After a stellar year that saw them finish second on the Queensland Cup ladder and just miss out on a place in the Grand Final, the PNG Hunters start their preparations for the 2016 season next week.

Coach Michael Marum has chosen a squad of 36, including a raft of new faces, but there are also some notable absentees, with oversees clubs casting an eye over several Hunters players, including the captain Israel Eliab.

Chief executive Bob Cutmore says despite their best efforts to keep him, the skipper is bound for the UK.