The SP PNG Hunters won the match against Ipswich Jets on Saturday at Santos National Football Stadium. This was a back-to-back win for the Hunters on their home ground in Round 8 of the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) Hostplus Cup. The SP Hunters had a 40-28 lead over the Jets, despite the Jets' commendable effort.
The Hunters' territorial dominance forced the Jets to make multiple errors as a result, giving the Hunters the advantage to score almost every time. In the second half, the Hunters changed positions because Siki Konden sustained a shoulder injury causing them to switch up their game.
PNG Hunters Coach Stanley Tepend said “Siki sustained the injury 10 minutes before halftime and couldn’t return in the second half. Fortunately, we have someone as versatile as Judah Rimbu on the bench. He was pushed to half while Sakias Komati was pushed to the centre, Tai moved to the wings.
Hunters captain, Ila Alu also commented that he was proud of the team’s effort. He was delighted with the players' adaptability and responsibility.
Ipswich's captain, on the other hand, reported that his team was also improving.
"We started well then stayed in the game longer and tougher than we had been. However, if we can’t hold the ball, it's harder to win. I guess Hunter's tactics have changed since we last played. They can get to the middle and shift the ball around more, making it harder to defend.”
This week, Hunter will travel down to Townsville, Australia on Thursday to take on the Mendi Blackhawks on Friday for Round 9. The two teams have played head-to-head 13 times, and Hunter has won 7 of them.
The previous meeting was on 13th May, 2022, which ended with a 42-20 Hunters score.
"This game is critical for us, especially after this short time off," said Stanley. "Hopefully we will carry the winning spirit to Townsville. We won last year, so we will try again this year," he concluded.
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