PETE’S PUNCHLINE

The National Sports
  • Hopefully that effort in Rockhampton was just a blip on the radar and isn’t a sign of things to come for the Hunters. The number of penalties conceded has got to be a cause for concern. You simply cannot keep handing teams cheap metres and yardage out of their half. This is where the team’s leaders need to keep the players focused on the job. The halves too needed to be a lot more decisive. Things to work on this week and to get right against the visiting Falcons on Saturday.
  • One positive to come out of the match is they didn’t miss any goals. So there’s that.
  • Oh, and one more thing, can we have a better crowd this time for the Hunters? We got barely a quarter of the stadium filled a fortnight ago, how’s about we gun for half this time round? Come on guys, we can do it. Save that beer and buai money and buy some tickets instead.
  • While that was a spectacular try scored by Xavier Coates against the Warriors over the weekend he could have easily accomplished the same result if he’d just stepped back in, you know like an old-fashioned winger. I recall him trying to do that (acrobatics) last year and nearly seriously injuring himself (his neck). It’s not worth it, Xavier. On the bright side, he’s a lock for Queensland come Origin; and on the not so bright side, fat chance playing the Kumuls.
  • I’m going to say it now so you all know where I stand on this: PNG does not derserve or need to have an NRL side (yet) despite what all the so-called experts and pundits, and fans think. Let’s keep jugging along the way we are and get the game’s foundation at home right first. We need a national junior competition at club level and among schools going; improve the standard at club and provincial level; make the inter-city cup better coaching & playing-wise and administratively; improve safety and come down hard on violence and dissent and dangerous play; build up infrastructure (Lae should have a stadium like NSF and ditto for Kokopo and Mt Hagen); and, start competing on even terms against sides like New Zealand, Australia and England. There. Do all that and we’d have EARNED the right by 2050.
  • Congratulations to Aquila Turalom for that great effort in the 3,000m steeplechase. Bettering a record that stood for half a century is pretty neat if you ask me. Hopefully we can see our top athletes continue to improve their times and compete well at major meets througout the year.
  • In the famous words of Paul Vautin, the Crusaders are gooooone!
  • The Irish claimed the Six Nations over the weekend with a win over the Scots, but it wasn’t easy by any stretch. Those Bravehearts put up a damn good fight in Dublin. – PGTP ([email protected])