HUNTERS FORUM

Getting better, that’s all that matters
I’m a diehard Hunters fan.
Thank you to the Hunters for the huge effort put in the Round 3 game against the Falcons.
It was your win but you gave it away. Other than the losses, the team is getting better and the standard is slowly getting higher.
We will win at home I’m sure but I just wish we could also have some away wins.
All the best in the coming game.

Francis Ifiango Awaiato
Bushwara, 9-Mile, NCD

Manu’s tips for success
Losing five consecutive games is a big learning curve for the players and coaching staff.

Here are my suggestions on what I think is missing or what can be incorporated into the team’s preparation that could help the team get back on track:

1. Aggression
Aggression comes in two aspects: physical and mental.
Physical aggression is our trade mark the world rugby league community knows and fears. Run hard and tackle Hard. Now, this element of the game is not really there. Nobody is running hard and tackling hard, with intent. No one stands out at all accept maybe Junior Rop and more recently Baundo Aba and Dilbert Isaac. The rest are being nice guys. In the first three or four seasons in the comp, the aggression was there. We saw many line breaks coming from hard running and brutal defence as a result gaps opened up, overlaps were created and scoring wasn’t a problem.

2. Mental strength
Mental strength is the cornerstone for success. In the last five games, it shows clearly that the players are not mentally there yet. They need to have that rulership mentality; that the game is theirs for the taking; that they can rise to the challenge no matter what the opposition does. A win at-all-costs mind set. The players and the coach need to be ruthless.

3. Advice to Marum and coaching staff
Don’t focus too much on modernising our game and sacrifice our trade mark physicality and aggression. Remember that physical approach was what won us the title. Don’t lose it. That’s your foundation and you should build on it other techniques and elements that can be added to the mix. You take out aggression to adapt to the QRL style will only benefit the opposition.
Simply put, always blend our natural style of PNG footy with the other aspects.

4. Advise to the players
There seems to be lack of pride in the team which is not a good look. Believe in yourselves and know that eight million plus people are behind you so go for broke. Just believe in yourselves.

5. No excuses
Don’t give excuses that the team is new and bonding will take time. That will only work for X number of games but after a while fans will start to question your desire and commitment. The team has been developed, prepared and has followed a tried and tested programme and on top of that this is PNG, every player has a history of rugby league in their life stories. It’s not new. We need results. The fans deserve something to go with the effort. We want success.
Challenge and the onus is on the coaching team.

Manu Nambax,
Port Moresby

Inferior Hunters
After watching the game between the Hunters and the East Tigers I must admit our Hunters are no way near to their best like the previous Hunters. I can understand the Hunters a currently going through a rebuilding process however failing to register a win after four rounds is surely a worrying sign. I am no way near the expert coach Michael Marum is but from a follower’s perspective our halves lack the cohesion and the composure to execute plays when it matters the most. There is no direction in the game, every player seem to be playing for himself. The Hunters cannot win a game alone with sheer strength however put together strength, brains and team effort and I believe that is a winning combination. I would like the Hunters halves to inject themselves into the game instead of waiting for the last play option, demand the ball and run it, kick it, pass it, take control, communicate and continuously test the defence and hopefully they can start winning games. Hunters play better when the ball starts flowing from one end to another. C’mon Hunters we are better than this.

Hunters Fan
POM

Stop the “Kar Bump” style
Like all other PNG supporters who have been very vocal and supportive of the Hunters, I’d like to make a comment on the style of play especially in the forwards.
We seem to be playing the “KAR BUMP” style where we tend to run at the hardest point of the defensive line instead of running smarter lines and looking for weak links to exploit. It’s hard to test a defence when you make it easy for them to know where the threat is coming from and where it’s going. In this day and age, forwards are smart and can recognise where best to run and that support play adds to the offence and keeps the defence guessing.
This “KAR BUMP” style cannot work as a plan on its own but as part of something more. It should only be a part of a bigger, wider game plan.
It’s so boring seeing a single Hunters forward doing carries without any teammates backing up.
Thanks.

Charles
New Ireland

Hunters should’ve played trial
Before we get too comfortable with the Hunters lineup, I have a suggestion for the Hunters.
Can we organise a trial between the Hunters and the Diciel Cup champions or a Digicel Cup XIII over the preseason? The result would give us an indication of how good the Hunters team are. The trial could even be an opportunity for Digicel Cup players to impress Michael Marum.
I believe that match would only benefit the Hunters and even the Digicel Cup players.

Jeremy Jeffery Leah
Port Moresby