Tumbe boosted with return of key personnel

WAGHI Tumbe’s key campaigners in their 2021 grand final outing against Lae Snax Tigers have returned home and are set to fire-up the side in this year’s campaign.
With less experienced Digicel ExxonMobil Cup players joining the side this season, fullback Mathew Jessie and halfback David Joseph believe the new recruits would be in a better position to expose their talent at the national level.
“They deserves to be in the squad and that’s a result of their commitment towards training and the team,” Joseph told The National.
“Bulk of the team are local boys scouted from last year’s Jiwaka’s Governors Cup. They have been playing in the local competitions in the village and the Governor’s Cup was a great exposure for them.
“These young boys need exposure at the national level and credit to the coaching management to identify them and bring them into the team. They have what it takes to be playing in the country’s premier competition.
“It’s been a successful few weeks of preseason training and trials and these boys have improved a lot. We will just guide them.
“We want bring back the team spirit to where it was back in 2021, and these boys are going to play an important role in there.”
Former Hunters Jessie Mathew said the management and the new recruits would be pinning their hopes on them to lead the team this season.
“We felt that we had a lot of responsibility at the moment given the fact that we are the experienced players in the squad and we are ready to lead the boys, showing them the best this season.”
Meanwhile head coach Baundo Abba said the return of Tumbe this season would help in identifying and developing potential players to join the Hunters.
Tumbe will announce their final 30-man squad on Friday before they take on the Central Dabaris in the season opener on Saturday at the John Amban Oval in Minj.