Stage set for tussle

The National Sports

WITH a home win and an away loss to start the 2024 Hostplus Cup season the SP PNG Hunters enter their Round 3 clash against the Sunshine Coast Falcons tomorrow aware of their shortcomings and keen to get back in the winners’ circle.
The Falcons, who were last year’s losing grand finalists, are coming off a surprise 10-30 loss at home to the Mackay Cutters and will be equally determined to get their season back on track after kicking off their campaign with a 30-24 victory over defending champions Brisbane Tigers in the first week.
For the Hunters, their third match of the year is an opportunity to work on the areas of their game that were exposed by the Central Queensland Capras last Saturday. The Hunters went down 18-38 to the Capras in Rockhampton in an error-strewn and ill-disciplined showing.
The Melbourne Storm feeder club has named a side featuring National Rugby League first grader Young Tonumaipea in the centres and centre-cum-edge forward Jack Howarth and will be captained by potent five-eighth Luke Polselli, who has an impressive 32 tries from 53 Q-Cup games.
Hunters coach Paul Aiton cut a disappointed figure following his side’s effort at Browne Park and was frank in his post-match appraisal but this week in training said the team had worked to address their weak areas ahead of tomorrow’s match.
“We’ve talked about where we went wrong last week and we are looking forward to put in a better performance in front of home crowd,” he said.
“Sunshine Coast are a quality side and we are expecting a tough game but we worry about ourselves and just try to put on a good performance.”
For the hosts, Kumuls prop Valentine Richard returns to the side after missing the Capras match, because of a visa issue, at the expense of Seal Kalo while last-round debutants Junior Talin and Manisa Kai make way for forward Robert Mathias and utility Joshua Mire.
Aiton highlighted the need for his halves to take better control of the team’s sets and singled out talented five-eighth Sakias Komati to impose himself effectively on the game.