HUNTERS COACH COMMENDS SEAGULLS WIN, RE-FOCUS ON NEXT GAME

CAPTION: SP PNG Hunters and visiting Wynnum Manly Seagulls encounter yesterday for the Hostplus Cup season match at National Football Stadium. Seagulls turned out victorious registering a 28-20 victory.

BY BENJAMIN KOITAKA

PNG Hunters head coach Paul Aiton has commended the visiting Wynnum Manly Seagulls side for their 28-20 victory over the home side Hunters yesterday in Port Moresby.

Despite Aiton’s men led well in the opening stanza, with scoring at 20 pointers to 4 in favour of Hunters, Seagulls came back hard and strong in the second 40 to cause an upset.

Coach Aiton told Kalang News that it was Hunters that let themselves, fans, families, friends and sponsors down and letting the Seagulls Walk away with the two-competition pointers.

Aiton further added that Seagulls is a quality and experienced side with few NRL players that helped them win the game.

However, Aiton affirmed this is only the start of the season and the team will only get better, moving into the season week in and week out.

SP PNG Hunters encounter was a record back-to-back loss at home to start the season-long campaign.

The South Pacific Brewery-backed side misfired the first home game against Central Queensland Capras in a 16 -24 loss, while the second came just yesterday from the hands of Wynnum Manly Seagulls in a 28-20 defeat.

However, Aiton told this news room that the first two losses are sort of learning curve for the young Hunters squad for this year.