Yaro to trim Wigmen squad in Hunters trial

Tuesday, 4 February 2025, 4:49 pm

Wigmen coach Ian Yaro with players during yesterday's training (NBC News: Suli Suli)

Hela Wigmen head coach Ian Yaro will utilize this Friday's trial match against the PNG Hunters as an opportunity to evaluate his players, who are currently engaged in pre-season training.

The 2024 finalists have assembled a 65-man pre-season squad in preparation for the Digicel ExxonMobil Cup, with Coach Yaro tasked with identifying the top players who will best represent the franchise.

“We are having our trial this Friday against the Hunters, and that’s where we will be trimming our squad,” Yaro told NBC News.

“We will likely retain between 35 and 40 players, depending on how the board wants us to prepare the team for training camp.

“We got one more month to prepare them before the season starts.”

Having fallen short last season against the Mt. Hagen Eagles in the grand final, the Wigmen aim to reignite their spirit for the premiership title in the 2025 DEM Cup campaign.

The larger squad began training three weeks ago as part of an intensive 12-week program, guided by head trainer Nelson Stone and assistant Peter Andrew.

“We are currently in the conditioning block. Starting tomorrow [Wednesday], our preparation for this weekend's trials will come into play,” Stone told NBC News.

“We have a significant number of new players joining us, as well as several experienced players from other franchises."

Meanwhile, Wigmen Chief Executive Officer Patrick Wundai is satisfied with the overall outlook of the pre-season, adding that the club is eager to bounce back from their grand final loss in 2024.