Church focuses on speed

SP PNG Hunters coach Matthew Church says a priority for the team in the off season will be building speed in the pace of the game following the introduction of the six again rule which will be used in the Intrust Super Cup (ISC) next year.
Church said the pace of rugby league in Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) competition was the standard the team would be working towards while incorporating a smarter approach to their 2021 season.
“I think we need to look to the NRL, anyone that watched the State of Origin would have noticed how quick it was and how much the ball was in play,” he said.
“The game is getting quicker.
“There’s not a lot of stoppages so it’s about teaching our guys to play like that.
“It’s about playing at the advantage line and playing a bit smarter and being able to play on the front foot.
“The new six-again rule is going to be adopted to the ISC next year so we have to adjust to that.
“It’s going to be a huge step up to the way the game is played and we need to up-skill our guys in a short amount of time.”
Church also pointed out that the Digicel Cup’s standard of the game was different to the game played in Australia which he said would take time for new players to transition into.
Church added that speed was one of the determining factors for his selection of the 37-man train-on squad who would be going into camp this Sunday to start preparations for the 2021 ISC season.