Hunters out for payback

THE record speaks for itself. The SP PNG Hunters have beaten the Souths Logan Magpies eight times out of their last nine meetings since 2014 with the only blemish coming earlier this season in round 7 when the Hunters lost 20-12 at home to the Magpies.
That was the Magpies’ first win over the Hunters but at Davies Park in Brisbane it is a different story with the PNG side enjoying a 4-0 record there.
Sunday’s round 21 Q-Cup match in Brisbane has the Hunters, on seventh spot with 22 points, taking on the ninth-placed Magpies with both sides gunning for a finals spot.
Coach Michael Marum’s men were given a boost yesterday with halfback Watson Boas cleared to play after coming down with a bout of fever during the week.
Boas, who has played in every one of the Hunters’ 19 games this season as well as the Pacific test against Fiji, continues his partnership with brother and captain Ase Boas as they steer the side around the park and look to exact revenge for their earlier season loss to the Magpies.
Marum has named an unchanged line-up to the one that ground down the Burleigh Bears (20-10) last Sunday at the National Football Stadium with half William Mone confirmed as 18th man.
Mone, who has yet to play a game for the Hunters, is expected to be the halves cover on the bench should Watson Boas be unable to play.
In-form utility Charlie Simon would likely slot into the halves as the initial contingency.
Souths Logan, who were until two rounds ago in the top six, have named a side that features former Canberra Raiders and Brisbane Broncos hooker Travis Waddell and halfback Sam Scarlett (who has played a game for the Broncos) as well as an experienced pack led by veteran Phil Dennis, who is set to play his 272nd Q-Cup game – a record for the competition.
Souths Logan have been in patchy form of late coming off back-to-back losses to the Townsville Blackhawks (16-6 last round at home) and the Wynnum Manly Seagulls (22-10) during the Country Week to see their finals hopes take a blow.
The defending premiers, meanwhile, have a simple equation with the rush for spots five and six seeing congestion on the ladder. They must win. A loss could see the Hunters drop as low as 10th making it doubly harder to snatch a finals berth.
Heading into the weekend, the Easts Tigers (22 points) are in fifth spot, followed by the Sunshine Coast Falcons (22), the Hunters (22), Norths Devils (22), Magpies (20), Ipswich Jets (20) and Tweed Heads Seagulls (20), with all sides a chance of making the final six.
The third-placed Bears (26) and fourth northern Pride (24) are no sure bets to make the finals either with four games left in the regular season.
SP Hunters: 1. Edene Gabbie 2. Junior Rau 3. Thompson Teteh 4. Adex Wera 5. Brendon Gotuno 6. Ase Boas (c) 7. Watson Boas 8. Enoch Maki 9. Wartovo Puara Jr 10. Moses Meninga 11. Willie Minoga 12. Nixon Put 13. Stanton Albert; Interchange: 14. Charlie Simon 15. Ila Alu 16. McKenzie Yei 17. Dilbert Isaac 18. William Mone.
Rd 21 Fixtures: Sat, Aug 4 – Devils v Blackhawks, Jets v Falcons, Pride v Capras, Tigers v TH Seagulls, Dolphins v Cutters; Sun, Aug 5 – Bears v WM Seagulls, Magpies v PNG Hunters.