The SP PNG Hunters are one step away from tasting their first grand final appearance since 2017 following a gallant 24-10 victory over the Sunshine Coast Falcons in their Semi Final clash last weekend (September 8th).
Under the mentorship of former coach Michael Marum, the Hunters took the competition by storm in 2017 and bagged their maiden premiership that year against the Falcons. Since that premiership glory, the club took a downward spiral, starving to play in the finals.
Against all odds, the current crop of Hunters took it upon themselves to flip the script and break the seven-year hoodoo, which they successfully accomplished and are now 80 minutes away from booking a spot in the big dance.
Before the 2024 season started, no gave rookie coach Paul Aiton, who succeeded Stanley Tepend, a chance to lead the Hunters to the finals. With Hunters struggling to appear in the finals, Aiton was put under immense pressure to deliver.
Aiton assembled a young team alongside a few experienced players in the off-season. It was a risky move the rookie mentor took, but it paid off dividends when the Hunters surprised everyone and made it to the finals, breaking their seven-year drought.
The Western Highlander is relaxed and confident, believing that his 17-strong men will put their bodies on the line and represent PNG’s flagship team with pride and honor on Sunday.
However, the Hunters’ premiership hope now hangs in the balance, with the absence of in-form five-eight Joshua Lau, who succumbed to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last weekend.
“Finley Galre has played in that position (five-eight) before, so I think he will step up. He is young but a very good player,” Aiton commented on Glare’s positional switch to five-eight to fill in the void left vacant by injured Lau.
“Finley will come in and add his flavor. I don’t want him to play like Joshua Lau, I just want him to play like Finley. I’m sure he will stick to our game plan and play his own style of footy.”
A couple of injured players in the likes of explosive ball runner Alex Max, Clent Lama, and Jordan Pat have made their return to the squad. These three players alongside utility Joshua Mire will bring the much-needed firepower off the bench.
“I’m a bit shocked that all the players are out but as we were discussing earlier, whether we have the same or different players, we play the same way. The structure doesn’t change. The players who come in just add a different flavor,” Aiton said.
In their earlier encounter during the regular season, the SP Brewery-backed Hunters edged the Norths Devils in a gutsy 20-18 victory at Bishop Park in Brisbane. The Devils will be looking to exact revenge on the Hunters when they meet in the preliminary final.
“Our meeting with the Devils in round 17 was a really tough game. We won that match in the final seconds. We are expecting another tough game. In this new finals competition, this will probably be the hardest game,” Aiton said.
“We are just focusing on ourselves. We know the Devils are a quality team, but we are focusing on making our tackles, working on our defence, staying disciplined, and making fewer mistakes, to give ourselves a chance to win. I’m very confident for the boys.”
The 49th Independence Anniversary of PNG falls on Monday, September 16th, and Aiton expressed that a win over the Devils would be an icing on the cake for the country’s momentous occasion.
The resurrected SP PNG Hunters are poised and looking forward to meeting the Norths Devils in the 2024 Hostplus Cup Preliminary Final on Sunday, September 15th, at Bishop Park in Brisbane.
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