PNG Hunters want full effort from his team

HUNTERS coach Michael Marum has called for an all out effort from every member of his team for Sunday’s Intrust Super Cup preliminary final against the Ipswich Jets.

The competition’s coach of the year says nothing short of a 100 per cent commitment from every member of the match day 17 will be needed in their most important game of the club’s short history.

“I need every member of my team to perform; every one of the 17 has to put in a complete effort. There’s no room for passengers,” Marum said.

“It’s bodies on the line for us this weekend. All or nothing. We are not only representing our club, sponsors and league but our fans around the country and in Australia and we want to continue the success of this season for them.

“I’m sure we can bounce back on Sunday. We’ve had good training sessions this week with the guys and they are staying positive.” 

The 41-year-old said he was pleased with his side’s performance, especially on defence, against the Townsville Blackhawks in their 26-12 major semi-final loss last Saturday at the Jack Manski Oval but said it was finals football and his men had been introduced to another level of competition.

“I thought our defence was good for most of the game last week because they had all the ball and every time we made a mistake we paid for it,” Marum said. 

“We know how the Jets play. They have an open style with lots of movement with the ball in hand and angles.

“We know what to expect from them so we’ll do what worked for us when we beat them two times this year.”

In a surprising move, Marum said he would keep centre Thompson Teteh on the bench and start with the defensively sound Edward Goma alongside goal-kicking ace Noel Zeming.

With back-rower Brand Peter’s injury-enforced omission from the squad, 19-year-old Nickson Borana has another opportunity off the bench while the rest of the team remains as per programme. The Jets have named an unchanged line-up from the one that sent the Easts Tigers packing with an emphatic 44-18 win in the minor semi-final at North Ipswich Reserve last Sunday.  

Hooker Matt Parcell, who scored a competition record five tries last week, fullback Carlin Anderson, winger Marmin Barba, who finished the regular season as the competition’s leading try scorer,  prop and former Kumul Rod Griffin and five-eighth Josh Cleeland are the men the Hunters need to contain.