It has been a challenging season for the SP PNG Hunters, but Hunters Chief Executive Officer Scott Barker remains focused on the positives.
Speaking to the media, Barker outlined several factors contributing to the team’s inconsistent performances this season, highlighting player departures, injuries, and suspensions as key challenges.
According to Barker, the Hunters lost 15 players from a squad of 32 at the end of last year, with many taking up opportunities overseas.
“It was a significant player drain,” Barker said. However, he believes the departures also demonstrate the success of the Hunters’ player pathway program.
“The positive side is that it creates opportunities for players coming through the system. It opens the door for young talent from the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup to step up and be part of the Hunters program,” he said.
While the pathway system is achieving its objective, Barker acknowledged that the loss of experienced players has left a significant gap within the squad.
“When we lost players at the end of last year, we lost about 520 games of Queensland Cup experience. That’s a massive loss,” he said. You’ve got players like Brendon Nima with more than 100 games, Solo Wane with around 90 games, and Judah Rimbu, same. When younger players come in, naturally they don’t have that level of experience.”
Barker explained that it typically takes around 40 games in the Hostplus Cup or even the NRL before players become fully comfortable competing at that level.
He pointed out that the Hunters continue to face highly experienced opposition each week. “The team we’re playing this week has more than 1,000 games of Queensland Cup experience and over 100 games of NRL experience,” Barker said.
He stressed that the experience gap was not being used as an excuse. “It’s simply where we are in our development. We want to see our players go, but when they leave, it creates an experience gap that younger players need time to fill.”
Injuries and suspensions have also disrupted the team’s campaign, with 11 players currently sidelined.
Barker said Whalen Tau-Loi recently served a two-week suspension, while Ila Alu spent 11 days in concussion protocols following a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).
The disruptions have made it difficult for coach Paul Aiton to maintain consistency in team selections.
“Paul hasn’t been able to name the same team twice at any stage this season, and that has affected continuity, performances, and the development of younger players who have been forced into more game time,” Barker said.
The Hunters have already handed debuts to eight players this season, compared to 10 debuts across the entire 2025 campaign.
“That shows the amount of change we’ve had to deal with,” he said.
Barker said successful teams are often able to maintain a settled line-up throughout the season. In contrast, the Hunters have already handed debuts to eight players this year due to injuries, suspensions and player turnover, making it difficult to build consistency and combinations on the field
Despite the setbacks, Barker believes the Hunters have remained competitive in most matches.
“I think we’ve been in most games. It’s been concentration lapses and a lack of experience at key moments that have cost us,” he said. “If we can compete consistently for the full 80 minutes, we can win those close games and certainly push for a top-eight spot.”
However, Barker said he remains confident in the coaching staff and the systems currently in place.