PNG Hunters steps up between drinks and enters preliminary finals

 It's been between drinks the pride of Papua New Guinea, PNG Hunters progressed to finals games in the Queensland's Host Plus Cup in Australia.

Slotted into the competition in 2015 they were popular and gravitated much fanfare.

They won the formerly Queensland Cup grand final in 2017, coming from behind to seal the win.

Seven years in hiatus, this year under the coaching command of former PNG Kumuls, Paul Aiton, the PNG Hunters progressed to preliminary final.

They went up against the feeder club of the Redcliffe Dolphins, the North Devils at Bishop Park, Brisbane.

Unfortunately errors costed them the game, going down to the devils 46 - 30.

A Kumul representative Jeremiah Simbiken from the North Devils put the game beyond doubt with his try at the dying minutes stretching the difference to 16.

Many fans in Papua New Guinea had hoped the Hunters would qualify for the big dance and a victory there would be among the icing on the case as the country looks forward to commemorating 50 years of political independence from Australia.

The Hunters under the stewardship of Paul Aiton will focus on next year and many would be keen to don the red black and gold jersey for the upcoming Pacific Cup and the annual PNG vs Australia Prime Ministers XIII slated for October 2024.