Capras’ PNG recruits shine

THE Central Queensland Capras unleashed their Papua New Guinean contingent on the SP Hunters to great effect in Saturday’s preseason trial with Samuel Yegip and Bob Tenza scoring tries to help their side win 20-12.
The Rockhampton side came to Port Moresby with a squad featuring five PNG players, two of whom were former Hunters in Nixon Putt and Yegip, with Zev John, former Mendi Muruks and Lae Tigers flyer Bob Tenza, and Hela Wigmen prop Valentine Culligan all getting game time at the Santos National Football Stadium.
Yegip was used as a battering ram against the Hunters defence and his consistent effort in denting the home side’s line resulted in a try in the 54th minute of a match played in quarters.
Tenza scored an acrobatic try on the Hunters’ left edge at the end of the third quarter (60th min) to deliver the one-two punch that put the visitors’ ahead 14-8 heading into the final frame of a fixture that had attracted around 2,000-plus fans.
The Stanley Tepend-coached side had things under control after the first two quarters to lead 8-4 despite conceding the first score to Capras No.2 Tom Farr off an assist by back-rower Zev John in the 21st minute. The Hunters hit back with two impressive four-pointers in the 32nd and 40th minutes to delight home fans; winger Siki Konden had enough pace to run 90-metres when he grabbed an intercept 10m off his line after replacing Solo Wane to give his team their first points.
Fullback Morea Morea bamboozled several Capras defenders with a solo effort out of dummy-half close to the line when he jinked and weaved his way over to cap off a solid first 40 by the hosts.
Worryingly, neither try was converted with half Jamie Mavoko wayward off the tee.
Despite the loss, coach Tepend said he was satisfied with the effort overall as it had shown him what they needed to focus on as they prepared for their 2023 Hostplus Cup season opener against new side Western Clydesdales in Toowoomba on March 12.
“I’m pleased with the effort shown in certain areas and I think we ticked a lot of boxes,” Tepend said after the eight-point loss.
“The score doesn’t really matter to us. It would have been good to have the win but its first time for lot of boys in this sort of atmosphere so we’ll take a lot out of this game and concentrate on round one.
“We will go back and speak on areas that we need to improve on before our first game against the Western Clydesdales.”
The second half saw both sides open up their offensive efforts and Capras, who finished fifth after the regular season in 2022 and made it to the second week of the finals, showed their composure against an inexperienced Hunters squad with strapping No.7 Jack Madden guiding his side’s sets.
Yegip and Tenza’s four-pointers pushed the visitors to a six-point lead and then nippy winger Brandon Roberts gobbled down a Mavoko cut-out to sprint 80m to the Hunters uprights with winger Liam Joseph in pursuit to stretch the lead to 20-8 in the 64th minute.
Hunters centre Benji Kot got the final try of the afternoon to give his side a glimmer of hope in the 72nd minute. The former back-rower latched onto a pass from Judah Rimbu and sliced through a sliding Capras defence to score the consolation try. The Hunters’ best were centre Rodrick Tai, props Henry Wan and Tom Moide, and utility Sonny Wabo.
PNG Hunters 12 (Siki Konden, Morea Morea, Benji Kot tries) CQ Capras 20 (Tom Farr, Samuel Yegip, Bob Tenza, Brandon Roberts tries; Trey Browne 2 con).