Boas stars

By ISAAC LIRI

CAPTAIN Ase Boas played a leading hand in the SP Papua New Guinea Hunters 22-16 win over the Central Queensland Capras at Browne Park, Rockhampton, on Saturday night.
The 28-year-old showed why he is the club’s best playmaker, scoring two tries, setting up one and having a hand in another, while kicking two penalty goals and a conversion for a personal tally of 14 points in the opening round of the 2017 Intrust Super Cup rugby league competition.
The Hunters returned home yesterday with assistant coach Nigel Hukula saying the performance was satisfactory however there were areas that needed to be addressed.
Of concern was the defence on the Hunters right edge which had back-rower David Loko, centre Willie Minoga and winger William Aquila.
The Capras scored all their tries down that edge through wing Ken Tofilau, who scored a hat-trick, and centre Justin Tavae.
Thankfully none of the Capras kickers were able to convert their tries with hooker Krys Freeman (0/3) and five-eighth Reece Baker (0/1) both off target.
The game was also marred somewhat by the officiating on referee Nick Pelgrave, who took every opportunity to blow his whistle dishing out 25 penalties in total – Hunters 11 and Capras 14.
Hukula said the players were still getting used to their combinations and their defence would be worked on in the lead-up to their Round 2 home fixture against the Easts Tigers this Sunday.
“Our forwards drove through well in the first half gaining those hard yards but then we fell away a little through in the second half but we did well to maintain our concentration to finish off with a win,” Hukula said.
“I think the biggest challenge was trying to get the consistency with our combinations as they were many new combinations out there on Saturday.”
Hukula gave the thumbs up to the three debutants Nixon Put, Moses Meninga and Karo Kauna Junior.
He said the second half was scrappy but half-back Boas, pictured, and Minoga combined to secure victory with two minutes to go.
“We got caught out on the right edge in defence and again it’s all to do with combinations between the players playing on the edges together for the first time as it was obvious as well that our backline was pretty new, but we won’t use that as an excuse. We’ll work on that in the coming days,” Hukula said.
All Hunters players pulled through unscathed however further assessment will be done this week.
No.6 Israel Eliab was rattled by a hit by Capras prop Matt Groat in econd half.
The Hunters were first on the board through a Boas penalty goal in the 3rd minute but the home side registered the first try through Tofilau in the 8th minute.
Boas was the first to get the Hunters on the board with a penalty but the home side were first to score in with winger Ken Tofilau scoring an unconverted try for a 4-2 lead.
Boas then scored back to back tries and converted one to put the Hunters in front 12-4 at halftime.
Winger Aquila scored the try of the game three minutes into the second half off a pin-point kick into the Capras left corner just out of reach of a lunging Tofilau.
The ball sat up enough for Aquila to ground it giving the visitors a 16-4 lead after Boas missed the sideline attempt. The Capras then turned the tide with three unanswered tries – all in the same corner.
Tofilau bagged two with bustling efforts to get past opposite Aquila and centre Tavae was able to barge his way over Minoga to level the scores 16-16.
Boas kept a cool head and opted for a penalty with 11 minutes to go to give the Hunters a two-point lead.
Minoga then ran over Capras halfback Jack Madden and another defender after getting an inside ball from Boas off a scrum to run 40m to score and put the result beyond doubt.
CQ Capras 16 (Ken Tofilau 3, Justin Tavae tries) PNG Hunters 22 (Ase Boas 2, William Aquila, Willie Minoga tries; Boas con, 2 pen) at Browne Park, Rockhampton.
Results: Sat, March 4 – Sunshine Coast 7 Easts Tigers 7, Macaky Cutters 4 Northern Pride 24, CQ Capras 16 PNG Hunters 22; Sun, March 5 – Souths Logan Magpies 4 Wynnum Manly Seagulls 17, Tweed Heads Seagulls 6 Ipswich Jets 34, Norths Devils 16 Townsville Balckhawks 18.