Hunters clarify ‘Phins deal

By PARKER TAMBUA
THE SP PNG Hunters have clarified that the pathway partnership agreement with the Dolphins does not guarantee that two Papua New Guinea players would be given development contracts at the end of every preseason.
Hunters chief executive Scott Barker told The National yesterday that the agreement signed between the new National Rugby League (NRL) club last year and the Queensland Cup side stated that two Hunters players would only be selected if Dolphins recruiters considered them ready for NRL.
Initially when the partnership was signed in 2022, the NRL club made it clear in their media release that two Hunters players were guaranteed a full season training contract with the side.
Attempts to get comments from Dolphins officials were unsuccessful.
The first batch of Hunters players that participated in the Dolphins first ever preseason training were Judah Rimbu, Rodrick Tai, Sherwin Tanabi and Emmanuel Waine (Waine departed for England).
Waine left to join the London Broncos in the English second division during Dolphins preseason training while the trio (Rimbu, Tai and Tanabi) completed their eight weeks with the Dolphins. The trio were released back to Hunters at the end of February with the Phins opting not to keep any of the Hunters.
“The Dolphins strategic pathway partnership was designed as a way to get more Hunters and PNG rugby league players exposed to NRL systems,” Barker explained about the partnership.
“Four players attended preseason as planned. A maximum of two would only be kept on all year only if the Dolphins officials thought they were immediately ready for NRL.
“At this point in time they asked all our boys to go back and perform well for the Hunters and if needed they would bring them back during the season if the need arises.
“Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett spoke to all the players before they departed and challenged them to maintain the high standards they had set while down training with them.”