Younger Boas in doubt

By ISAAC LIRI
PNG Hunters halfback Watson Boas is in doubt for Sunday’s crucial round 21 clash against the Souths Logan Magpies at Davies Park in Brisbane, says coach Michael Marum.
Boas, who has been instrumental for the Hunters attack, playing all games since round one, came down with a fever after their 20-10 win over the Burleigh Bears last Sunday.
The club’s medical team is monitoring the 24-year-old’s progress over the next 48 hours before advising Marum.
If Boas, the younger brother of captain Ase Boas, is ruled out the options for the No.7 jersey will most likely see Charlie Simon promoted to the halves with Gahuna Silas slotting onto the bench to be the reserve dummy-half.
“There are no major injuries so the team from last Sunday has been retained but Watson came down sick on Monday but hopefully he recovers before Friday because that’s when we travel out,” Marum said.
“Watson got a fever after the game on Sunday, I haven’t seen him today but our medical stuff checked up on him and advised me so he hasn’t trained yet this week.
“In the meantime, Watson is just resting and taking it easy, but if our medical team advises that he sits out this weekend then obviously we have other options to fill in at halfback with Charlie Simon coming into the starting side.”
Marum spoke of this weekend’s game as a crucial one which they had to win in order to stay on course for the finals but they would need to beat an equally desperate Magpies side, who were coming off a close lose to the Townsville Blackhawks.
“We’ve lost to the Magpies only once in our five years in the Q-Cup, and that was this year in round seven,” Marum said.
“They beat us up here at home and it was disappointing but then we have a good record against them down there, we’ve never lost there, so that’s something we can take with us and we’ll be looking for payback, but they’ll be tough.”
Marum singled out his rookie backs Edene Gabbie and Junior Rau as players that had stepped up in the last few games and he was hoping they would grasp the opportunity to perform in a high stakes game.
In the forwards, Marum spoke highly of bench forwards Mckenzie Yei, Dilbert Isaac and Ila Alu who had played their roles well over the last two matches by coming on and maintaining the intensity and keeping the pressure on the opposition in defence and on attack.
“Our bench guys have done a great job backing up our starting six and that’s what we need.
“It’s good when you’ve got guys like Moses Meninga, Stanton Albert, Enoch Maki, Nixon Putt and Willie Minoga going ahead and then our bench comes on and keep it up,” Marum added.
SP Hunters: 1. Edene Gabbie 2. Junior Rau 3. Thompson Teteh 4. Adex Wera 5. Brendon Gotuno 6. Ase Boas (c) 7. Watson Boas 8. Enoch Maki 9. Wartovo Puara Jr 10. Moses Meninga 11. Willie Minoga 12. Nixon Put 13. Stanton Albert; Interchange: 14. Charlie Simon 15. Ila Alu 16. McKenzie Yei 17. Dilbert Isaac 18. Butler Morris 19. Patrick Morea 20. Gahuna Silas.