Policeman Charged Over Waigani Market Shooting

The SP PNG Hunters’ woes continued in Round 14 of the Hostplus Cup as they suffered a heavy 36-16 defeat to the Brisbane Tigers at Totally Workwear Stadium on Sunday. Despite holding a promising 16-8 lead at halftime, the Hunters were overwhelmed in the second half, conceding five unanswered tries.

The match began brightly for the Hunters, who showed early dominance with three first-half tries. Judah Rimbu opened the scoring in the 14th minute, followed by Elijah Roitinga four minutes later. Solo Wane added another just before the break in the 39th minute. Jamie Mavoko converted two of those three tries, giving the visitors a strong 16-8 advantage going into halftime. The Tigers’ only first-half response was a try from Ryley Jacks in the opening minute.

However, the second half belonged entirely to the home side. The Tigers returned from the sheds with a burst of energy, and Jack Natapu’s try in the 45th minute set the tone for a relentless onslaught. Jacks added two more tries in quick succession, completing a stunning hat-trick by the 59th minute. Further tries from Jackson Chang and Jodeci Baker sealed the dominant comeback.

Tigers playmaker Keagan Russell-Smith played a pivotal role in the turnaround, converting all four second-half tries and finishing with four successful goals from seven attempts. Jacks’ performance was particularly damaging, with his hat-trick proving the turning point in the contest.

For the Hunters, the loss marks yet another painful defeat in a growing string of poor results this season. Despite showing flashes of brilliance in the first half, they were unable to contain the Tigers' momentum shift and crumbled under pressure in the final 40 minutes.

The final score stood at 36-16 in favour of the Tigers, with Jacks (3), Natapu, Chang, and Baker crossing the line, while the Hunters’ points came from Rimbu, Roitinga, and Wane. Mavoko added two conversions. The Hunters now face mounting pressure to halt their downward slide in the coming rounds.

Also read

Policeman Charged Over Waigani Market Shooting