PNG Hunters coach Michael Marum retains team for round 8 match against Burleigh Bears

PNG Hunters coach  Michale  Marum has retained the side that snapped a two-game losing streak last Sunday, for Saturday’s Queensland Cup Round 8 clash against the Burleigh Bears in Brisbane. 

The Kumuls assistant coach is sticking with a winning formula, albeit one, that managed to scrape home 26-24 against a determined Cutters team in Kokopo.

Halfback Ate Bina Wabo keeps the No.7 jersey on the back of a solid display over the weekend, although the Eastern Highlander’s kicking game was found wanting at times.

The Hunters mentor said this weekend’s game will be “very crucial” for the South Pacific Brewery-sponsored side if they wanted to stay in touch with the top four.

At the moment, the team is languishing in eighth spot and desperately needs to find form on the road to achieve their goal of making the playoffs in 2015.

Marum said from Kokopo yesterday that training had been good and the players were responding better after getting a win under their belts for the first time in April.

The team will fly off to Brisbane tomorrow.

“It was a close game and it probably could have gone either way but we’re just happy to get the two points and move on,” Marum said of Sunday’s performance. He admitted that his side made too many errors but gave them credit for holding off a fast-finishing Mackay side.

“We just dropped too many balls and kept inviting them back into the match but I think our defence in the last 10 or so minutes was outstanding.”

On the injury front, Ase Boas will be unavailable this weekend, as he has one more week to recover from a badly bruised right forearm, while Timothy Lomai is receiving treatment for a minor shoulder injury.

Marum expects the destructive ball-runner to be cleared for the Bears match.

Marum was not giving much away on whether his former charge Gary Lo will make a return to the Hunters camp in the near future.

He said the 2014 Queensland Cup top try-scorer will not be able to play for the Hunters this weekend as he still needed to prove his fitness and spend more time in the  in the Digicel Cup. 

Hunters: Stargroth Amean, David Lapua, Noel Zeming, Thompson Teteh, Adex Wera, Israel Eliab , Ate Bina Wabo, Henry Wan,Wartovo Puara, Esau Siune, Kato Ottio, Brandy Peter 13. Timothy Lomai, Roger Laka, Lawrence Tu’u, Willie Minoga, Adam Korave, Bland Abavu, Nickson Borana, Edward Goma (three to be omitted).   PNG Today/The National