# 2022 Papua New Guinea Hunters season

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.

## Season summary

* Round 1:

### Milestone games

| Round | Player | Milestone |
| Round 1 | Rodrick Tai(#100), Mark Tony(#101), Wesser Tenza(#102), Kingstimer Paraia(#103) | Hostplus Cup debuts |
| Round 1 | Kevin Appo | PNG Hunters captaincy debut |
| Round 3 | Mathew Jesse(#104), Jamie Mavoko(#105), Anthony Worot(#106) | Hostplus Cup debuts |
| Round 3 | Rodrick Tai | Scored his first Hostplus Cup try |
| Round 5 | Sherwin Tanabi(#107) | HC debut |
| Round 7 | Kitron Laka(#108) | HC debut |
| Round 8 | Tyler Han(#109) | HC debut |
| Round 8 | Brandon Nima | PNG Hunters captaincy debut |
| Round 8 | Tony Worot, Mathew Jesse and Tyler Han | Scored their first Hostplus cup tries |
| Round 10 | Kitron Laka | Scored his first Hostplus cup try |
| Round 13 | Dilbert Isaac | 50th Hostplus cup match |
| Round 15 | Judah Rimbu | scored his first Hostplus Cup try |
| Round 16 | Brandon Nima | 50th Hostplus cup match |
| Round 16 | Liam Joseph(#110) and Francis Kembis(#111) | Hostplus Cup debuts |
| Round 16 | Liam Joseph | scored his first Hostplus Cup try |
| Round 17 | Francis Kembis | scored his first Hostplus Cup try |
| Round 19 | Wesser Tenza | scored his first Hostplus Cup try |

## Squad movement
### Gains

| Player | Signed From | Until End of |
| Mathew Jesse | Waghi Tumbe | 2022 |
| Francis Kembis | Waghi Tumbe | 2022 |
| Liam Joseph | Rabaul Gurias | 2022 |
| Kitron Laka | Lae Snax Tigers | 2022 |
| Jamie Mavoko | Lae Snax Tigers | 2022 |
| Junior Rop | Lae Snax Tigers | 2022 |
| Rodrick Tai | Lae Snax Tigers | 2022 |
| Sherwin Tanabi | Lae Snax Tigers | 2022 |
| Mark Tony | Lae Snax Tigers | 2022 |
| Wesser Tenza | Mendi Muruks | 2022 |
| Kingstimer Paraia | Port Moresby Vipers | 2022 |
| Tyler Han | Runaway Bay Seagulls | 2022 |

### Losses

| Player | Signed To | Until End of |
| Stanton Albert | Port Moresby Vipers | 2022 |
| Ase Boas | Rabaul Gurias | 2022 |
| Enoch Maki | Port Moresby Vipers | 2022 |
| Jokadi Bire | Retired on Medical condition | 2022 |
| Casey Dickson | Villeneuve XIII RLLG | 2022 |
| Jeffrey Robert | Hela Wigmen | 2022 |
| Charlie Simon | Mendi Muruks | 2022 |
| Mark Piti | Lae Snax Tigers | 2022 |
| Joe Joshua | Mt. Hagen Eagles | 2022 |
| Norman Brown | Hela Wigmen | 2022 |
| Brendon Gotuno | Port Moresby Vipers | 2022 |
| Edwin Ipape | Leigh Centurions | 2022 |
| Epel Kapinias | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | 2022 |
| Solomon Pokare | Hela Wigmen | 2022 |
| Junior Rau | Mt. Hagen Eagles | 2022 |
| Anthony Worot | Kimbe Cutters | 2022 |
| Samuel Yegip | Hela Wigmen | 2022 |

## Ladder

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| 1 | Burleigh Bears | 19 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 634 | 356 | 278 | 31 |
| 2 | Sunshine Coast Falcons | 19 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 470 | 326 | 144 | 29 |
| 3 | Redcliffe Dolphins | 19 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 518 | 359 | 159 | 26 |
| 4 | Norths Devils | 19 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 469 | 459 | 10 | 26 |
| 5 | Central Queensland Capras | 19 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 472 | 394 | 78 | 25 |
| 6 | Tweed Heads Seagulls | 19 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 474 | 388 | 86 | 23 |
| 7 | Brisbane Tigers | 19 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 452 | 454 | -2 | 23 |
| 8 | Northern Pride RLFC | 19 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 370 | 391 | -21 | 21 |
| 9 | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | 19 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 494 | 422 | 72 | 20 |
| 10 | Townsville Blackhawks | 19 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 445 | 443 | 2 | 18 |
| 11 | Mackay Cutters | 19 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 444 | 484 | -40 | 18 |
| 12 | Papua New Guinea Hunters | 19 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 389 | 531 | -142 | 17 |
| 13 | Ipswich Jets | 19 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 326 | 712 | -384 | 10 |
| 14 | Souths Logan Magpies | 19 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 346 | 586 | -240 | 7 |
* The team highlighted in blue has clinched the minor premiership
* Teams highlighted in green have qualified for the finals
* The team highlighted in red has clinched the wooden spoon

## Fixtures
### Pre-season

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals |
| Saturday 5 March | Trial 1 | CQ Capras | Gladstone | 10-20 | Wane, Paraia | Paraia goal |
| Saturday 12 March | Trial 2 | Wests Panthers | Frank Lind Oval, Mitchelton | 18-14 | | |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw Bye |||||||

### Regular season

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Score | Tries | Goals |
| Saturday, 19 March | Round 1 | Mackay Cutters | BB Print Stadium | 16-10 | Wane, Isaac | Rimbu 4 goals |
| Saturday, 26 March | Round 2 | CQ Capras | Browne Park | 16-26 | Paraia, Wapi, Nima | Rimbu 2 goals |
| Sunday, 3 April | Round 3 | Brisbane Tigers | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 12-22 | Tai, Waine | Mavoko 2 goals |
| Saturday, 9 April | Round 4 | Sunshine Coast Falcons | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 8-22 | Appo | Mavoko 2 goals |
| Monday, 25 April | Round 5 | Burleigh Bears | Pizzey Park | 0-34 | | |
| Saturday, 30th April | Round 6 | BYE | | | | |
| Saturday, 7 May | Round 7 | Norths Devils | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 24-28 | Wane, Nima, Wapi, Paraia | Paraia 4 goals |
| Friday, 13 May | Round 8 | Townsville Blackhawks | Jack Manski Oval | 42-20 | Namo 2, Jesse, Worot, Nima, Wane, Waine, Han | Paraia 5 goals |
| Saturday, 21 May | Round 9 | Redcliffe Dolphins | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 16-30 | Namo, Tai, Isaac | Mavoko 2 goals |
| Sunday, 5 June | Round 10 | Tweed Heads Seagulls | Tugun RLFC, Tugun | 22-24 | Appo, Nima, Laka, Wapi | Mavoko 2, Paraia goals |
| Saturday, 11 June | Round 11 | Souths Logan Magpies | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 26-22 | Isaac 2, Wapi, Tai, Wane | Mavoko 2, Paraia goals |
| Sunday, 19 June | Round 12 | Northern Pride | Barlow Park | 6-30 | Gilmo | Tony goal |
| Saturday, 2 July | Round 13 | Ipswich Jets | North Ipswich Reserve | 18-36 | Wane, Nima, Tai | Mavoko 3 goals |
| Saturday, 9 July | Round 14 | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | BMD Kougari Oval, Brisbane | 36-22 | Wane 2, Laka, Appo, Rop, Alu | Paraia 5, Rimbu goals |
| Sunday, 17 July | Round 15 | CQ Capras | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 24-62 | Nima, Appo, Rimbu, Tai | Paraia 4 goals |
| Saturday, 23 July | Round 16 | Brisbane Tigers | John Kerr Park, Cunnamulla | 32-24 | Laka 2, Han, Paraia, Pat, Joseph | Rimbu 4 goals |
| Sunday, 7 August | Round 17 | Sunshine Coast Falcons | Sunshine Coast Stadium | 6-44 | Kembis | Paraia goal |
| Saturday, 13 August | Round 18 | Townsville Blackhawks | Bycroft Oval, Gold Coast | 23-23 | Kot 2, Wane, Laka | Paraia 3 goals, 1 drop goal |
| Saturday, 20 August | Round 19 | Burleigh Bears | Bycroft Oval | 32-24 | Han, Kot, Tenza, Rimbu, Kembis | Paraia 5 goals, 1 pen. |
| Saturday, 27 August | Round 20 | Mackay Cutters | PNG Football Stadium | 30-28 | Tai, Kot, Joseph, Waine, Tanabi, Puara | Paraia 3 goals |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw Bye ||||||||

## Statistics

| Name | App | T | G | FG | Pts |
| Ila Alu | 8 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Keven Appo | 16 | 4 | - | - | 16 |
| Casey Dickson | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| Tyler Han | 10 | 3 | - | - | 12 |
| Dilbert Isaac | 15 | 4 | - | - | 16 |
| Mathew Jesse | 7 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Liam Joseph | 4 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Francis Kembis | 5 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| Benji Kot | 10 | 4 | - | - | 16 |
| Kitron Laka | 12 | 5 | - | - | 20 |
| Jamie Mavoko | 9 | - | 13 | - | 26 |
| Sylvester Namo | 16 | 3 | - | - | 12 |
| Brandon Nima | 18 | 6 | - | - | 24 |
| Kingstimer Paraia | 17 | 3 | 33 | 1 | 79 |
| Jordan Pat | 8 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Gilimo Paul | 8 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Wartovo Puara | 14 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Judah Rimbu | 13 | 2 | 11 | - | 30 |
| Junior Rop | 17 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Rodrick Tai | 15 | 6 | - | - | 24 |
| Sherwin Tanabi | 15 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Wesser Tenza | 13 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Mark Tony | 13 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| Emmanuel Waine | 18 | 3 | - | - | 12 |
| Solo Wane | 17 | 8 | - | - | 32 |
| Terry Wapi | 8 | 4 | - | - | 16 |
| Tony Worot | 3 | 1 | - | - | 4 |
| Samuel Yegip | 11 | - | - | - | - |
| Totals | | 68 | 58 | 1 | 389 |

## Representatives

The following players played representative matches in 2022.
| | Pacific Test | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Dilbert Isaac | PNG Kumuls | |
| Solo Wane | PNG Kumuls | |
| Wartovo Puara | PNG Kumuls | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Sylvester Namo | PNG Kumuls | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Emmanuel Waine | PNG Kumuls | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Keven Appo | | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Rodrick Tai | | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Sherwin Tanabi | | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Wesser Tenza | | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Judah Rimbu | | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Francis Kembis | | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |
| Brandon Nima | | PNG Prime Minister's XIII |