We didn’t turn up: Coach

THE SP PNG Hunters suffered their first loss of the season going down 26-14 to the Northern Pride on Saturday.
Hunters coach Michael Marum said his side simply had not “turned up” and admitted his men took on a determined opposition at Barlow Park in Cairns.
“We didn’t turn up at all,” a disappointed Marum said upon returning to Port Moresby yesterday.
“Our first half was poor. We let them get out to a lead and had to play catch up all day.”
Marum said being successful in the Q-Cup was about competing well “week in, week out”.
“There are no easy games in this competition. You have to turn up week in, week out.”
Despite missing four of their best including Todd Carney in the Round 2 Intrust Super Cup match, the home side raced to an 18-0 lead shortly after halftime before surviving an attempted comeback from the visitors.
“They didn’t have Todd Carney and a few other senior guys but their replacements stepped up,” Marum added.
Both sides made multiple errors in a sloppy opening 20 minutes, but the Pride spent much of it camped on the attack after Hunters fullback Adex Wera twice fumbled cleaning up grubber kicks.
“Adex shifted midway through the game to the centres when Stargroth (Amean) came in to fullback. We tried to spark something in the second half but things didn’t work out.”
Shawn Bowen and Murray Taulagi both missed chances to get the home side on the board, bundled into touch in either corner before they finally capitalised.
Enari Tuala made a 50m break down the right side before the ball went coast-to-coast on the next play for left winger Bowen to score in the 18th minute.
A Jake Clifford conversion made it 6-0 and he added a penalty goal in the 32nd minute to take his side to an eight-point lead.
The following set the Hunters tried to keep a 40/20 attempt in play, putting Amean under huge pressure from Pride centre Brett Anderson.
It forced another error and the Bowen dived on the crumbs for his second try.
Clifford made no mistake from out wide once again and remarkably the Pride took a 14-0 lead into halftime. They invited the visitors back in it on the first tackle with a penalty for an incorrect play the ball and the Hunters looked to have scored from a kick but were called back for off-side.
On the back of that set, the Pride increased their lead when Murray Taulagi crashed over in the 45th minute.
PNG finally got into the game in the 54th minute when reserve hooker Charlie Simon burrowed over from dummy-half in the 53rd minute, but a missed conversion from Ase Boas meant they still had a mountain to climb from 18-4 down.
It became a little less steeper eight minutes later when Boas took advantage of three consecutive sets in attack to dance through and score under the posts.
The Pride halted the momentum despite kicking out on the full from the corresponding restart, launching two attacking raids and it was Nathan Wales who sealed the game with a 68th minute try.
Butler Morris scored a consolation try for the Hunters in the 75th minute before Clifford added another penalty goal to complete a 12-point win.
Marum said lock Adam Korave was the only injury concern with a concussion and would be assessed during the week.
Northern Pride 26 (Shawn Bowen 2, Murray Taulagi, Nathan Wales tries; Jake Clifford 3 con, 2 pen) PNG Hunters 14 (Charlie Simon, Ase Boas, Butler Morris tries; Ase Boas con)
Round 2 Results: Sat, March 17 – Ipswich Jets 20 Townsville Blackhawks 18, Burleigh Bears 25 Redcliffe Dolphins 12, Northern Pride 26 PNG Hunters 14, Central Queensland Capras 16 Norths Devils 36; Sun, March 18 – Wynnum Manly Seagulls 22 Sunshine Coast Falcons 23, Easts Tigers 26 Mackay Cutters 24, Souths Logan Magpies 28 Tweed Heads Seagulls 10. – Cairns Post