The SP PNG Hunters will play host to the Central Queensland Capras this Sunday, 17th July at Bycroft Oval, Runaway Bay in Round 15 of the QRL Hostplus Cup. The Hunters will ride a wave of confidence into this weekend’s contest, having produced their best performance of the season last week against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls to win 36-22. There were some notable changes to the Hunters’ squad who won that game – namely a new halves pairing of Kingstimer Paraia and Judah Rimbu, and skipper Keven Appo’s move from edge forward to lock – but the most significant difference between the Hunters’ of Round 14 and the 2022 season as a whole was their intent and aggression on both sides of the ball. The stats from that game make for interesting reading. The Seagulls spent more time in possession, took more runs and missed less tackles than the Hunters yet both sides were evenly matched in yardage. Wynnum clocked just 30 additional running metres across the 80 minutes despite enjoying the bulk of possession, as they spent much of their time working off their own try line thanks to the kicking game of Rimbu and Paraia for the Hunters. Completing at 82% - a vast improvement from their season average of 69% - allowed the Hunters to build pressure and play the game down Wynnum Manly’s end. It doesn’t show on the stats sheet, but the confidence and momentum the Hunters created with their kicking game flowed into how they used the ball in attack. It’s no coincidence that one of the Hunters’ better attacking performance of the season coincided with a dominate defensive display. The other thing that doesn’t translate onto the stats sheet is the force of contact the Hunters applied on both sides of the ball. In true PNG fashion, the Hunters’ front-loaded their defensive efforts to dominate Seagulls’ ball carriers around the ruck. Sylvester Namo, Dilbert Issac and Keven Appo led the Hunters’ line speed all game and consistently won the tackle to put Wynnum Manly on their backs in yardage sets. This was backed up in attack as the Hunters constantly bent the line to post-contact metres and generate ruck speed for their team. It's a blueprint for success for the SP PNG Hunters in 2022 and now the challenge is to back it up against another top four side this week in the CQ Capras. The Capras leaped to third place on the QRL ladder last week following the Hunters’ win over Wynnum Manly and on the back of their own narrow win over the Sunshine Coast Falcons. A two point margin was all that separated the Falcons and Capras when the siren sounded in Round 14, with Yee-Huang Tonumaipe’a scoring a late try for the Sunshine Coast as they threatened a comeback. That 22-20 win over the Falcons capped off a shaky month of football for the Capras, who also managed a close win over the Blackhawks in Round 11 before drawing with Redcliffe in Round 12 and losing to Tweed in the following week. The Capras’ recent winning record is a far cry from their 4-and-0 start to the season, which included a 26-16 win over the Hunters in Round 2 at Browne Park. Given the improvements the Hunters have shown since that game and their form in Round 14, the PNG side will be every chance of turning the tables and exacting revenge on the Capras this weekend at Bycroft Oval.