BUMPER CROWD EXPECTED FOR SP PNG HUNTERS GAME THIS SUNDAY

RUGBY league followers within easy access to North Ipswich Reserve will make it their business to get to Sunday’s game between the SP PNG Hunters and Luxury Paints Ipswich Jets in their Round Six Intrust Super Cup clash. 

It is an opportunity Papua New Guineans or people with some connection with the country living in Australia, particularly in Queensland will not want to miss for what is shaping up to be their rugby league match of the weekend. 

There will be others – from outside Queensland, even in PNG who will still find their way to the ground despite the distance or the strain it may place on their budgets. 

That’s what happened last weekend at Langland’s Park for the Hunters match against last year’s runners-up East Tigers.

With the last quarter of the match remaining Easts led 20-8 and it seemed like the Tigers had the match in the bag.

But the Hunters continued to hunt - rallied and fought back, something not known for in past PNG teams - to draw the match 20-20 and the supporters from both teams showed their appreciation of a great football match by giving both teams a standing ovation. 

The Easts home ground would have recorded one of its highest, if not biggest crowds, for an Intrust Super Cup match for some time despite the miserable weather in Brisbane that day.

PNG Rugby Football League CEO Brad Tassell who was at the match, noticed that the Easts ground staff had underestimated the number who would turn up for the match. 

The crowd was huge and one of the old chaps who volunteers collecting money at the gates jokingly said he was not prepared for the enormity of the task and couldn’t close his tin because of the gate takings, he said.

“It is really great to see the fans turn up in their droves for our away matches,” Tassell said.

“It’s good for our team, the clubs and the Intrust Super Cup competition to see the growth in popularity this year.” 

“Our (SP Hunters) inclusion has sparked that interest as we play a brand of football that is not formula or pre-programmed football but is exciting to watch, so more and more fans are taking notice of the competition, which again is great. 

“I also speak to a lot of the PNG fans who come to our games and many say the Hunters have united the PNG community in Brisbane which has sometimes been fractured in the past.

“Now PNG people from all parts of PNG who are now living in Brisbane sit next to each other and share a common goal in cheering on their team….that makes my heart warm and to me is what Rugby League is all about.”

And Tassell believes that things won’t be any different at this Sunday’s game against the Ipswich Jets, with all reports indicating a bumper crowd at Ipswich.

The Hunters fly into Brisbane on Saturday evening ahead of the game, which will kick off at 2pm and be telecast live on Hitron and Channel 8 with a replay at 7pm on EMTV.