PEOPLE need to remember where the SP PNG Hunters came from and understand what competition they are playing in.
Many are comparing the Hunters with the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup mindset, expecting wins every week.
Hostplus Cup is different; it is not the DEM Cup.
The Hostplus Cup is Queensland’s elite state competition in Australia – a tougher, longer and more professional environment where clubs compete every week with stronger systems, bigger player pathways and links to National Rugby League programmes.
The Hunters entered the Queensland Cup in 2014 and quickly became one of the competition’s success stories. Under coach Michael Marum, they built steadily and reached the top in 2017, winning their first premiership only three seasons after entering the competition.
But after that title came a difficult period.
From 2018 onwards, the Hunters struggled to return to finals football. Season after season, expectations stayed high but results did not come.
For six straight years the club missed the finals and that’s something many fans forget today.
Then came Paul Aiton.
When Aiton was promoted from assistant coach to head coach for 2024, there was pressure from day one. He was not taking over a top-four side but a team carrying six years of frustration and expectation.
What happened next deserves more respect.
In his first season as head coach, Aiton guided the Hunters back into the Hostplus Cup finals for the first time since 2017. Not only that, the team pushed all the way to the preliminary final and finished among the competition’s strongest teams.
That achievement should not be treated as normal. Breaking a six-year finals’ drought is not luck but changing standards, rebuilding confidence and creating belief again.
Then in 2025, the Hunters backed it up with another finals appearance instead of falling away after one good year.
Does that mean fans cannot be disappointed after losses? No.
Supporters have every right to demand effort, discipline and improvement. But expecting the Hunters to win every week misses the bigger picture.
Hostplus Cup is designed to test teams over an entire season. Success is measured by consistency, development and staying competitive against clubs that operate in one of Australia’s strongest rugby league systems.
The Hunters are also more than a club chasing wins. They are a pathway team developing players for higher honours and helping grow rugby league in Papua New Guinea.
So before saying “win every game”, remember this: Aiton inherited a team that had not played finals in six years. He brought finals football back. That does not mean the job is finished. But it does mean progress should be recognised.
Any coach coming into the Hostplus Cup would want an experienced team with established combinations and players who already understand the demands of Queensland’s elite state competition.
But that is not always the reality.
When Aiton accepted the Hunters coaching role in 2024, he knew he was stepping into a tough environment.
He inherited a squad that was still developing, with many young and inexperienced players trying to find their feet at a higher level of rugby league.
Yet Aiton accepted the challenge. He did not complain. He put his head down and went to work.
People should remember – this is not something new for the Hunters.
Back in 2014, when the Hunters entered the Queensland Cup under Marum, that team was also inexperienced. They had ups and downs. There were difficult seasons and plenty of lessons along the way.
But they stayed together, kept improving and eventually created history by winning the premiership in 2017.
Success did not happen overnight. It took time.
Now look at Aiton’s record.
He arrived in 2024 and guided the Hunters back into finals football after years of missing out. Not only did they make the finals, they reached the preliminary final.
Then in 2025, they backed it up with another finals appearance.
That is two consecutive years of finals football.
In a competition as tough as the Hostplus Cup, that is not something to ignore.
Of course fans want wins that is normal. Supporters can question selections, performances and standards. But saying Aiton cannot coach ignores the progress that has been made.
A coach cannot magically turn an inexperienced squad into champions overnight. Development takes time. Building combinations takes time. Creating a winning culture takes time.
So, before criticising Aiton, remember this: he accepted the challenge, worked with what he had and he delivered two straight finals appearances. That deserves recognition too.
If you’re a patriotic fan of the Hunters, keep quiet for a while, build, support and keep believing.
Our time will come.
