Hunters go down fighting

The SP Hunters reached halfway of the Queensland Intrust Super Cup season knowing they can mount a run to the finals after testing the high-flying Norths Devils at Bishop Park. The final 38-22 scoreline didn’t reflect the stern test that the Hunters handed out to the second-placed Devils, who led by only four points approaching the final 20 minutes of the match. A spark from Brandon Nima, who fielded a Devils kick in his in-goal in the 11th minute, ignited the Hunters’ early run today. Nima passed in the in-goal to winger Solo Wane, who raced the length of the field for the Hunters’ first points of the day. They fell behind 20-6 after 28 minutes as the Devils flexed their muscle with Broncos-listed heavyweights Ethan Bullemor, Jordan Riki and Danny Levi joining captain Jack Ahearn in an early attacking blitz.  But the Hunters answered when Riki was sin-binned with seven minutes remaining in the first half as Benji Kot (33rd minute) and Jokadi Bire (38th minute) crossed to send the Hunters to halftime trailing 20-16. The scoreline remained that way until the 58th minute when the Devils crossed, ending a period of resilience that will serve the Hunters well as they move into the second half of the season. “We always knew that the second half of our season would be better than the first given the challenges we’ve had with relocating from Papua New Guinea to Runaway Bay this season,” coach Matthew Church said.“That’s never been an excuse for us, it’s just been the acknowledgment that this is an unusual set of circumstances and we’ve always played hard. “We showed some really bright patches today. That game was a genuine contest against a team that has some NRL players.” The Hunters had to dig deep after hard-working captain Ila Alu succumbed to a head knock and was ruled out of the second half. They kept pressing the Devils and were rewarded with a 79th minute try to Keven Appo, bringing the scoreline closer to an indication of how the game flowed. Devils 38 (Tony Tumusa 2, Jack Ahearn, Connor Broadhurst, Danny Levi, Piki Rogers, Jon Reuben, Bernard Gregorius tries, Broadhurst 3 goals) beat Hunters 22 (Solo Wane, Jokadi Bire, Benji Kot, Keven Appo tries, Ase Boas 3 goals) at Bishop Park. Results: Sat, June 12 — Devils 38 Hunters 22, Blackhawks 48 Capras 16, Pride 24 Jets 22, Cutters 16 Tweed Heads 24, Dolphins 32 Bears 24; Sun, June 13 — Tigers 18 Falcons 28, Magpies 32 Wynnum Manly 29.