Five things we learned from Aaron Payne Cup and Cowboys Challenge matches

St Pat’s find themselves in a decisive win-or-go-home match, while Cowboys prospects put on a show in Mackay. Here are five things we learned from the Aaron Payne Cup clashes.

The final round of the Aaron Payne Cup has been played, with games spread from Mackay to Rockhampton.

St Patrick’s College and Mackay High travelled to play against St Brendan’s and Shalom, while Ignatius Park, Kirwan, Cathedral College and Rockhampton Grammar all played in Mackay.

Here are five things we have learned from the action.

St Pat’s falls short in kick and game

Trailing St Brendan’s College by six points with two minutes left, St Pat’s was in danger of losing three games in a row.

But Bevan Rickard broke through on the wing for a late try to put the travelling team within two points.

It was an almost impossible conversion spot for Bailey Jeffs, with the ball placed on the edge of the pitch.

Jeffs had a strong attempt at the kick, but ultimately the ball fell short.

St Pat’s will now need to beat Rockhampton Grammar by about 40 points to qualify for finals.

St Pat’s coach Michael Comerford said it was a “rare scenario”.

“We will need to beat Rocky by about 40 points to jump St Brendan’s,” he said.

“It will be interesting to see how the boys cope with knowing they need to win by a certain amount.”

Ignatius Park will be hard to beat

Iggy Park has dismantled contenders seemingly every week, and the perennial threats are on course to be a major threat in the competition’s late stages.

The Cathedral College entered its clash with Iggy Park undefeated, but left Mackay with a 38-point loss.

KirwanVsIggy

Lachlan Lerch provided Cathedral with headaches throughout the match, while Tom Duffy showed his class with his hands and accuracy with his legs.

Iggy Park will be tough opposition for any of the contending Aaron Payne Cup teams left in the finals.

Jaxon Purdue is a stud

Mercy College’s five-eighth played a crucial role in the side’s grand final team last season, and has stepped up his performance this year.

Purdue organises the group well, with an expanded knowledge from his experiences last season, and pushes through contests strongly.

With a more developed frame in his second Cowboys Challenge season, Purdue has provided Mercy College a reliable scoring option while also setting up his teammates well.

If Purdue continues his strong form alongside Zach Keating at halfback, Mercy College can go deep into its finals campaign.

Cowboys have some bright prospects

Cowboys fans have every right to be excited watching the Aaron Payne Cup.

Tom Duffy and Dudley Dotoi starred in their respective matches, with both prospects linked to North Queensland.

KirwanVsIggy

The pair play consistently for Townsville Blackhawks, with plenty of opportunity to show their class under the bright lights.

In the schoolboys competition the halfback and right centre create chaos on the pitch, either scoring or setting up countless tries.

Wallace performance not enough to get Mackay win

A two-try performance from Mackay High’s captain was not enough to overcome a rampant Shalom College in the side’s Aaron Payne Cup clash.

Jesse Wallace scored Mackay’s second and third try in a match that ended 36-14, with Shalom overturning an early four point Mackay advantage with three consecutive tries.

The skipper has been a force during the tournament, regularly a thorn in the side of his opponents, but Wallace’s individual effort was the highlight of Mackay High’s campaign.

Both tries were scored with brute force; seemingly a signature of Wallace’s game style during his Aaron Payne Cup run.