Reigning Premiers PNG Hunters have snuck into the Top Six for the first time since very early in the season with a very hard-fought win over the Souths Logan Magpies.
The two sides headed into the game in very different form, Souths Logan had lost seven of their past eight and Round 20 saw them finally drop out of the top six, the Hunters arrived to Davies Park on the back of a run of three straight wins, and over good top six company in Norths, Northern Pride and Burleigh.
A win would see the PNG Hunters into the Top 6, and that is exactly what they did, but they had to really earn it.
An early knock on from the Hunters had them under pressure early, and after conceding a penalty not long after it was back to back sets of defense which the Hunters held off for the first time eventually, but it would not be the last.
After conceding a penalty in attack, the Hunters got back to back penalties of their own, and took a two point advantage after the second one to lead 2-0 after 9 minutes.
A few plays after shutting down a potential Magpies line break with one the most ferocious cover tackles seen live at rugby league match, the Hunters scored in the left corner through their new try scoring machine winger Junior Rau. The sideline conversion was missed and 6-0 the score after 14 minutes.
The errors started to creep into the game as this stage, but not before the Hunters increased their lead to 8-0 courtesy of the second of what would be five penalty goals for the Hunters on Sunday afternoon.
Somehow the Hunters hung onto their 8-0 lead after surviving another wave of Magpies attack, and soon found themselves further in front thanks to Charlie Simon, who himself is turning into a valuable addition to the 2018 Hunters team as the utility, and is scoring plenty of tries. The conversion missed meant that the lead was 12-0 after 34 minutes, and there was no more additions to the score until half time.
A penalty soon after half time stretched the lead to a comfortable 14 points, but life was about to become a lot more uncomfortable as the Magpies attack turned it up a notch.
Souths Logan were relentless in attack, and had wave after wave of attack in the Hunters 20 metre zone, mainly caused by some ill discipline from the Hunters, but they continued to repel the Magpies one way or another. One those penalties was for a tackle which may see a Hunters in trouble with the judiciary this week.
Eventually the Hunters line did crack, when big forward George Fai crashed over in the 55th minute, with the conversion secured it was just 14-6, and the Hunters would need to keep up the defensive spirit to hold on.
They certainly did, assisted by a few more penalties, calmly slotted home by Ase Boas, giving them breathing space in between Magpies raid.
Nothing typified the Hunters afternoon than with seven minutes to go they had gifted the Magpies the ball 30 metres out, and then proceeded to push the Magpies attacker over the sideline from the first play from the scrum. Such a show of commitment was the backbone of their win over Souths Logan.
In their 2017 premiership winning season, the Hunters had an important win over the Blackhawks in Townsville based on the most outstanding goal line defense seen in a game of rugby league in the second half of that game. It set the tone for the end of their season, which went all the way to a premiership. Today’s performance, despite being a little ugly with the lack of tries and error/penalty count, was very similar.
Whilst the Hunters are not going quite as good at this stage in 2018, they are now in the top six, and defense like that can win them games. If they can limit the errors and penalties and perhaps give our favourite Willie Minoga a little more ball.
Let’s hope the run can continue and they may cause some headaches in the finals. Now that winning away from home isn’t such a problem. Never is at Davies Park where the Hunters are unbeaten since 2014.
Their run home is generous too with Tweed away, Wynnum at home, and Central away. In their current form, they should be aiming for three wins which just about guarantee finals football.
Here’s hoping.
THE FINAL SCORE
PNG HUNTERS 18
Tries: Junior Rau (12m), Charlie Simon (34m)
Goals: Ase Boas 0/2 Conv + 5 Pens (9m, 20m, 44m, 60m, 76m)
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES 6
Tries: George Fai (55m)
Goals: Guy Hamilton 1 Conv
THE PNG HUNTERS SEASON SO FAR
Want to catch up on the entire PNG Hunters 2018 season in one place?
Click on the link below to our 2018 PNG Hunters Season catch up, with all the scores and a quick match by match run down of their season so far.
THE PNG HUNTERS 2018 SEASON SO FAR
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