Hunters succumb to 5th loss despite bright start

THE SP PNG Hunters slumped to their fifth loss of the season, going down to the Norths Devils 28-6 on Saturday night.
Despite a bright opening quarter by coach Michael Marum’s men which saw the Hunters put the Devils on the backfoot and yielded an Ase Boas penalty goal and a try to wing Brendon Gotuno, pictured, for a 6-0 lead, the home side went up a gear scoring 22-unanswered points through centre Henry Penn, fullback Jayden Baker, wing Herbie Farnsworth and five-eighth Jack Ahearn at Bishop Park, Brisbane.
The Hunters had no answer for the Devils tactics of short high restarts and kick-offs which saw them regain possession while their variety in attack proved a problem for the visitors to handle.
The Devils high tempo and at times unconventional style, reminiscent of the Ipswich Jets, saw the Hunters struggle to keep up resulting in penalties for offside and being inside the 10-metres.
Despite putting in a better defensive effort in the second 40 minutes, the Hunters were unable to trouble the scorers as the hosts defended their line capably and shut down anything Boas and halves partner Justin Yoka could come up with.
Hunters’ props Dilbert Isaac and Baundo Aba brought aggression and intent while Boas tried hard to provide the spark in attack but lacked support from the spine.
Ultimately, it was the Devils’ ability to play smarter football and execute their plays with precision that saw them win by a comfortable margin with wing Paul Ulberg grabbing a four-pointer in the final minute highlighting their dominance.
The Hunters remain at the bottom of the ladder after the weekend and have another tough away game against the Central Queensland Capras in Rockhampton on Saturday. Norths Devils 28 (Henry Penn, Jayden Baker, Herbie Farnsworth, Jack Ahearn, Paul Ulberg tries; Farnsworth 4 con) PNG Hunters 6 (Brendon Gotuno try; Ase Boas pen).
Results: Rd 5 – Fri, April 5 – Townsville 6 Mackay 20; Sat, April 6 – Sunshine Coast 50 Pride 10, Redcliffe 12 Ipswich 20, Norths 28 Hunters 6; Sun, April 7 – Easts 44 Capras 12, Tweed Heads 6 Wynnum Manly 36, Souths Logan 22 Burleigh 38.