Hunters on a roll

Sports

THE SP PNG Hunters registered their third straight win in the Q-Cup with a gutsy 12-8 victory over the Townsville Blackhawks yesterday.
In front of 9766 fans at the National Football Stadium, in Port Moresby, Stanton Albert marked his return to the team with a try in the 64th minute, which turned out to be the match winner in the round 12 fixture.
The defending premiers went into the match minus captain and playmaker Ase Boas, who was a late withdrawal with dengue fever, but kept the high-flying Blackhawks grounded with a gritty defensive effort that saw the visitors contained for the majority of the match.
The tense clash was also punctuated by the sin-binning of Blackhawks prop Rod Griffin,  after a scuffle between the 31-year-old Kumul forward and Hunters fullback Adex Wera mid-way through the second half.
Despite trailing 4-0 at halftime, thanks to a try by Blackhawks centre Ty Carucci in the 15th minute, the home side’s almost airtight goal line defence and individual efforts by winger Junior Rau and Albert in the second 40 saw the Hunters retain the Air Niugini Kokoda Cup.
Rau’s effort in particular was impressive with the Western Highlander, breaking through a stacked Townsville line on his 40m line and unfurling a right foot step on fullback Zachary Santo before shrugging off No.6 Jaelen Feeney to crash over next to the post.
The win saw the Hunters improve a spot on the ladder moving to ninth place on 12 points, four points outside the top four.
“I think our senior players did very well, they stepped up without our captain Ase Boas and we finally got the two competition points,” Coach Michael Marum said.
“I think overall we defended well and our completion rate was good so credit to the boys.
“Wartovo Puara struggled a bit at five-eighth but overall it was team effort and it’s great to have another win.”
The visitors scored the last try of the game with winger Kalifa Fafaifai-Loa picking up the scraps to score a four-pointer in the 79th minute after a botched clean up by reserve back Brendon Gotuno.
Marum said his side had opportunities to apply sustained pressure on the Blackhawks line but were thwarted by great defence from the visitors as well as their own handling.
“We had some good opportunities but we just didn’t make use of them,” Marum added.
PNG Hunters 12 (Junior Rau, Stanton Albert tries; Watson Boas 2 con) Townsville Blackhawks 8 (Ty Carucci, Kalifa Faifai Loa tries)
Rd 12 Results: Sat, May 26 – Redcliffe Dolphins 20 CQ Capras 14, Burleigh Bears 20 Mackay Cutters 10, Northern Pride 29 Norths Devils 10; Sun, May 27 – Tweed Heads Seagulls 18 Sunshine Coast Falcons 12, Souths Logan Magpies 34 Ipswich Jets 18, Wynnum Manly Seagulls 16 Easts Tigers 54.