ON THE HUNT

IF the big play is on, chances are Carlin Anderson will be right in the thick of it.

The Townsville Blackhawks fullback shapes as a key weapon in today’s crucial game against the PNG Hunters, which if the Blackhawks win could lead to a top four finish at season’s end, and an all- important home final.

Only a miracle could see the seventh placed Ipswich Jets overtake the Blackhawks with two rounds remaining, with the Blackhawks having a bye in hand.

Anderson is not about to let the mathematical certainty of playing finals get in his way though, especially with his rugby league career on the rise.

Signing a two- year contract with the North Queensland Cowboys earlier this season, Anderson is the leading Q Cup points scorer and was yesterday named as the Blackhawks’ nominee in the annual XXXX People’s Choice Award.

He has completed almost every individual goal he set out to achieve in 2017 after parting ways with the Broncos and feeder team Ipswich last year, but Anderson is far from finished.

“The goal was to come up and get an NRL deal, and I’ve done that,” Anderson said.

“But there’s so much more we can achieve this year as a team, and we want that premiership.”

Anderson ( pictured) scored the opening try against the Hunters in Port Moresby earlier this year, but the Blackhawks saw their early lead evaporate in the face of a Hunters’ onslaught, conceding seven unanswered tries.

“We had a talk afterwards about where we were as a team, mainly about the need to be more accountable,” Anderson said.

“To play them again is a big occasion, but all the boys are ready to go.

“It can be intimidating playing PNG, you look at them and think ‘ who is the winger, who is the forward?’

“But these are the games you play footy for.”

The Blackhawks will be out to replicate the 24- 20 win they scored over the Hunters in front of a packed Jack Manski Oval last year.