I had to show the team I was not losing focus: Boas

By MELTON PAIS
SP PNG Hunters captain Ase Boas made a decision during the Q-Cup grand final last Sunday that showed just how committed he was to the cause.
Younger brother Watson was knocked out making a tackle in the 75th minute on a Sunshine Coast Falcons chaser and lay motionless on the Suncorp Stadium turf but Ase did not come over to check on him instead leaving it to teammates and medical personnel to attend to the 23-year-old halfback.
Boas explained his actions during the tense final as one needed to keep the team focused on winning the match.
They trailed 10-6 but had been repelled by the Falcons on several occasions and time was running out.
“We had to stay positive even though we were trailing. I had to show the team that we could still win even though time was running out,” Boas said on arrival back in Port Moresby on Monday.
“We were dropping a lot of ball and making mistakes but the message was to stay positive and keep trying.
“When Watson was knocked out that really affected me, as his brother, but I had to keep the team together and show them that we could still win.
“So I stood my ground and kept talking to the boys to show them that I was not losing my focus even though my brother was being carried off. I wanted to send a message to my guys, and the Falcons, that we were still going to play on,” the 28-year-old said.
Boas said he thought it was important not to get emotional or lose focus inspite of what had happened to Watson because the game was not over yet.
The Hunters went on to win 12-10.