Hunters back in training

By MELTON PAIS
PAPUA New Guinea Hunters coach Michael Marum will name his final 28-man squad for the 2018 season tomorrow and the squad will be announced next week by the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League board.
Marum said his initial 44-man preseason squad were reduced to 31 and he would cut a further three for the 2018 Intrust Super Cup season.
“We’ll reduce the squad to 28 for the Q-Cup and the rest of the players will be released to play in the Digicel Cup,” Marum said.
“It’s been a tough three weeks of preseason training for the boys. Thr first two weeks after the Christmas break and then this last week with Kato’s (Ottio) death,” Marum said.
The Hunters squad returned to training yesterday after Ottio’s burial on Wednesday.
Marum, who took his charges through a gym and field session yesterday, said it was important for the team not to lose focus on their goals for 2018.
The 44-year-old is expected to name the final 28 tomorrow and they will sign their contracts on Sunday.
Marum said he was concerned about the lack of experienced fowards with the departure of the Albert brothers and the retirement of David Loko and Esau Siune and with Henry Wan expected to restart his career in the Digicel Cup.
He said much of the responsibility would rest on the likes of Adam Korave, Moses Meninga and the new players.
“We’ve got a group of men who will have to take on the responsibility and step up because we’ve lost some experienced players.
“It’s really going to be tough but we have to manage,” Marum said.
Marum has also resisted the temptation to rush experienced players Bland Abavu and Israel Eliab back into the squad instead maintaining that the pair had to work their way back in from the Digicel Cup after missing pre-Christmas training.
Meanwhile, the Hunters are set to play the Brisbane Broncos in a preseason fixture at the National Football Stadium on Feb 24.