North's Devils down PNG Hunters 32 - 24

A  CLINICAL performance by host the Norths Devils put paid to the Papua New Guinea Hunters’ hopes securing just their third win on Australian soil in Round 11 of the Queensland Cup yesterday.

The Hunters have beaten the Redcliffe Dolphins (24-18) and the Sunshine Coast Falcons (16-4) on the road so far but have drawn with the East Tigers (20-20) and lost to the Burleigh Bears (26-22) and the Ipswich Jets (25-12). The Hunters lost to the Devils 32-24 at Bishop Park in Brisbane after trailing 22-12 at halftime. A disappointed Hunters chief executive officer Brad Tassell said his side played better in the second half but had given up too much of a lead.

“We played better in the second half but I think the boys gave up too much of a lead to get back. They (Norths) Devils are a pretty good side and I guess a combination of us not controlling the ball well and their mistake-free football got us,” Tassell said.

to them at halftime and the boys lifted but it wasn’t enough. 

“We’ve got the Central Queensland Capras in Gladstone next and the boys will have get stuck in at training and get ready for that game.

“We need to string wins together and not this win-lose-win form we’ve had over the last few games.”

The South Pacific Brewery-sponsored Hunters (15 points) dropped from third place to fifth with the result while the Devils (16 points) moved to fourth. 

The Devils conceded the first try, a brilliant piece of ad lib football that saw stand-in five-eighth Noel Zemming weaving his way through a throng of Devils before flicking a pass on to a supporting Wartovo Puara Jr to go in under the uprights for a 6-0 lead. 

The home side’s reply was just as breathtaking with No.6 Todd Murphy slicing through from 55-metres out and putting on the pace to beat the cover defence to score in the left corner. Darren Nicholls kicked the sideline conversion to draw level.

The Devils gave their fans plenty to cheer about taking a handy 22-12 lead at halftime with tries to BJ Munns and Kodi Nikorima while the Hunters managed a try to Garry Lo.

Lo grabbed his second four-pointer in the second stanza along with one from prop Esau Siune to give the visitors some hope of a last gasp win, much like the way they surged home to a 32-22 win over Wynnum Manly Seagulls in Kokopo last week. But it was not to be as the Devils simply gave away little in possession or territory and closed the game out with further tries to Nikorima (his second), Nicholls and Brisbane Broncos first grader Lachlan Maranta.

The Hunters return home today and go back to their base at Bomana, outside Port Moresby before making the long trip to Glastone via Rockhampton starting Friday for their Round 13 match against the Jason Hetherington-coached Capras, whom they beat. 

Norths Devils 32 (Kodi Nikorima 2, BJ Munns, Lachlan Maranta, Todd Murphy, Darren Nicholls tries; Nicholls 4 con) PNG Hunters 24 (Garry Lo 2, Esau Siune, Wartovo Puara Jr tries; Noel Zemming 2, Roger Laka 2 con)