Posted By Staff Reporter
THE PNG Hunters had to settle for a close 38-36 loss to the visiting Brisbane Tigers in the round 3 of the Hostplus Cup on Saturday. The high scoring affair thrilled a vocal crowd at the Santos National Football Stadium with Hunters coach Stanley Tepend admitting that while his side could score points it was the other areas of the game such as discipline and consistency that had let them down. Fullback Morea Morea Jnr shone for the home side scoring a hattrick of tries and kicking three goals for 16 points while for the Tigers hooker Tristan Hope proved the difference between the two sides scoring 18 points through a try, five conversions and two crucial penalty goals for his match-winning tally. The Hunters also had to contend with being a man down for 20 minutes of the match after the sin-binnings of back-rower Sherwin Tanabi and five-eighth Sakias Komati on either side of the break for dangerous contact. The Hunters established themselves strongly in the first 30 minutes of the game when they dominated possession and scored four tries to lead 18-4. Hunters scored first through winger Solo Wane in the 5th minute to lead 4-0. Tigers responded through halfback Brayden Torphy in the 13th minute. No.9 Hope put the Tigers in front with the conversion.
Tepend’s men rattled off three tries through Morea Morea, Brandon Nima and Julius Yakopa in the space of 10 minutes. Tellingly, Morea only managed to convert one of those tries. The Hunters looked assured of taking a healthy lead into the halftime break but the Matthew Church-coached Tigers clawed their way back with two quick tries through winger Max Lehman and Tristan Hope which leveled the score at 18-18. Hope then put Tigers in front 20-18 on the stroke of half-time with a 45m penalty goal. Tigers came back firing in the second-half as they continued to put pressure on Hunters defence which resulted in a try to Melbourne Strom contracted winger George Jennings in the 43rd minute which extended their lead to 24-18. Hunters’ speed demon Solo Wane burst through Tigers defence in the 50th minute to set up Morea for the try of the match where the No.1 backed up the initial bust up midfield to sprint 50m to score under the uprights for his second four-pointer. Morea converted his own try to tie up the scores 24-24. Lehman scored his second try a few minutes later which saw Tigers go back in front 30-24. Hunters captain Ila Alu levelled the scores again when he crossed over beside the uprights in the 67th minute. Lehman completed his hattrick 10 minutes from full-time which saw Tigers 36-30 in front. Hope ensured the Hunters would have to score two ties in three minutes when he kicked a penalty goal in the 76th minute. The never-say-die spirit of the Hunters came to the fore when Morea danced his way through the defence from 10m out to score a try and conversion to trail 36-38 with less than a minute left. Meanwhile, Hunters management have confirmed that there was an altercation between Hunters players at their residence in Waigani later that evening. PNG Hunters chief executive Scott Barker told The National that the matter had been handled internally. PNG Hunters 36 (Morea Morea Jnr 3, Solo Wane, Brandon Nima, Julius Yapoka, Ila Alu tries; Morea 3, Sakias Komati con) Brisbane Tigers 38 (Max Lehmann 3, Brayden Torpy, Tristan Hope, George Jennings tries; Hope 5 con, 2 pen) at Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby. The National / PNG Sports News Next : SP PNG Hunters Fall To Capras 20 - 12 In A Trial Match Comments are closed.
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