Preseason

Finishing outside the top 6 last year 2023 has again challenged the Central Dabaris Board management and playing group to get back to the process and re-focus on what worked for them last year and where they need to improve to be better in 2024.

With some decent offseason recruitments apart from drawing emerging talents from their development pathway program Eda Dabaris to add to their core group from last season now in preseason training.

Puara Jnr’s team had the last laugh at the Santos National Football Stadium on Saturday, with Team White prevailing 22-10 at full-time.

The much anticipated Hunters inter trial was a culmination of two grueling months of pre-season training which started back in Nov-Dec 2023. 

An initial squad of 34 players has been announced in the interim to kick-start the preseason program this week.

60 per cent of the playing group are from the 2022-2023 playing roster while the balance of the squad is either new or returning.

The Gurias also announced a new coaching staff to take charge of the team in 2024.

Gurias legend and former assistant coach Jessie Alunga has been elevated to the Gurias top job as head coach while inaugural Sepik Pride coach and former Gurias trainer Joe Bruno returns to the fold as Alunga’s Assistant Coach.

He puts his best foot forward, hoping for a call-up to the Hunters' final 30-man squad for the 2024 QRL Season.

Following the footsteps of big brother and former Hunter Warren Glare, Finley  has had a fairytale start to his young rugby league career, headlined by his debut for the PNG Junior Kumuls against the Australian School Boys in September, last year.

After making a transition from rugby union to rugby league in 2020, young Koi played at the semi-professional level with Muruks and Vipers before joining up with the Gurias in the season 2023. Koi’s move to rugby league was inspired by his childhood idols, Glen Nami and Nigel Hukula from the Lahanis.

He said he used to idolize former Goroka Lahanis legends when growing up. They inspired him to take up rugby league.

They currently have 36 players in camp vying for spots in the final PNG Hunters 30-man squad for the 2024 QRL Hostplus season.

Pressure is now mounting on the players to put their best foot forward to impress the coaching staff before the final squad list is announced this week.

Coach Paul Aiton and his staff have organized opposed sessions for the past two weeks to assess and recap on what the boys have learnt since block one started in terms of structure, game management and execution which is starting to come together.

The workshop was for trainers in PNGNRLC for season 2023, also in attendance was trainers Gure and Josiah. While franchise game development officials Norris and Gomara attended the MySideline data collection workshop.

MySideline is a competition and participant member system that services clubs and associations (includes schools) for the organization of rugby league participants.

The preseason which will run for 3 weekends will field U19 Boys, Open Men and Open Women teams.

CRU Match Coordinator Petero Kilori was at Bava Park nice and early to organize match officials and coordinate the matches throughout the day.

Kilori said every year they kick off preseason with 7s games. However due to a slight delay to the start of the new season, they have decided to run with 15s preseason first and then continue into season proper in the first week of April.

The Hunters trial matches were organized and played using the tri-series format. Hunters played Port Moresby Vipers in the first half and then took on the Gulf Isou in the second half.

While Hunters Head Coach Stanley Tepend and assistant Paul Aiton, watched from the sideline, yesterday’s trials gives them a better perspective of players skill level, how they work through their set pieces in attack and their defensive system, likewise game structure and staying consistent under fatigue was also crucial especially competing at the QRL level.

Into his second year in the Hostplus Cup, 24-year-old Rodrick Tai who is one of the four Kumul players that joined the Dolphins,ran out onto the field, and managed to score a try for the Dolphins.

Before the trial, Tai stated that last year was a big year for him.

“To make the Hunters squad, play a lot of games, then go to the World Cup and to get to come here, it’s been a very big year. I’m just stoked. I cannot believe it. It’s been good”.