Hunters await approval

THE SP PNG Hunters are awaiting approval from the Queensland Health Department on their chartered flight for their relocation to Brisbane for the 2021 Intrust Super Cup (ISC) season, says head coach Mathew Church.
With the squad set to depart on Sunday, Jan 31, Church said they might have to extend their stay in the country if their flight was not approved at least 72 hours in advance.
“We have to have Covid-19 tests within 72 hours of the flight and we’re still waiting on that approval on when that flight is actually going to go,” he said.
Church said if the approval was given later in the week closer to Sunday, they were likely to remain in the country in order to adhere to the protocol of being tested three days prior to travelling.
He said they would have an advantage if they travelled on a chartered flight than on a commercial flight which would require them to be quarantined in hotels upon their arrival.
“Travelling on a chartered flight helps us gain exception because if we go in a commercial flight then we’ll automatically go into hotel quarantine and you lose control when that happens,” Church said.
“If we’re randomly thrown in hotels then there’s no guarantee we’ll all be together, however, that might be the possibility too.”
He said travelling on a commercial flight would be the last resort if the charter approval did not pan out but he hoped for better.