Hunters performance

I SHARE some analytical suggestions with the rugby league world regarding the performance of the PNG Hunters of late in the hope of improving our performance in the coming years.
Since the establishment of our representative team in the Queensland Intrust Super Cup competition, we have done well by elevating the QRL status by, being a formidable team in the competition, exporting clubs around the world and improving our own style of play at home.
The current performance by our PNG Hunters can be accepted since our stand out players are being drafted overseas each year due to their good performance. By doing so, we must return to the drawing board to organise a new team each year, therefore the following are some suggestions I would like to present.
Our very own coach Michael Marum will by now contemplate taking a back step (if he has not done so yet), and why not?
Marum deserves a memorable thank you from us all after achieving wonderful results for both the PNG Hunters and the PNG Kumuls.
While I notice Glen Nami being included on the coaching team, I would like to suggest we also include Stanley Tepend and recall Mark Mom to be on the coaching team.
These wonderful coaches can sort themselves out as to who coaches what function in the preparation of our players in the years to come.
For player positioning, history has always shown us that the full back position has been dominated by Lahanis players in the likes of Ipisa Wanega (Western), David Buko (Morobe), Oliver John (EHP), Adex Wera (Chimbu-EHP) and Noel Zeming (Morobe) while the centres have been dominated by our Chimbu boys like Bal Numapo, Noah Cool and now Justin Olam.
Our forwards have been provided by Western Highlands in Philip Ralda, Joe Tapo and Raymond Karl. Pockets of our regions that contribute good players include Chuave, Henganofi and Bundi who have always provided our national team with formidable forwards and it is good to see we now have Jiwaka, Mendi, Hela and Enga producing good forwards.
My countrymen from NGI have a wonderful style of football to complement missing links between positions and I see combining Gurias players and Lahanis players in the back line would certainly yield good results.
I would like to believe a back line in our future national team is to be made up mostly of players who can be from any part of the country but if these kids grew up and played rugby in either Goroka or Kokopo these kids would no doubt perform wonders in the back line.
I have yet to see in modern PNG rugby league a replacement for Sam Karara with his shallow grubber, duck under swinging arms, and gather behind the defense but before the full back and a supporting player on either of his side scores.
I have yet to also see a replacement for the late John Markam who hits the defense with the ball well protected at his chest, spins around and offload to an advancing forward.
These are styles we do not see anymore.
While it is good to see young Terry Wapi coming well at full back, I believe this guy is half back prospect.
Just as I predicted Noel Zeming in our game against Vipers in Port Moresby in 2010 coming from 22-nil in the first half and beating the Vipers 24-22 at full time.
An analytical mind would enable selectors to continually scout particular regions with proven past records to identify, at an early stage, potential players for specific positions.
And we must do it with a good coaching staff to achieve wonderful results in three years’ time.

Gerard