“pnghunters” tag's highlights of related matches, posts & more...
PNG Hunters Round 2 QRL 2021 | Gatuno Hat-trick | Highlights vs Ipswich Jets
#pnghunters #qrl #2021 Gutuno hat-trick sets up PNG triumph The PNG Hunters left behind the challenges of their pre-season when they unleashed five second half tries against Ipswich Jets to seal their first win of the Intrust Super Cup season today. The 44-22 victory included three tries to winger Brendon Gutuno as the Hunters overcame a half-time deficit in the second round match at Bycroft Oval on the Gold Coast. The reminder of COVID-19 wasn’t far away as the Hunters had to keep their distance from their delighted fans after full-time after the Queensland Rugby League introduced new protocols following the recent coronavirus case in Brisbane. But the Hunters are used to adapting to new situations after they spent 31 days in quarantine during pre-season, preventing them from playing any trial matches. “We know that our preparation had been challenging so today is a reward for the effort that our guys put in even when they were stuck in hotel rooms for a month,” Hunters coach Matt Church said post-match. “I’m really happy for the players. They’ve worked really hard and they stuck to it today even when Ipswich got some early points. "We had to find our groove and build pressure and, once we did that, we were able to put together some good back-to-back sets.” Prop Epel Kapinias provided the perfect start to the second half when he scored in the 42nd minute as the Hunters moved ahead 22-18. Kapinias had also scored in the 23rd minute as the Hunters performed well through the middle. Sylvester Namo and Emmanuel Waine also featured for the Hunters, providing valuable minutes off the interchange bench. The game moved out of the Jets’ reach when the Hunters scored three tries in nine minutes – two to Gutuno on the end of some slick ball movement before Edwin Ipape scored in the 62nd minute. The Jets struck first when hooker Kierran Moseley scored in the seventh minute. When halfback Julian Christian crossed in the 20th minute, the Jets sped to a 12-6 lead. “We had discussed our match plan and we knew the areas that we had to play well in and our players stuck with that. We really started to play Hunters football and the results came for us,” Church said. “We have to improve some of our attention to detail but that will happen as we keep working harder.” The Hunters won’t play for two weeks as the Intrust Super Cup pauses for the Easter weekend before they head north to take on the Mackay Cutters. “We’ve been through quite a bit in these first few months of the season so we’ll use this next week to freshen up and to get ourselves set for the next block of games,” Church said. “It’s been a solid start for us and we’ll keep improving into the season.”
HIGHLIGHTS | PNG HUNTERS VS MAGPIES RD 1 ISC 2020 | KVG REACTS
#pnghunters #magpies #qrl HIGHLIGHTS | PNG HUNTERS VS MAGPIES RD 1 ISC 2020 | KVG REACTS PNG HUNTERS SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES INTRUST SUPER CUP ROUND 1 2020
PNG HUNTERS WIN AT LAST (RD 23 ISC 2019)
#pnghunters #qrl Boas boots winner in Magpies v Hunters thriller The PNG Hunters were able to end their season with a win after the experience of Ase Boas shone through in their 25-24 win over the Souths Logan Magpies. In an entertaining and end-to-end match which saw both sides with nothing to lose throw the ball around; a Boas field goal in the 78th minute proved the difference in the end. Ironically, he had an off day with the boot when it came to conversions, and it was up to his halves partner Nicky Hasu to slot the last two conversions attempts. With both sides desperately wanting to end their season on a winning note, emotions were high at Davies Park – and especially so for the Magpies who farewelled two of the “nice guys of rugby league” in Shaun Fensom and Sam Tagataese. The two Broncos-contracted forwards led the Magpies out onto the field, with a large group including close family having gathered to thank Tagataese especially for his service to the game. Like their retiring team mate Brendon Gibb last weekend – both NRL-experienced players were able to post crowd-pleasing tries in their final matches for the Magpies, with Fensom’s coming in the opening minute of the game. It came after a break up the middle of the field by Manaiah Cherrington who then passed back inside to Fensom in support to get the Magpies on the board in their first set with the ball. However, the Hunters hit back almost straight away thanks to veteran back Adex Wera after some nice passing found him out wide before he fed the defenders a dummy before diving over on the right edge. It was a seesawing game, with the sides going try-for-try in the opening stages. Matt Soper-Lawler – who at the start of the game needed three tries to stand alone at the top of the leading try scorers list – started his quest with a four-pointer in the 17th minute after he followed through on a Guy Hamilton break and went over out wide. Souths nearly went back-to-back when George Fai reached out after he saw a try beckon, only to lose the ball over the line. Instead, it was the turn of Hunters fullback Brendon Gotuno to score in the 24th minute, with the try coming after a good pass inside by Bland Abavu. They backed that try up with another out wide when Paul Wawa crossed, only to give up the lead to the Magpies in the shadows of halftime when Mitch Frei proved too big and strong to hold out to give the home side a 14-12 lead at the break. As they did in the first half, the Magpies opened the scoring in the first minute back from the break, with Soper-Lawler over for his second to draw level with Falcon Jono Reuben as the competition’s leading try scorer with 23. He had two more opportunities in the game but was unable to claim the honour outright, with one kick for him into the Hunters in-goal going too deep – while he dropped another chance over the tryline to the audible despair of his team-mates. The match continued to sway in the balance, with firstly Junior Rau getting the advantage for the Hunters before Tagataese’s try wrestled back the momentum. However, Hunters skipper Moses Meninga took matters into his own hands in the with a rampaging run to the line which resulted in a try under the posts in the 69th minute which Hasu converted to lock the scores at 24-24. The game continued to be played in an end-to-end fashion – and with time running out, Boas lined up a field goal attempt which was charged down by the desperate Magpies. However, they were unable to regather the ball, giving the Hunters six-to-go, which they used to again position Boas for the – this time – winning kick. The Magpies had one final charge for the win, but were brought undone when they were sent over the left-hand touch line in their last-ditch attempt to score. After the match, Hunters assistant coach Glen Nami said he was proud of the team’s fighting spirit. “It’s been tough, but coming out fighting to the end is something that the boys have done and I am so proud of them, I am proud of the efforts today,” Nami said. “We talked about this during the week, we wanted to finish on a high and be more positive (to) end our season. “Everyone did great; everyone’s efforts (were) good. “I think Ase (Boas) played well – his leadership was obvious, and we had boys like Stanton (Albert) leading up front and I think Ase and Stanton were good today for us. “We are grateful for the win.”
PNG HUNTERS VS REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS (RD 22 ISC 2019)
#qrl #pnghunters Dominant Dolphins punish PNG Hunters Harrison Smith scored a hat-trick, while forward Nick Brown and fresh face Will Partridge both scored a doubles as the Dolphins proved far too good for the PNG Hunters in their 46-0 win over the PNG Hunters in Round 22. The two sides were playing for the Stan Joyce Cup with the game dedicated to outgoing SP Managing Director Stan Joyce who has been a strong supporter of rugby league throughout PNG. Unfortunately for the home fans; the Hunters were unable to crack the defence of the Dolphins who have been in imposing form of late. The last time the two sides met in Round 12, the Dolphins were far too strong then too, posting a big 48-0 win at Dolphin Stadium. In their Round 23 match up, it was fairly even up until mid-way through the first half. But from the moment forward Brown crossed in the 18th minute - it was one-way traffic. He went back-to-back with another try in the 31st minute, while a Jedidiah Simbiken strike just two minutes from halftime help his side to an 18-0 lead at the halftime break. Partridge, in just his second game in the Intrust Super Cup competition, opened the scoring in the second half and helped set the tone for the rest of the match where the visitors ran in for a total of five second half tries. Tyson Gamble - who coach Adam Mogg earlier in the week credited with helping turn the fortunes of the club around - was also true with his boot, slotting seven from eight conversion attempts.
GARY LO RETURNS ! - PNG HUNTERS V BURLEIGH BEARS (RD 20 ISC 2019)
#pnghunters #garylo #qrl Gary Lo returns for the Hunters !
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS VS PNG HUNTERS (RD 19 ISC 2019)
#pnghunters #kvgkumul Blackhawks score eight tries in win over Hunters Townsville Blackhawks proved they are a force to be reckoned with, with a dominant 48-18 win against PNG Hunters in Round 19 of the Intrust Super Cup. The Blackhawks secured the emphatic win with eight tries to the Hunters' three in front of a large and vocal crowd at Jack Manski Oval this afternoon. The Blackhawks win came on the back of a solid foundation set by Corey Jensen, Thomas Gilbert and Francis Molo, who was a late inclusion in the team. Halves Shaun Nona and Jaelen Feeney orchestrated some polished backline movements resulting in eight tries for the home team, including a fantastic long range try by Zac Santo. Nona topped off a great afternoon with a flawless goal kicking exhibition, nailing eight from eight, including several from the sideline. “As I said earlier this week, the Hunters are a very physical team, and I was pleased that today we were able to match them,” Blackhawks coach Aaron Payne said. “There is a really good feel amongst the players, and they are playing with real confidence. “We now want to make the most of our opportunities and finish as high up the ladder as we can.” The Blackhawks' Hastings Deering Colts team also had a convincing 42-6 win over the Western Mustangs. Coach Dave Elliott was delighted with the performance, especially after the Mustangs won by a field goal back in Round 9. “There was a sense of redemption in this game, and the boys played really well,” Elliott said. “It was good for the boys to get back out and play some footy after a 3-week break.” The Blackhawks will play CQ Capras in Round 20. The Hunters will face Burleigh Bears.
SC FALCONS VS PNG HUNTERS (RD 17 ISC 2019)
#pnghunters #qrl Falcons put in a dominant performance against Hunters Sunshine Coast winger Jono Reuben picked up his second hat-trick of tries in as many weeks as the Falcons proved too strong for a PNG Hunters side that showed plenty of fight despite the 60-6 scoreline. Two of Reuben’s tries came from sheer speed; the first in the first half when he latched onto a Hunters attacking kick gone wrong just before his own line, while the second came in the second half when the Hunters were throwing all that they had at the Falcons line, only for a wayward pass to hit the deck and land in front of Reuben who scooped it up and ran almost 90 metres to score at other end. He completed his treble with six minutes to go in the match with a relatively simple putdown out wide after a scrum play from his team. As always, hooker Harry Grant was amongst the points, scoring a double, while Jordin Leiu, a member of the inaugural Under 20 Thunderbolts side, scored in his Intrust Super Cup debut. Queensland Universities representative forward Tom Rafter also crossed for his first try in the Intrust Super Cup after he followed up on a Sandor Earl break up the middle of the field and showed a deceptive amount of speed to sprint away to score in the left corner just before fulltime. The Hunters had started the game well and showed plenty of intent; responding to letting the Falcons in for the first try of the game by sending centre Brandon Nima over the line on the left edge in the 20th minute. However, that was the only joy on the scoreboard for the visitors all match who trailed the Falcons 26-6 at halftime. After the game, Falcons coach Eric Smith said he was pleased to see his players respond to the challenges and opportunities they had been presented with in recent weeks. “It was an important win ... we are down on troops at the moment and we are using our full squad ... our depth is really being tested at the moment; same as last week,” Smith told assembled media after the match. “There are probably nine players who would normally be in the 17 who weren’t in the team today (including star performers like Cooper Johns and Nicho Hynes), but I thought everyone who came in did a tremendous job." He also praised the challenge the Hunters had given his team – which made their defensive performance all the more impressive. “It was a physical game; regardless of where PNG are sitting on the ladder, you know whenever you play the Hunters, you know it’s going to be a physical game,” Smith said. “You know every tackle – you are going to feel it and every time they run the football, they are going to be committed to the collision and run as hard as they can and they didn’t disappoint in that area today, which makes it even more rewarding for how well we defended against them and how well we were able to put that game to bed at the back end of that second half. “That’s three weeks in a row that we have only leaked only one try. Even though we had a few guys missing and our attack was a little bit clunky at times and our ball security wasn’t great and our completions were a little bit scratchy early on; just how hard we worked defensively ... that’s the most pleasing thing.” The win saw the Falcons hold the Pacific Allies Cup for the fifth year running. Next weekend, the Falcons face Norths Devils at Nanango as part of the Intrust Super Cup Round 18 'Get in the Game' Country Week. The Hunters take on Easts Tigers in Wabag after confirming the venue for the clash last week.
PNG HUNTERS VS NORTHS DEVILS (RD 16 ISC 2019)
#pnghunters #northsdevils #papuanewguinea Devils earn comeback win over Hunters Second-half doubles from Jamayne Taunoa-Brown and Jack Ahearn saw the Devils on their way to a 30-18 win over the PNG Hunters to close out Round 16 of the Intrust Super Cup. The Hunters started the match with high intensity, led by the in-form forward duo of Enoch Maki and Baundo Aba, as they gained easy metres. The home side scored the first try of the game via winger Junior Rau in the 18th minute after a well-placed Ase Boas kick was regathered by Brendon Nima to set up Rau. It took only one minute after a frustrating first half for the Norths Devils to find the groove that delivered them their comprehensive win. The Devils went to halftime down 0-12 despite having a breeze at their back and an expectation that they would add to the season of disappointment for the 13th-placed Hunters. The Hunters had cashed in with tries from kicks in the 16th and 25th minutes, exciting the locals who had come out to the National Football Stadium on a warm July afternoon. But coach Rohan Smith reminded his players that they needed the physical intent to match the home team and the Devils responded with a flurry of tries after the break. Prop Riley Leota was on the end of a trademark Devils’ short-passing combination to score in the 41st minute, before Kumuls international Nixon Putt gave the Hunters’ supporters mixed feelings when he gathered a sharp Troy Dargan kick to score three minutes later. When skipper Ahearn scored in the 49th minute, the Devils had stolen the lead and would never be headed. The Hunters had one final blast when Brandon Nima scored in the 65th minute to close within two points, but the Devils surged clear three minutes later when forward Brandon Lee was instrumental in a last-tackle option that led to Taunoa-Brown’s second try in seven minutes. Lee was among the Devils' best, changing the momentum of the game when he came off the bench after 30 minutes. Ahearn grabbed his double in the 75th minute as the Devils improved their win-loss record to 11-5, leaving them in fifth place only five points behind Townsville Blackhawks on points differential. The result was fitting for Zach Strasser, who played his 100th Intrust Super Cup match today. Strasser played most of those matches for Redcliffe, but he has been an excellent addition for the Devils in the last two seasons.