The SWG Enterprise Valley Hunters are just one step away from their first premiership in the 2024 Pepsi Moni Plus Capital Rugby Union (CRU) competition.
The Valley Hunters made a remarkable turnaround, going from wooden spooners in 2023 to becoming a premiership threat in the 2024 CRU competition.
This achievement was significant for the Valley men, as the premier rugby union team have been striving for the CRU premiership title since 2008.
The Hunters, with many new players joining the team in the 2024 season, made this remarkable breakthrough. Their efforts, combined with the clinical coaching of experienced and level 3 coach Frank Genia, along with brother Will Genia (former Australian Wallaby), have proven to be a winning formula for the team.
Rookie coach Frank Genia built his men up as they rose together to full strength. The Genia brothers have imparted much on the boys that was undoubtedly evident in their performance when facing strong teams in the CRU premier men’s competition.
The 2024 CRU season has been a fruitful year for the Hunters outfit, who remained consistent throughout. Their dominant performances saw them finish on a high with 11 wins, 2 losses, 3 draws, and 2 byes out of the 16 regular games, sitting in 3rd place on the ladder after the regular rounds, automatically qualifying for the semi-finals.
Maintaining their momentum like in the regular rounds, the Hunters showed their undefeated spirit in an elimination final against the Fincorp University Piggies. The Genia-coached side defeated the Piggies with a 18-15 win at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium in Port Moresby on Saturday, August 31st.
It was a tough match, but the Hunters managed to secure victory with a successful penalty conversion right before full time to seal the 3-point-led win.
Operations Manager Mr. Max Katal expressed his excitement about the win, stating that he was proud of the boys for displaying a strong performance in such a very competitive game.
"The boys displayed a solid defensive backline, played well in the strong fight against the Piggies," said Mr. Katal.
He added that they were fortunate to win because of that penalty success. Katal also acknowledged their mistakes, stating, "We made too many errors that cost us scoring opportunities, especially in the first half."
Katal said the minor semi-final contest was a good learning experience for the team, and they will work on fixing their mistakes during training week and improve when they face the Supreme Industries Harlequins in the preliminary final on Saturday, September 7th, 2024, at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium.
The Valley Hunters have turned the tables and posed a threat to the teams they faced in the 2024 CRU competition.
The Harlequins have to work extra hard to stop the forces of the Valley men. The Red-and-Black Army have walked a remarkable journey and have created a winning culture and will do everything within their power to win the fight against the Harlies.
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