Hunters primed

By ISAAC LIRI
WITH every game from now practically a must-win for defending champions the SP PNG Hunters, tonight’s round 15 Q-Cup clash with the Ipswich Jets becomes a crucial battle.
It could set the wheels in motion for a finals run or be a dent in coach Michael Marum’s desire to go back-to-back with premiership wins.
The away fixture at the North Ipswich Reserve kicks off at 7pm, with the stage set for both sides to decide their premiership fates.
The Hunters (9th) and the free-flowing Jets (10th) have an equal number of wins and losses (6-7), with the points differential putting the PNG side ahead on the ladder.
Marum made it clear that consistency was the key when he named his side on Tuesday keeping an unchanged 17 for the away assignment.
The Jets will provide the Hunters a different but challenging task with their penchant for changing angles and keeping the ball moving setting up attacking phases and pressurising defences.
The sides met in the season opener at the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby with the hosts shooting down the Jets 22-12 but they have since struggled for consistency.
The Hunters have won four of their last five games with the only blemish a 30-12 round 13 loss to Easts in Brisbane
The Hunters’ motto “one game at a time” could not be more apt for the team as they focus on overcoming Jets ahead of a break for the representative weekend (June 23-24) before a run of five consecutive home games at fortress Oil Search could potentially propel them into the top four.
But they cannot afford to look too far ahead as their record on the road in 2018 has been abysmal with no wins from the five games they have played so far.
It is a big ask for Marum’s men, but not impossible with key figures in the likes of fullback Adex Wera and Watson Boas in good form while fill-in captain Wartovo Puara Jr has led well.
Watson Boas has taken up the challenge of directing the sets and has been handy with the boot kicking goals and in general play.
Thankfully the younger Boas will have brother Ase coming off the bench to keep things moving.
Collectively, the side has turned the corner, after a poor start to the season, with the acquisition of key pieces in centre Thompson Teteh and Stanton Albert injecting more confidence into the playing group.
Stats wise the Hunters have more to crow about having beaten the Jets in eight of their 10 clashes so far. But Ipswich have the knack for the unpredictable and unorthodox and every game is never a foregone conclusion.
PNG fans will also get to see former Kumuls in the Pandia brothers, Sebastian and Richard, turn out for the Jets.
While not the season deciding game, a win will keep Marum’s men within striking distance of a finals berth while a loss would be slow their momentum at this critical stage.
Hunters: 1. Adex Wera 2. Junior Rau 3. Thompson Teteh 4. Willie Minoga 5. Brendon Gotuno 6. Charlie Simon 7. Watson Boas 8. Enoch Maki 9. Wartovo Puara Jr (c) 10. Stanton Albert 11. Nixon Put 12. McKenzie Yei 13. Rhadley Brawa; Reserves: 14. Ase Boas 15.Ila Alu 16. Dilbert Isaac 17. Patrick Morea 18. Moses Meninga.
Round 15 Fixtures: Fri, June 15 – Ipswich Jets v PNG Hunters; Sat, June 16 – Tweed Heads Seagulls v Norths Devils, Townsville Blackhawks v Mackay Cutters, Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Northern Pride; Sun, June 17 – Burleigh Bears v Sunshine Coast Falcons, Easts Tigers v CQ Capras, Souths Logan Magpies v Redcliffe Dolphins.