As if the A to Z of the NRL hasn’t been self indulgent enough, we reach the letter P, and nothing says rugby league more than PNG Rugby League, well known as the only nation to have rugby league as the official sport.
Regular readers will know that this website has a huge love of PNG rugby league, a love that has grown since their admission into the Queensland Cup aka Intrust Super Cup in 2014.
The entry into that competition has seen the game grow, and achievements begin to stack up. Perhaps not as many as the PNG rugby league fans deserve, but it has been a good era.
We’ve attended our fair share of PNG Hunters games in the Intrust Super Cup, and catch every international, so we’ve selected our favourite PNG rugby league moments from the past ten years or so.
MARCH 2 2014 – PNG HUNTERS ENTER THE INTRUST SUPER CUP – WIN FIRST GAME AT REDCLIFFE
It was quite the risk of a PNG side entering Queensland’s Intrust Super Cup, especially given they were going to have to foot the bill of travelling teams to PNG. And the previous attempt of the Port Moresby Vipers didn’t last in the 1990’s.
So when the PNG Hunter arrived at Dolphin Oval in 2014 who knew if it was going to last more than a season, let alone end in a finals appearance within a year, and a premiership within four.
That first game at Dolphin Oval brought a large crowd, the already well supported Redcliffe fans joined by an army of PNG rugby league fans and wellwishers, and perhaps a bunch of curious league fans wanting to see the new incarnation of the PNG side in the competition.
Being at the ground for the momentous occasion, the distinctive memory of the game was the Origin-like opening 10-15 minutes, and throughout the game it was a game where both sets of fans seemed to enjoy every minute.
The end result was a 16-12 win to the PNG Hunters, a result that very few seemed to mind either way.
Importantly, the PNG Hunters looked like a real side, a force to take seriously, and they were off the mark.
JUNE 13 2015 – PNG HUNTERS RETURN TO PORT MORESBY – BIGGER CROWD THAN NRL
The records on June 13 2015 will say the PNG Hunters beat the Souths Logan Magpies again by 34-12, a result in itself is not significant, as the PNG Hunters has a super record against Souths Logan.
Was was significant was this game was played at the Sir John Guise Stadium (as it was known then), the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby. Playing in the capital for the first time since joining the Intrust Super Cup in 2014.
Previous to this game, the PNG Hunters were playing 800km away on the New Britain island in Kokopo, and had a might fine record we might add.
There was a line up to get in for at least an hour before kick off, and the stadium was full. Full of rugby league’s most passionate supporters.
The match saw the scoring opened by Gurgler favourite Willie Minoga (who else could could be involved in a significant PNG moment – more on him later), and the win featured tries from a lot of the players from our PNG Hunter team of the decade.
As for the event, it proved that the PNG Hunters were ready to play in the capital, and they would have an advantage like no other second tier rugby league team would ever have. Perhaps outside of the UK.
Even with the most conservative of counts for the crowd in Port Moresby, the attendance was higher than every other game in the NRL that weekend. Albeit, the dreaded four game split round caused by State of Origin.
The Hunters would play a few more games in the capital that season, and move in full time from the start of the 2016 season. That 2016 saw them beaten in the first week of the finals in Port Moresby by the Sunshine Coast Falcons, it was the first loss in PNG for the Hunters in over 2 years.
AUGUST 8 2015 – THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED
We’ve been a few rugby league games over the years, watched plenty more on TV, but this rugby league feast was without doubt the greatest game we have ever seen.
This meeting at North Ipswich Reserve on a sensational Saturday winter afternoon saw the Ipswich Jets and PNG Hunters meet, both sides were flying high towards the top of the Intrust Super Cup and finals weren’t far away.
Both sides at this point were at their arrogant best.
Ipswich were being mentored by the Walker brothers at the time, and the Jets were playing in a style that was completely different to any other team on the planet. Short kick offs, side to side to side to side movement in attack, no wrestling to unsettle the attacking team, it was revolutionary, and led to a premiership that year. And a State Championship. Sadly, it didn’t lead to an NRL coaching job for the Walker brothers.
PNG Hunters too were at their peak. They may have won a premiership two seasons later, but they wee so much better to watch in 2015.
The ad-lib, powerful PNG rugby league style remained, but the rough edges were starting to get worn off, but not totally modernised yet. An offload could, and did come from anywhere. Some defied belief, and what could be expected of normal footballers.
Given that the PNG Hunters ran aay with the game in the end 32-14, the Jets got to practice their short kick off a bit, and their choice on this day was the Marmin Barba special of the low, worm-burner at the unfortunate prop standing on the 40m line on the sideline. Whilst the Hunters won the match, they certainly didn’t win the kick off returns. If the ball wasn’t knocked on by the Hunters player, it went into touch anyway, and the Jets got the ball back. And the only time the Hunters player managed to cleanly grab the kick off, he was smashed into touch.
Another moment that sticks in the brain was one of the Hunters kick offs after a runaway Marmin Barba try. The PNG Hunters delivered the standard rugby league kick off, with a full range kick fielded by the five eighth Josh Cleeland in the in goal, as standard. But instead of the standard offload to charging prop, Cleeland took three steps and blasted the ball back over the oncoming Hunters heads. A few Ipswich Jets players knew it was coming, and chased. A few Hunters players were able to about face in time, and chased. Blissfully unaware to the change in standard kick off was the ballboy, who was casually retrieving the kicking tee when he looked up to see a bunch of fully grown coming towards him on the half way line. Showing enough speed to avoid being steamrolled by a herd of rugby league bulls.
And this was just the kick offs…..
In between there were miraculous offloads, line breaks, the speed of Marmin Barba, the side to side tactics of the Jets, the savage physicality of the PNG Hunters, all rolled into one damn good game of rugby league. One where no one left disappointed.
AUGUST 12 2017 – HUNTERS HOLD OFF BLACKHAWKS
Long forgotten in the hype of the PNG Hunters maiden Intrust Super Cup premiership, was the fact that they were also minor premiers, something they fell just short of in 2015, where their second place didn’t help them exiting the finals in straight sets, That first loss in the 2015 finals series was at the hands of the Townsville Blackhawks. And rivalry between the competition’s newest teams was growing.
So when these teams met late in the 2017 season, the Hunters were on track for the minor premiership, and Townsville were fighting for a top four sport.
To save time in a piece that is already way too long, there was a significant period in the second half of this game. One which would be at the heart of their premiership just over a month later.
Townsville Blackhawks, a team who put 50+ points on teams regularly, attacked the Hunters line relentlessly for the first 20 minutes of the second half. Repeat sets from smart kicks, Hunters errors, and Hunter penalties, it seemed as if the Blackhawks had exclusive use of the football for 20 minutes. Somehow, every time, the PNG Hunters held them off, then eventually relieved the pressure by scoring down the other end and going on to win.
It showed a resilience that wins the tight late season games that wins premiership. Exactly what they not long after.
SEPTEMBER 24 2017 – HUNTERS WIN THE 2017 INTRUST SUPER CUP
Four years of competition, and a few more organising the entry into the Intrust Super Cup were rewarded on September 24 2017, when Willie Minoga, a former Gurgler Person of the Year and Hunters hero was quickest to a 78th minute Ase Boas grubber, and scored the try to win the 2017 title for the PNG side.
A full review of that game can be found here, but essentially the Sunshine Coast Falcons raced out to a 10-0 lead within the first 6 minutes, and the Hunters were shellshocked.
Instead of being a great attacking game, it was full of errors, as the PNG Hunters looked as if they were letting nerves of the big stage get to them.
Things steadily improved and the Hunters got within sniffing distance just after half time with a try, and held on against plenty of Falcons pressure in the second half, mostly caused by continuing errors.
Then came the infamous Willie Minoga try in the 78th minute, probably the last throw of the dice for the PNG side down by 4 and the fifth tackle on possibly their last set.
There was an enormous cheer from a predominantly PNG Hunters aligned crowd, and even bigger celebrations back in PNG for their heroes.
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017 – PNG KUMULS IMPRESS IN GROUP STAGES AT WORLD CUP
Coming into the 2017 Rugby League World Cup as co-hosts, the PNG Kumuls were ranked 16th – the second worst in the tournament, only ahead of Lebanon and behind the USA (10th), Wales (9th) and Ireland (8th). Which didn’t seem quite right.
Hard to believe that the Kumuls were so low heading into the Group Stages where they would host three games.
Fair to say that the Kumuls did very well in the group stages, beating their higher ranked opponents Wales 50-6, USA 64-0, and a determined Ireland 14-6.
They looked at times simply sensational with a mixture of the Hunters premiership winning side, and a mix of players from other Intrust Super teams and competitions.
But their run was ended in the quarter finals, as they faced England and were outclassed, but progress had been made.
A small jump up the World Rankings followed, and just a few years later they are ranked 6th in the world and have a big scalp to their name.
This is to go with some great performances in the mid year Pacific tests, a series that saw their first win away from PNG soil.
While they are not breaking through like Tonga, the Kumuls are getting more respect in the international game. No less than they deserve.
JUNE 28 2018 – PNG KUMULS BEAT FIJI
After a great World Cup the previous year, it was important that the Kumuls followed that up at the next opportunity, and they did just that in 2018 when they beat a Fiji team full of NRL stars. No less a player than Jarryd Hayne.
PNG thoroughly outplayed Fiji on the day, and the 26-14 win was all they deserved, as the Bati of Fiji couldn’t match the passion and intensity of the Kumuls.
Perhaps having too many NRL stars hurt Fiji on that day, as they out-enthused to everything.
It was an important win for the Kumuls, the win being a step up from the nations they beat at the previous World Cup, and a very rare away from PNG.
2019 SEASON – JUSTIN OLAM BECOME MELBOURNE STORM REGULAR
Despite winning the 2017 Intrust Super Cup, the PNG Hunters players were not able to break through into NRL clubs, and that pathway to the NRL was one of the main reasons for creating the Hunters.
One PNG rugby league who did in 2019 was Justin Olam, although ironically he was in the losing side in the 2017 ISC final for the Sunshine Coast Falcons.
Olam has a following PNG that most rugby league players would love, with just about every move updated and discussed in social media,
And they should be excited too.
It’s not just any old NRL club, it’s the all dominant Melbourne Storm, and NRL benchmark for years.
While Olam was eventually picked for Melbourne via their Sunshine Coast team, he was a PNG Hunter player originally, and his rise to the Storm starting side is an important reminder that the NRL dream can still start in PNG.
NOVEMBER 16 2019 – KUMULS DEFEAT THE GREAT BRITAIN LIONS
After improved international performances, the Kumuls got their big Tier One scalp when the Great Britain side signed off their 2019 season with a defeat to PNG, leaving the Lions winless for the southern hemisphere tour.
It looked early like the Lions were going to assert their authority on the Kumuls and run away with the game, but they were off their game mostly, and the crucial moment was just before half time as one of the stars of the 2019 Test season for PNG – Edwin Ipape – ran from dummy and secured a try for the Kumuls .
It gave the Kumuls a boost heading into the second half, and they were simply the much better side in the second half, and ran out winners 28-10. And deservedly so.
The win capped some great progress as a rugby league nation
MARCH 15 – NEW COACH, SAME RESULT AT DAVIES PARK
For 2020, the PNG Hunters headed into the new season for the first time without Michael Marum in charge, and just to double down on the change acquired Matt Church, the assistant coach at the Sunshine Coast Falcons in 2019 and not from the PNG system.
Luckily the first game was at Davies Park, a ground where the Hunters have beaten the Magpies on every occasion since their entry in 2014.
But it didn’t look that way as the Magpies skipped out to a 20 point lead early in the second half, and if there is one thing the Hunters weren’t good at in the previous six seasons it was coming back from a substantial deficit.’
You can read the full match report here, but essentially the PNG Hunters turned around the gap, as they blew the much more experienced Magpies away, and secured the massive come from behind win with a late penalty goal, given to the Hunters after Ase Boas was hit late after missing a field goal. The second half onslaught led by new boy Stanley Olo, and the returning Joe Joshua.
A few important things from the match. Firstly, it showed that the new era under Matt Church could be great and that Michael Marum is replaceable. Secondly, it showed the new spirit in the teams, that they can fight back from any position and still win. .
