Tries flow again for Hunters

THE Papua New Guinea Hunters  ended the 2016 regular season with a morale-boosting 34-4 win over the Sunshine Coast Falcons yesterday.
In front of a crowd of approximately 8000, Michael Marum’s men scored six tries, with captain Noel Zeming kicking five from six, to comprehensively beat the Falcons at the National Football Stadium after two losses on the trot.
The victory coupled with other results from Round 25 in the Intrust Super Cup means the South Pacific Brewery-backed Hunters host the Falcons again on Sunday at the NFS in the opening week of the finals.
The Hunters kept their perfect 2016 record at home intact with the 30-point win and are warm favourites to win their first finals match after demoralising Craig Ingebrigsten’s men in an entertaining clash.
Prop Enock Maki bulldozed his way over the line in the 10th minute to get the ball rolling courtesy of a hooker Gahuna Silas inside ball.
Centre Justin Olam blasted through a faint gap in the Falcons line to score the first of his two tries thanks to a Wartovo Puara Jr face ball as the Hunters took a 12-0 lead to the sheds.
Olam and co-captain Adam Korave, however, could be in trouble with the QRL judiciary after separate incidents of dangerous play.
Korave flipped Falcons Alex Bishop and the five-eighth landed awkwardly on his head and neck in the first half while Olam was penalised for a 53rd minute shoulder charge on centre Callum Klein.
Nippy rake Silas scooted 25m down the right flank to score after cutting back in to take a Stargroth Amean pass in eight minutes into the second stanza.
Puara was the second little man to bamboozle the Falcons defence after he sold several dummies on a 40m run to the line with three quarters of the match gone.
Fullback Bland Abavu used his tall frame to reach over and slam the ball down with seven minutes left on the clock while Olam benefited from an Ase Boas break to get his second four-pointer of the afternoon.
Falcons winger Tommy Tumusa scored a consolation try just before  full time to break the egg.
The home side’s best were Silas, Maki, Olam, Boas, Puara and back-rower Brandy Peter. For the Falcons, Bishop, Tumusa and prop Jacob Samoa had solid games.
Hunters 34 (Enock Maki, Justin Olam 2, Gahuna Silas, Wartovo Puara Jr, Bland Abavu tries; Noel Zeming 5 con) Falcons 4 (Tommy Tumusa try).
Results: Rd 25 – Sat Aug 27: CQ Capras 16 Northern Pride 30, Redcliffe Dolphins 74 Tweed Heads Seagulls 6;  Sun, Aug 28: Wynnum Manly Seagulls 16 Ipswich Jets 28, Easts 48 Mackay Cutters 20, Burleigh Bears 30 Souths Logan Magpies 18, Norths Devils 22 Townsville Blackhawks 48, PNG Hunters 34 Sunshine Coast Falcons 4.