2023 Papua New Guinea Hunters season
Rugby league team season
The 2023 Hostplus Cup will be the PNG Hunters ' tenth season in rugby league's Queensland Cup . The Papua New Guinea Hunters is a professional rugby league club from Papua New Guinea .
Train and trial partnership with Dolphins (NRL)
The PNG Hunters strategic partnership with Dolphins (NRL) saw four Hunters players Tai , Tanabi , Waine and Judah Rimbu trained with the Dolphins (NRL) side during NRL pre-season in January,2023. Waine then left to join the London Broncos [ 2] while Rodrick Tai was recalled together with Morea Morea in April to be part of the Dolphins for a month to train. Rodrick's trial got extended after the one month, while Morea returned to the Hunters in May.[ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
Season summary
Milestone games
Round
Player
Milestone
Round 1
Morea Morea(#112), Siki Konden(#113), Sakias Komati(#114), Tom Moide(#115), Joshua Mire(#116), Valentine Richard(#117)
Hostplus Cup debuts
Round 1
Samson Komati
scored his first try
Round 2
Morea Morea
scored his first Hunters try
Round 3
Sanny Wabo(#118)
Hostplus Cup debut
Round 5
Junior Igila(#119), Trevor Solu(#120), Koso Badi(#121)
Hostplus Cup debuts
Round 8
Tom Moide
scored his first Hostplus Cup try
Round 8
Seal Kalo (Hunters #122)
Hostplus Cup debut
Round 10
Sanny Wabo
scored his first Hostplus Cup try
Round 11
Jamie Mavoko
scored his first Hostplus Cup try
Round 12
Junior Igila
scored his first Hostplus Cup try
Round 13
Joshua Lau (Hunters #123)
scored his first try on his Debut
Round 14
Joshua Mire
scored his first try at Hostplus cup level
Round 15
Trevor Solu
scored his first try at Hostplus cup level
Round 16
Whallen Tau-Loi (PNG Hunters #124)
Hostplus Cup debut
Round 20
Whallen Tau-Loi
First Hostplus Cup try
Round 22
Siki Konden
First Hostplus Cup try
2023 squad
PNG Hunters
First team squad
Coaching staff
Head coach
Assistant coach
Legend:
(c) Captain(s)
(vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 03 February 2023 Source(s): [ 8]
Squad movement
Gains
Losses
Ladder
The team highlighted in blue has clinched the minor premiership
Teams highlighted in green have qualified for the finals
The team highlighted in red has clinched the wooden spoon
Fixtures
Pre-season
Regular season
Date
Round
Opponent
Venue
Score
Tries
Goals
Attendance
Sunday, 12 March
Round 1
Western Clydesdales
Clive Berghofer Stadium
20-10
Nima 2, Komati, Kot
Mavoko 2/4 goals
Saturday, 18 March
Round 2
Souths Logan Magpies
Logan Metro Sports Park
22-22
Komati 2, Tai , Kot, Morea
Morea 1/5 goal
Saturday, 25 March
Round 3
Brisbane Tigers
PNG Football Stadium
36-38
Morea 3, Wane , Nima , Alu, Yakopa
Morea 3/6, Komati 1/1 goals
Saturday, 8 April
Round 4
BYE
-
Saturday, 15 April
Round 5
Northern Pride
Barlow Park
14-34
Tai , Komati, Nima
Solu 1/3 goal
Saturday, 22 April
Round 6
Burleigh Bears
Pizzey Park
20-46
Rop, Kapinias , Nima , Komati
Morea 1/2, Solu 1/2 goals
Saturday, 29 April
Round 7
Mackay Cutters
PNG Football Stadium
18-10
Morea, Kot, Yakopa, Tai
Mavoko 1/4
Saturday, 6 May
Round 8
Ipswich Jets
PNG Football Stadium
40-28
Nima 2, Morea, Tenza , Moide, Komati, Rop
Mavoko 6/7
Friday, 12 May
Round 9
Townsville Blackhawks
Jack Manski Oval
4-54
Wane
Mavoko 0/1
Saturday, 20 May
Round 10
Wynnum Manly Seagulls
BMD Kougari Oval
24-28
Tai 2, Wabo 2, Jesse
Mavoko 2/5
Saturday,27 May
Round 11
Northern Pride
PNG Football Stadium
16-22
Yakopa, Mavoko, Tenza
Mavoko 2/3
Saturday, 3 June
Round 12
Tweed Heads Seagulls
PNG Football Stadium
34-18
Moide, Igila, Morea, Tai , Wane , Rop
Mavoko 5/6
Saturday, 10 June
Round 13
Western Clydesdales
PNG Football Stadium
40-4
Moide, Nima , Lau, Kimisive, Wabo, Morea, Tai
Solu 5/6, Morea 1/1
Saturday, 17 June
Round 14
Souths Logan Magpies
PNG Football Stadium
10-40
Kot, Mire
Solu 1/1, Mavoko 0/1
Sunday, 25 June
Round 15
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Sunshine Coast Stadium
34-10
Solu 2, Morea, Moide, Yakopa, Wane
Mavoko 4/5, Solu 1/1
Saturday, 1 July
Round 16
CQ Capras
PNG Football Stadium
14-8
Rimbu, Wabo, Kot
Mavoko 1/2 Solu 0/1
Saturday, 8 July
Round 17
Burleigh Bears
PNG Football Stadium
22-30
Nima , Kot, Morea, Wane
Morea (2/4 + 1 pen. )
Saturday, 15 July
Round 18
BYE
Sunday, 30 July
Round 19
Brisbane Tigers
Totally Workwear Stadium
18-32
Tai , Wane , Kot
Mavoko 3/3
Saturday, 5 August
Round 20
Redcliffe Dolphins
PNG Football Stadium
26-22
Wane 2, Tau-Loi, Lau, Kot
Mavoko (2/5 + 1 pen. )
Saturday, 12 August
Round 21
Townsville Blackhawks
PNG Football Stadium
22-18
Morea, Lau, Tau-Loi, Mavoko
Mavoko 3/4
Saturday, 19 August
Round 22
Norths Devils
Bishop Park
30-40
Rop, Mavoko, Komati, Rimbu, Konden
Mavoko (4/5 + 1 pen. )
[ 21]
Legend : Win Loss Draw Bye
Statistics
Name
App
T
G
FG
Pts
Ila Alu
18
1
-
-
4
Koso Badi
7
0
-
-
0
Casey Dickson
7
0
-
-
0
Warren Glare
4
0
-
-
0
Junior Igila
7
1
-
-
4
Mathew Jesse
2
1
-
-
4
Seal Kalo
10
0
-
-
0
Epel Kapinias
20
1
-
-
4
Philemon Kimisive
2
1
-
-
4
Sakias Komati
13
7
1
-
30
Siki Konden
6
1
-
-
4
Benji Kot
16
8
-
-
32
Joshua Lau
5
3
-
-
12
Jamie Mavoko
18
3
37
-
86
Joshua Mire
6
1
-
-
4
Tom Moide
16
4
-
-
16
Morea Morea
20
11
9
-
62
Brandon Nima
19
9
-
-
36
Valentine Richard
4
0
-
-
0
Judah Rimbu
18
2
-
-
8
Junior Rop
18
4
-
-
16
Trevor Solu
8
2
8
-
24
Rodrick Tai
19
8
-
-
32
Sherwin Tanabi
7
0
-
-
0
Whallen Tau-Loi
5
2
-
-
8
Wesser Tenza
11
2
-
-
8
Sanny Wabo
8
4
-
-
16
Henry Wan
12
0
-
-
0
Solo Wane
20
8
-
-
32
Julius Yakopa
11
4
-
-
16
Totals
88
56
0
464
Representatives
The following players played representative matches in 2023.
References