2021 Papua New Guinea Hunters season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Queensland Cup Rank | 10th | |||
2021 record | Wins: 6; losses: 11 | |||
Points scored | For: 386; against: 479 | |||
Team information | ||||
CEO | Scott Barker | |||
Coach | Mathew Church | |||
Captain |
| |||
Stadium | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | |||
Top scorers | ||||
Tries | 9 (Junior Rau, Solo Wane) | |||
Goals | 21 (Charlie Simon, Ase Boas) | |||
Points | 46 (Charlie Simon, Ase Boas) | |||
|
The Papua New Guinea Hunters is a professional rugby league club from Papua New Guinea that participates in the Queensland Cup in Australia. They have relocated to Runaway Bay, Gold Coast for the 2021 Intrust Super Cup Season. The 2021 Intrust Super Cup will be the PNG Hunters' eighth season in rugby league's Queensland Cup after securing their future with a four-year license from 2019 until 2022. [1] A 37-man train-on squad was announced for the pre season [2] before it was trimmed and the final squad finalized. [3] Doncaster RLFC agreed for Watson Boas to play with the Hunters squad until he was able to return to the United Kingdom. [4] In partnership with PacificAus Sports( Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League, PNG Hunters and QRL signed a three year agreement titled 'Growing and Supporting Rugby League in Papua New Guinea' [5] in February which will see the PacificAus Sports and QRL assisting to develop the sport in the country by creating pathways for emerging PNG players and also develop pathways for PNG teams like the PNG Hunters Under-19s and Papua New Guinea Hunters women's [6] [7] to take part in high-level Australian sporting competitions [8] The Hunters travelled with a 24-man squad to Queensland after six could not travel due to visa issues. Three consultants were recruited to join the coaching team in order to refine and up-skill the coaching staff through funding by PacificAus sports program. [9] [10]
Round | Player | Milestone |
---|---|---|
Round 1 | Jokadi Bire, Samuel Yegip, Edwin Ipape, Benji Kot, Emmanuel Waine, Sylvester Namo and Judah Rimbu | ISC debut |
Round 4 | Norman Brown | ISC debut |
Round 5 | Jeffrey Robert | ISC debut |
Round 6 | Tom Butterfield | Hunters debut |
Round 7 | Solo Wane | ISC debut |
Round 8 | Solomon Pokare | ISC debut |
Round 12 | Junior Rau | 50th Game |
Round 19 | Gilmo Paul | ISC Debut (Hunter #98) |
Round 17 | Enoch Maki | 100th Game |
First team squad | Coaching staff | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach
Assistant coaches
Updated: 13 January 2021 |
Player | Signed From | Until End of | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Solomon Pokare | Hela Wigmen | 2021 | |
Judah Rimbu | Hela Wigmen | 2021 | |
Jokadi Bire | ![]() | 2021 | |
Benji Kot | Kimbe Cutters | 2021 | |
Samuel Yegip | Hela Wigmen | 2021 | |
Jeffrey Robert | Hela Wigmen | 2021 | |
Sylvester Namo | Lae Snax Tigers | 2021 | |
Edwin Ipape | ![]() | 2021 | |
Norman Brown | Hela Wigmen | 2021 | |
Gilmo Paul | Hela Wigmen | 2021 | |
Solo Wane | Hela Wigmen | 2021 | |
Watson Boas | Doncaster RLFC (loan) | 2021 | |
Wartovo Puara | Barrow Raiders | 2021 |
Player | Signed To | Until End of | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Shane Nigel | Port Moresby Vipers | 2021 | |
Joe Frank | Waghi Tumbe | 2021 | |
Patrick Morea | Hela Wigmen | 2021 | |
Rhadley Brawa | Enga Mioks | 2021 | |
Junior Rop | Lae Snax Tigers | 2021 | |
Steven Bruno | Rabaul Gurias | 2021 | |
Justin Yoka | Kimbe Cutters | 2021 | |
Nicky Oliver | Central Dabaris | 2021 | |
Francis Takai | Rabaul Gurias | 2021 | |
Roy Elison | Rabaul Gurias | 2021 | |
Casey Dickson | Lae Snax Tigers | 2021 | |
Stanley Olo | Lae Snax Tigers | 2021 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 17 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 521 | 320 | 201 | 30 |
2 | ![]() | 17 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 513 | 374 | 139 | 24 |
3 | ![]() | 17 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 457 | 342 | 115 | 24 |
4 | ![]() | 17 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 458 | 384 | 74 | 22 |
5 | ![]() | 17 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 450 | 397 | 53 | 22 |
6 | ![]() | 17 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 517 | 446 | 71 | 21 |
7 | ![]() | 17 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 468 | 361 | 107 | 19 |
8 | ![]() | 17 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 448 | 390 | 58 | 18 |
9 | ![]() | 17 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 376 | 387 | -11 | 18 |
10 | ![]() | 17 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 386 | 479 | -93 | 12 |
11 | ![]() | 17 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 364 | 456 | -92 | 9 |
12 | ![]() | 17 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 330 | 556 | -226 | 8 |
13 | ![]() | 17 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 365 | 561 | -196 | 7 |
14 | ![]() | 17 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 303 | 503 | -200 | 4 |
Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals |
---|
Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals | Attendance | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, 20 March | Round 1 | ![]() | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 18-20 | Bire, Wapi, Puara | Simon 3 goals | ||||
Saturday, 27 March | Round 2 | ![]() | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 44-22 | Gotuno 3, Kapinias 2, Wapi, Bire, Ipape | Simon 6 goals | ||||
Saturday, 10 April | Round 3 | ![]() | BB Print Stadium | 26-14 | Yegip, Namo, Rau, W.Boas, Ipape | Simon 3 goals | ||||
Saturday, 17 April | Round 4 | ![]() | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 32-12 | Kot 2, Brown 2, Wapi, Yegip | Simon 4 goals | ||||
Saturday, 24 April | Round 5 | ![]() | Pizzey Park | 18-25 | Bire, Brown, Nima, Wapi | Simon goal | ||||
Sunday, 9 May | Round 6 | ![]() | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 12-40 | Bire, Brown | Simon 2 goals | ||||
Sunday, 16 May | Round 7 | ![]() | Davies Park | 14-48 | Waine, Wane ,Bire | Pokare goal | ||||
Saturday, 29 May | Round 8 | ![]() | Moreton Daily Stadium | 12-24 | Rau 2, Kot | |||||
Saturday, 5 June | Round 9 | ![]() | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 28-38 | Bire 2, Appo 2, Nima, Kot | Ase Boas 2 goals | ||||
Saturday, 12 June | Round 10 | ![]() | Bishop Park | 22-38 | Wane, Kot, Bire, Appo | Ase Boas 3 goals | ||||
Sunday, 20 June | Round 11 | ![]() | Cbus Super Stadium | 6-40 | Rau | Ase Boas goal | ||||
Saturday, 10 July | Round 13 | ![]() | Sunshine Coast Stadium | 12-26 | Kot 2 | Ase Boas 2 goals | ||||
Saturday, 17 July | Round 14 | ![]() | Atherton Stadium, Artheton | 34-22 | Wane 3, Nima, Rau, Simon | Ase Boas 4 , Simon goals | ||||
Saturday, 24 July | Round 12 | ![]() | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 30-40 | Rau 3, Gotuno 2, Wane | Ase Boas 3 goals | ||||
Saturday, 31 July | Round 15 | ![]() | Eskdale Park, Maryborough | Round 15 cancelled [15] | ||||||
Saturday, 21 August | Round 18 | ![]() | Totally Workwear Stadium | Round 18 cancelled [16] | ||||||
Sunday, 29 August | Round 19 | ![]() | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 26-32 | Wapi 2, Puara, Yegip, Waine | Ase Boas 3 goals | ||||
Saturday, 4 Sept. | Round 16 | ![]() | Browne Park | 22-20 | Wane 2, Rimbu, Rau, Ipape | Simon goal | ||||
Saturday, 11 Sept. | Round 17 | ![]() | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 30-18 | Waine 2, Gilmo, Kapinias, Wane, Ase Boas | Ase Boas 3 goals | ||||
Legend: Win Loss Draw Bye |
* | Denotes player contracted to the Doncaster RLFC for the 2021 season |
Name | App | T | G | FG | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stanton Albert | 11 | - | - | - | - |
Ila Alu | 15 | - | - | - | - |
Kevin Appo | 10 | 3 | - | - | 12 |
Jokadi Bire | 10 | 8 | - | - | 32 |
Ase Boas | 9 | 1 | 21 | - | 46 |
Watson Boas * | 5 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
Norman Brown | 8 | 4 | - | - | 16 |
Tommy Butterfield | 2 | - | - | - | - |
Brendon Gotuno | 6 | 5 | - | - | 20 |
Edwin Ipape | 11 | 3 | - | - | 12 |
Dilbert Isaac | 4 | - | - | - | - |
Joe Joshua | 2 | - | - | - | - |
Epel Kapinias | 10 | 3 | - | - | 12 |
Benji Kot | 15 | 7 | - | - | 28 |
Enoch Maki | 10 | - | - | - | 0 |
Sylvester Namo | 13 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
Brandon Nima | 15 | 3 | - | - | 12 |
Jordan Pat | 3 | - | - | - | - |
Gilmo Paul | 3 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
Mark Piti | 7 | - | - | - | - |
Solomon Pokare | 3 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
Wartovo Puara | 16 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
Junior Rau | 16 | 9 | - | - | 36 |
Judah Rimbu | 15 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
Jeffrey Robert | 1 | - | - | - | - |
Charlie Simon | 14 | 1 | 21 | - | 46 |
Emmanuel Waine | 16 | 4 | - | - | 16 |
Solo Wane | 9 | 9 | - | - | 36 |
Terry Wapi | 11 | 6 | - | - | 24 |
Samuel Yegip | 15 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
Totals | 74 | 43 | 0 | 386 |
![]() | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (November 2020) |
Rugby league is a popular team sport in Papua New Guinea and the country's national sport. Papua New Guineans have a reputation as being some of the world's most passionate rugby league supporters.
Paul Aiton is a Papua New Guinean former professional rugby league footballer who is the current head-coach of the PNG Hunters in the Queensland Cup and assistant-coach of the PNG Kumuls.
Nene Macdonald is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or centre for the Salford Red Devils in the Super League and Papua New Guinea at international level.
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The Papua New Guinea Hunters are a professional rugby league football club based in Papua New Guinea. They were formed in December 2013 and compete in the Queensland Cup, a second tier competition in Australia. The Hunters are the second Papua New Guinean side to enter the Queensland Cup following the Port Moresby Vipers who competed for two seasons in 1996 and 1997. Every Hunters match is shown live on national free-to-air television. The Hunters' home ground is the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby and their team colours are gold, black and red. The Hunters won the Queensland Cup in 2017.
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The Papua New Guinea Hunters is a professional rugby league club from Papua New Guinea that participates in the Queensland Cup in Australia. Their 2022 official 27-man squad have relocated to Runaway Bay, Gold Coast for the second year in a row. The 2022 Hostplus Cup will be the PNG Hunters' ninth season in rugby league's Queensland Cup after securing their future with a four-year license from 2019 until 2022. They have reappointed Matt Church as their head coach to be supported by Assistant Coaches, Stanley Tepend and Paul Aiton.Two of the Hunters players, Anthony Worot and Sherwin Tanabi were given a one week train and trial with the Cowboys Young Guns and featured in the trial match for the Young Guns against the Mackay Cutters. The Hunters have announced a new strategic player pathways partnership with Dolphins (NRL) that will see four PNG Hunters players joining Dolphins (NRL) for a full NRL pre-season out of which two PNG Hunters players will remain with the Dolphins for the full NRL season commencing in 2023 and play for the Hunters on the weekends when not in the Top 17 team.