Ipswich Jets v PNG Hunters at North Ipswich Reserve on Saturday, August 8 – 3pm
Ipswich Jets: 1. Carlin Anderson 2. Marmin Barba 3. Chris Walker 4. Nemani Valekapa 5. Brandon McGrady 6. Josh Cleeland 7. Dane Phillips (c) 8. Josh Seage 9. Landon Hayes 10. Rod Griffin 11. Joseph Ofahengaue 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Richard Pandia 14. Matt Parcell 15. Kurtis Lingwoodock 16. Billy McConnachie 17. Liam Capewell
Coach: Ben Walker and Shane Walker
PNG Hunters: 1. Stargroth Amean 2. Oti Bland Tony 3. Noel Zeming 4. Edward Goma 5. Adex Wera 6. Israel Eliab (c) 7. Ase Boas 8. Henry Noki 9. Wartovo Puara 10. Esau Siune 11. Brandy Peter 12. Kato Ottio 13. Timothy Lomai 14. Adam Korave 15. Atte Bina 16. Willie Minoga 17. Enock Maki 18. Nickson Borana 19. Warren Glare
Coach: Michael Marum
Head to Head: PNG Hunters 2 IPSWICH Jets 1.
Last time they played: Round 13 2015.
PNG HUNTERS 40 (Israel Eliab 2, Stargroth Amean, Adex Wera, Kato Ottio, Lawrence Tu’u, Brandy Peter tries; Noel Zeming 5, Israel Eliab goals) def IPSWICH JETS 28 (Landon Hayes 2, Marmin Barba, Kurt Capewell, Billy McConnachie tries; Carlin Anderson 3, Marmin Barba goals) at Kalabond Oval, Kokopo.
The Jets and Hunters clash brought together two in form teams. The Jets had won five games in a row including six away games in a row while the Hunters had not lost at home all year and was also chasing their club record 6 wins a row.
The Jets let the Hunters get out to 10-0 and then had to peg it back the whole game. It was 28 all with 8 minutes to go but the Hunters sealed the game with two tries to end the Jets winning streak.
Round 22 2015
The Jets are coming off the bye while the Hunters are coming off a close win over the Easts Tigers. It was the first time the Hunters have got over the Tigers and keeps their undefeated run at home intact in 2015.
The Hunters called on Noel Zeming their leading points scorer this year to slot the wining penalty goal and give the Hunters the two points.
The Hunters currently sit in second spot on 35 points three points ahead of the Jets who are in third spot on 32.
The Jets have a slight advantage in the for with 590 points compared to the Hunters 578. While in the against it shows that the Jets have allowed 406 points while the Hunters have failed to defend 408.
Things are even all over the park; the Hunters have scored 106 tries the Jets 107. Hunters have allowed 74 tries and the Jets 77.
The Hunters have won 15 games this year by 196 points with an average win of 13 points. The Hunters have had some close calls the last month; two point win over Easts, two point win over Townsville, four point win over the Falcons and a draw against the Dolphins.
The Hunters haven’t been beaten since round 6 against Wynnum and haven’t lost away from home since round 5 against the Falcons.
The Jets have won 14 games this year by 220 points for an average win of 16. The Jets have won their last two games before the bye but before that went loss, win, loss, win, loss which was started with the loss to the Hunters after winning five straight.
The only time the Hunters have played the Jets in Ipswich the Jets won 25-12 last year and kept the Hunters scoreless after the 19th minute and after the Hunters had got off to a 12-0 start and then didn’t score again.
Israel Eliab is the Hunters’ leading try scorer. Eliab has 17 tries this year and got two against the Jets in the earlier game this year. He’s that dangerous combination of speed and elusive he burnt the Jets from the 30 metre line last time when he received the ball and set off for the line on a 70 metre run to score his first try.
Eliab loves to sniff around off the big Hunter’s forwards and wait for an offload. If the Jets can’t wrap up the Hunters’ forwards and stop them promoting the ball they might have to chase Eliab. The last time these teams clashed he contributed 150m to his team’s cause and topped the tackle count with 29.
Noel Zeming is the Hunters’ leading point scorer but can be exploited in defence; Kurt Capewell won’t have forgotten the try he scored and the footwork that left Zeming wondering in round 13. Zeming missed four tackles against the Jets in the earlier clash this year.
The Jets of course have their own King of the Kumuls in Rod Griffin; Griffin is also the off-load king with 58 from his 16 games which works out to a healthy average of 3.6 a game.
Before last week Griffin had also become the Jets’ top tackler with 478 tackles and 34 misses. The return of Matt Parcell saw the crown taken from Griffin after Parcell contributed 41 tackles and no misses to take his tally this year to 485 tackles with 15 misses at 97% effective.
Griffin is just as menacing with the ball as he is without it; he has made 2478 metres for his team this year of hard earned turf. That’s 154 metres average per game. He has made over 150 metres 8 times this year.
Matt Parcell’s return to the Jets was a triumph; Parcell played 80 minutes, he made 41 tackles, made 129 metres, 3 off-loads, 1 line break and 1 try assist. Parcell and Landon Hayes could prove a dangerous double act for teams to counter. If the big Hunters’ forwards don’t move well laterally and stay up and square then it could be problems for them if the Jets’ two hookers get in behind the line.
Kurt Capewell has been outstanding in the absence of two of his more experienced partners in Sam Martin and Keiron Lander. Capewell against Norths was outstanding- again.
80 minutes, 13 hit ups and 126 metres, 4 off-loads, 1 line break, 2 line break assists, 1 try assist and 22 tackles. Capewell moves around the field and probes for gaps then ghosts through. He has made the move to the second row seem easy and has acquired new skills like off-loading as the year has progressed.
Two points scoring milestones are on offer for the Jets this week; Chris Walker needs 2 points for 300 Intrust Super Cup points. Walker has 64 tries and 21 goals from 64 games while Carlin Anderson needs 12 points for 200 career points, from 36 games Anderson has 25 tries and 44 goals.
Jets’ half and captain Dane Phillips also needs two points for 100 Intrust Super Cup points.
Liam Capewell will also play his 50th game for the Jets.
The Jets will be looking for the return of Carlin Anderson who missed the Norths game with a calf injury. The Jets will also be without big Broncos’ forward Joe Ofenghaue who has played five games for the Jets this year but will play for the Broncos this week.
It’s simple; this game is a blockbuster every stat is nearly even, big forwards, off-loads, tries, and big hits. This game is the game of the round and is a chance for both teams to cement that spot in the upper half of the top 6.