Transcript
MICHAEL MARUM: I didn't expect to win the minor premiership this year (but) week in week out the performances were there. We set our goals to finish in the final six but to get the minor premiership just really proud at the way they've gone so far this year.
VINNIE WYLIE: There have been difficulties - a lot of the matches at home you've trailed at halftime or early in the first half and you've had to come from behind to win. Your performances away from home have been very strong, but that wasn't the case last year, and we've had a little trouble in camp a few weeks ago with some players, so there have been some hurdles to get over to get to this point?
MM: Yeah that's right. I think our home games we just always trail and struggle to get the wins up here but we've done a lot of work on our away trips: our routine, how we travel, how we get into camp, how we prepare for games - stuff like that - so we're moving closer to the venues. Back at home it's just the distractions from the fans and the people back here is one of the main reasons why we've struggled a bit like that but some of the things we've learnt throughout the year. It's been a long season for a lot of these boys again and at the moment just mentally we're trying to keep them focused on the job. The minor premiership is just one thing...but the main prize is still there so I hope we can push even up in the next month or so.
VW: And you've got one more round robin match away and from home and you get a bye in the first week of the finals, thanks to your position at the top of the table. Last year you lost in the first week of the finals at home so what have you learnt from that experience?
MM: Yeah we've lost three finals games and we haven't won one - two in 2015 against the Blackhawks and Jets and also one last year so that was disappointing but we understand it's going to be tough again. It's a different ball game, finals football, but our focus now is just on our last remaining game this weekend against the Tweed Heads, get them out of the way and then we will focus on that but everyone needs to step up to make sure they give their best during the home semi.
VW: Rugby league is of course the national sport in Papua New Guinea and this is a World Cup year, where you will be coaching the Kumuls on home soil at the National Football Stadium in a couple of months’ time, so what does this result mean, not just for the Hunters team and squad but for the people of Papua New Guinea and the people that love rugby league?
MM: It's going to be a big two months with the World Cup games coming up. Yesterday we had the Prime Minister there, all the ministers - a lot of very important people at the game and the fans I think we had over 12,000 people there. Just after the game I was talking to (PNG Kumuls fullback) David Mead and a few of the Wynnum boys and the atmosphere just at the game was (incredible)...come World Cup time just imagine all this and get another extra 5,000 in it's exciting times ahead and rugby league up here unites the nation - everyone stops and talks about the Hunters for just one day and they get back to normal the day after so we've gone a long way to come out as minor premiers.
