Fight on for FOGs Cup finals

SUCCESS can be a double-edged sword for the Jets FOGs Cup team.

ON THE RISE: Khan Ahwang is one of a number of players the Ipswich Jets FOGs Cup team is looking to in its run to the finals. Picture: David Nielsen

SUCCESS can be a double-edged sword for the Jets FOGs Cup team.

As soon as a player starts to perform, they could be called up to the Queensland Cup.

The Jets FOGs are fighting for the bottom finals place with Wynnum-Manly, just three points behind with six rounds remaining.

The Jets are coming off an 18-14 win over the third-placed Redcliffe Dolphins.

The win is the second straight for the Jets who are looking to build a streak as they march towards the finals.

However, their final six games will see the Jets play only once more at North Ipswich, and against the competition's top team, Easts, three more times.

In comparison, Wynnum-Manly has four more home games remaining and plays the bottom-of-the-table Souths-Logan twice to wrap up the season.

It's not an easy run to the finals but one Jets assistant coach Mark Bishop thinks they are up to.

Bishop, who has been taking the reins when coach Todd Brown has been unavailable, said FOGs players getting call-ups to the Queensland Cup team was helping the team in the long term.

"The boys have just started to show what they're made of," he said.

"Halfway through the season, I think a lot of them were just happy to be playing FOGs. But now, after a couple of them have been called up, they're realising they can play at (Queensland) Cup level too."

Bishop said he will be looking for the team's forwards to step up for the run to the finals as well as outside backs like winger Khan Ahwang and Josh Veivers.

"Josh was called up to the Cup team this weekend and if he comes back to FOGs, I think that experience will be a big bonus for us. Khan's another guy who we'll be looking to ... he's a big part of the team and had a good season."

Most teams have to fight through injuries, maintaining a consistent line-up in the FOGs competition

"In a way the idea is for us to lose our best players. That way we're keeping pressure on the Cup boys to keep their jobs, and giving the club the depth in case there are injuries."

Bishop said the top clubs in the FOGs competition are filled with players with Cup experience, something the Jets players are only just starting to experience.

"Those top sides like Easts, they might have 200 games of Queensland Cup experience between them. We'd have more like 40," he said.

With three games left against Easts, Bishop said they realise their lead over Wynnum-Manly on the ladder could easily disappear.

"We've just got to keep winning and hope they keep losing. That's about as simple as it gets. Easts have only lost three games all year so they're going to be tough."

Fortunately for the Jets, two of those losses have come in the past month with Redcliffe and Wynnum-Manly defeating the competition leader in successive rounds. Bishop said he is confident the FOGs team, which trains every week with the Queensland Cup team, has what it takes to beat the competition's top teams.

ROAD TO THE FINALS

Sunday, July 28: Easts v Ipswich Jets at Langlands Park

Saturday, August 3: Ipswich Jets v Easts at North Ipswich Reserve

Sunday, August 11: Wynnum Manly v Ipswich Jets at Kougari Oval

Sunday, August 18: Norths v Ipswich Jets at Bishop Park

Sunday, August 25: Redcliffe v Ipswich Jets at Dolphin Oval

Sunday, September 1: Easts v Ipswich Jets at Langlands Park

Originally published as Fight on for FOGs Cup finals