiton brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Hunters Head Coach role.