SP PNG Hunters

Assistant Coach Roderick Puname said the boys need to apply some consistency to the way they play in round 17 of the Intrust Super Cup.

“We stick to consistency with the Falcons. Hold on to the ball, complete sets and getting that kick.”

Coach Puname said last week, the Hunters registered just 30 percent of kicking precision; besides that they did not have enough mental capacity to stay ahead of the match, and succumbed to defeat in the second half.

The match will be held at the Oil Search National Football Stadium on Sunday.

Meninga made his debut as Hunter No. 48 in Round 1 against CQ Capras in Brisbane on March 4, 2017.

Former Captain Ase Boas played his 100th Intrust Super Cup game for the SP Hunters against Northern Pride in last Sunday's Round 15 loss to Northern Pride in Cairns.

Within five minutes of the round 12 match, the Dolphins’ Nathan Watts effortlessly registered his team’s first try of the evening, thanks to a lack of communication between Hunters defenders.

A conversion by Bryce Donovan saw the hosts take a 6-point lead.

Thirteen minutes in and the visitors responded through Gairo Kapana, who flew over the right wing to ground the ball. However, an unsuccessful conversion by Nick Hasu left the scores at 4-6.

Nineteen minutes in and Brendon Gotuno was unable to stop a barreling Jeremy Hawkins from pushing his way over the line.

The match will be underway here at the Oil Search National Football Stadium.

Bland Abavu will now shift to the wing in place of Junior Rau who is sick.

The SP Hunters will also be without the services of the injured Junior Rop.

Dilbert Isaac takes his position at lock.

Hunters coach, Michael Marum said the final 18 will be confirmed at the Captain’s Run this Saturday. 

The Hunters, along with the Redcliffe Dolphins and the CQ Capras, currently sit at the bottom of the ladder, having only won a match each.

The Hunters desperately need to win matches to stay within range of the top 8 for a chance to make the finals with 16 rounds of football remaining.

The PNG side will have to shake off the loss quickly as they take on third-placed Burleigh Bears on Thursday at Pizzey Park in the Gold Coast.

The Hunters looked frustrated as they were unable to chase down the Jets who scored five tries to deliver another blow to the Hunters campaign.

It was tit-for-tat in the opening minutes before the Jets centre, Rogan Dean, beat Brendon Gotuno to cross over in the 9^th minute for a converted try to lead 6-0.

Three minutes later, Hunters’ Brendan Nima scored after Joe Joshua ran off a second man play to attract two defenders to find Nima.

Ase Boas missed for a 6 – 4 score line.

Their 28-10 victory at McIndoe Park, in Emerald, ensured the boys left the fourteenth rung behind in the Intrust Super Cup competition.

The SP Hunters came out firing from the start, making up for the missed opportunities from their first five matches.

Though it was the Capras' 500th Intrust Super Cup game, the PNG boys left no stone unturned as they put points on the scoreboard in the first 10 minutes of the round 6 match.

The Hunters ran in five tries to the Capras’ two to take the win in front of a vocal Hunters crowd that turned up at the McIndoe Park in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.

The Hunters opened the scoring through Brendan Gotuno off a Woods Kawage grubber in front of the Capras line to take a 4 – 0 lead in the 10^th minute.

The Capras replied six minutes later when five-eighth Maipele Morseu ran past flimsy defence to score to take the lead 6 – 4.

The Tigers defeated the Hunters 30-14 at Langlands Park, Brisbane, on Saturday.

Overeagerness by the PNG side gave rise to unnecessary errors and penalties, opening the door for the Tigers to stroll through.

The Hunters have won four out of nine meetings against the Falcons, one of them being the famous last minute grand final win more than a year ago.

Justin Olam will face the Hunters for the fifth time in his career since joining the Melbourne Storm feeder club in 2017.

The SP Hunters, who are underdogs coming into this match, were the victors in their last match in Round 16 beating the Falcons 24-12.

The Hunters will be testing out a new halves combination and spine combination following the two opening round losses.