12 home games for Hunters

The National Sports

By PARKER TAMBUA
THE SP Hunters will play 12 home games in the 2020 Intrust Super Cup season, according to the Queensland Rugby League which released the 23-round regular season draw on Friday.
The Hunters could also host a 13th game during the regular season with the Country round (Round 19 – Sun, Aug 2) away fixture against the Tweed Heads Seagulls possibly brought to a venue outside Port Moresby, according to coach Matthew Church.


Stanley Olo (right) training with his fellow SP Hunters squad member Kevin Appo at the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby last week.

The Hunters played their last two Country round fixtures against the Easts Tigers in Wabag (2019) and the Norths Devils in Lae (2018).
The Hunters open their season against the South Logan Magpies in an away match at Davies Park in Brisbane on March 15.
Church’s men will host their first home game in round 2 (Sun, March 22) which will see the continued rivalry between the Hunters and the Townsville Blackhawks in the Air Niugini Kokoda Cup at the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
The Hunters’ Rivalry round fixture (Round 7 – Sat April 25) during the ANZAC weekend is away against the Sunshine Coast Falcons, the club they beat to win their maiden ISC premiership in 2017.
It will it be Church’s first game against his former club where he was an assistant to head coach Craig Ingebrigtsen last year.
The Mackay Cutters will host the Hunters in the Indigenous round in their round 10 (Sat, May 22) clash at BB Print Stadium in Mackay, Queensland and the round 12 fixture (Sun, June 7) will see Hunters host the Redcliff Dolphins for the annual Stan Joyce Cup.
Women in League round (Round 21 – Sun, Aug 16) will be another big test for the Hunters as they face the might of the defending premiers Burleigh Bears at Pizzey Park, Gold Coast.
QRL also confirmed that the 2020 finals series would the see top-eight format maintained. Fixtures: Rd 1 Magpies v Hunters, Rd 2 Hunters v Blackhawks, Rd 3 Hunters v WM Seagulls, Rd 4 Tigers v Hunters, Rd 5 Hunters v Pride, Rd 6 Hunters v Bears, Rd 7 Falcons v Hunters, Rd 8 Hunters v TH Seagulls, Rd 9 Jets v Hunters, Rd 10 Cutters v Hunters, Rd 11 Devils v Hunters, Rd 12 Hunters v Dolphins, Rd 13 Pride v Hunters, Rd 14 Hunters v Jets, Rd 15 Hunters v Magpies, Rd 16 Hunters v Falcons, Rd 17 Hunters v Capras, Rd 18 WM Seagulls v Hunters, Rd 19 TH Seagulls v Hunters, Rd 20 Hunters v Tigers, Rd 21 Bears v Hunters, Rd 22 Hunters v Devils, Rd 23 Blackhawks v Hunters.