REPLAYS: Kirwan crushes Mareeba in the Aaron Payne Cup

Kirwan Bears have crushed Aaron Payne Cup newcomers Mareeba State High in the Tablelands school’s first game in the schoolboys competition. WATCH THE REPLAYS >>

KIRWAN State High has romped to two convincing wins against schoolboys rugby league newcomers Mareeba State High.

The Bears, former national champions in the Aaron Payne Cup level, travelled to Tully Showground to take on Mareeba, the first Far North school to join the competition.

The Bears romped to a 58-4 win in the Cowboys Challenge, then backed it up with a 70-6 triumph in the Aaron Payne Cup.

It was a tough ask for Mareeba, who have endured several injuries on top of their relatively new rugby league program.

Winger Jayden Gatti scored Mareeba’s only try in the Cowboys Challenge clash.

In the Aaron Payne Cup, Tyrone Williams barged through the Bears’ defence, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake in the back end of the first half.

MAREEBA DRIVEN BY SMALL TOWN, BIG HEART MANTRA

A small player pool and a host of injuries have conspired to make Mareeba State High the ultimate underdogs when they face former national champions Kirwan State High in their Aaron Payne Cup debut on Tuesday.

Mareeba SHS is the first Far North team to join the elite schoolboys rugby league competition, and a date with the alma mater of former Kangaroos junior, Cowboys star and Maroons Origin debutant Jeremiah Nanai will thrust the Tablelands team right into the deep end.

Regardless of the size of that first challenge, principal Scott Whybird was excited about the history the school is about to make.

“We’re excited and a bit nervous,” Whybird.

“This is important for us.

“We know we’ve started late and we’re a little behind the eight-ball, but you have to do what you can do.

“Mareeba’s motto has been small town, big heart, and that’s what will drive us.”

Mareeba State High School’s rugby league team.

Coached by Chris Sheppard, Mareeba SHS has spent much of this term in extra training sessions.

But nothing could prepare Mareeba for the injuries.

“I’m just looking at the injury list from the weekend and we’ve lost another three players,” Whybird said.

“We are a small school, we only have a small number of players we can draw on.

“We’ve been running morning and afternoon sessions, we’ve got the boys into homework club to ensure they stay on track with that.

“It’s been a huge number of hours that have gone into it.”

Instant results aren’t expected to flow for Mareeba, instead the school will need time to grow and develop the playing stocks for future success.

But it’s an important step towards a fully developed rugby league nursery at a town which loves its league.

In Kirwan SHS, the school takes on arguably the toughest challenge in the Aaron Payne Cup in its first ever game.

It will be tough, but Whybird is focused on the long term gain in joining the Cup.

“They’re a team which has prepared since last year, we know how good they are,” Whybird said.

“What we saw in our trial with Trinity Bay, we have a group of kids who will perform well, they won’t back down.”

Mareeba will face Kirwan in two games at Tully Showground, with the Cowboys Challenge from noon and Aaron Payne Cup at 1pm.

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Originally published as REPLAYS: Kirwan crushes Mareeba in the Aaron Payne Cup