Four senior rugby league players have personally come out to clear the air on reasons why their fans will not be seeing them in the hunters jersey this season.
In a joint statement, PNG Kumuls five-eight and winning captain of the 2017 Queensland Cup, Ase Boas and fellow players from the PNG Kumuls and Hunters team, Enock Maki, Stanton Albert and Brendan Gotuno had this to say;
“Although we were not selected to be a part of this year’s PNG Hunters season, we are appreciative of the current team, the management and especially coach Matthew Church for his leadership and the vision he has for the team this year.”
Being senior players, they have come across many people in PNG and even abroad who are currently questioning their absence in the team for this season.
“We wanted to assure our fans that whilst we remain physically and mentally fit, we also respect coach Church and the PNG Hunters management decision and leadership.
“Playing for PNG Hunters is not just about putting on a jersey on game day, it is having the passion to being able to win without gloating, respecting one’s opponents, and being able to lose gracefully. It’s showing respect for yourself, your team and the officials of the game but mostly it’s the inner desire to succeed at each game. These are the values we’ve learnt spending seven years with the team, and it is also what I try to impart to the new boys that join the team over the years.” said Ase Boas.
In response to a news article published on 25th January 2022 in The National Newspaper, there were claims made by SP hunters coach Matt Church clearing the air on a few senior players not making the team this year.
According to Kumul No. 250, Enock Maki, these reasons stated by the coach in that article are not entirely correct in nature.
“Coach had a discussion with me last year in Gold Coast seeking my views on whether I was considering retirement this year, I had told him that I wanted to give it my last shot with my eyes on the upcoming world cup, agreeing to retire this year are not my words”, Maki said.
PNG International, Stanton Albert said, “the newspaper article stated that I was offered to return to the Hunters team this year but chose not to due to personal issues which I had to focus on. This statement is false and misleading. The fact is, Coach Church had offered me a train on trial contract which did not go down too well with me”.
“As a senior player with the PNG Hunters, having also played in the Kumuls, I felt I was not respected nor valued given my years of sacrifice to the sport so I opted not to be a part of this year’s team”, added Albert.
” Respect is a PNG Hunters value, I felt this is contradicting everything we stand for.” Brendan Gotuno said.
“On the 19th November 2021, I had met with coach church and his staff. He expressed his concerns but stated his expectations of me. Whilst I understand that he wanted me to push a little harder during the first week of training, he had forgotten I had just got back from a grade two hamstring injury after round 12 last season,”stated Gotuno.
Gotuno said, the medical advise he received was to rest given that the nature of the injury was to undergo rehabilitation.
“When I was called back for preseason, I thought I was going to undergo rehab, that never happened, and I was required to begin training. Just four days into training and coach told me I was overweight and unfit. I play the wing position and the weight range for any winger is 82kg -90kg. While my current weight is 87kg, I don’t see this as a justified reason. I was hoping for a 2022 injury free year, maybe get called up for the Kumuls, however that’s not going to happen anymore,” added Gotuno.
Meanwhile, Hunters 2017 premiership skipper Ase Boas said he needs to know the reason why he did not make the team.
“Yes I’ve turned 33, but I know and trust my body and I can confidently say I am 100% physically and mentally fit. I also would like to know where coach Church got his information to bluntly say on media that I have been battling a niggling injury in recent years? I’ve never discussed this information with him nor given him my consent to say such, this is unacceptable for him to publicly make that claim”,Boas said.
In addition, Boas said “I probably wouldn’t meet medical qualifications without doing any sort of medical examination before this claim was made publicly is an insult to me and tarnishes my professional opportunities.”
“As senior players, we need to be treated with the respect we deserve. We’ve made a lot of sacrifices and our input and hard work has seen the team be where it is today, acknowledging contributions from my former Hunters colleagues and coaching staff who share the same pride and respect for the club,” said Boas.
Boas further went on to say; “The PNG Hunters club is about forging partnerships to work together for an end goal, and that is to win our games. The culture of the club is built on our core values which is respect, accountability, sacrifice and teamwork.
The club is bigger than any player put together, regardless of our level of experience, the legacy of the club will live on. The players and coaching staff, both past and present contributes to that legacy, it is our pride and want to exit on a positive note so the present and future players have something to look up to in their rugby profession.
