Meninga, Connell Cup and Harvey 19s round 2 action - Falcons, Jets in exciting Sunday matches
Round 2 junior league thrillers continued today as the Falcons pipped Ipswich (Connell), while the Jets edged out Sunshine Coast (Meninga Cup). Full coverage of Meninga, Connell and Harvey 19 games here.
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The Sunshine Coast and Ipswich Jets won the Connell and Meninga Cup fixtures respectively today as a bumper junior league club season continued.
On Saturday the Townsville Blackhawks came from the clouds to pip Capras, the Clydesdales edged out their rivals and Norths, Tigers and Wynnum-Manly triumphed in Connell round 2 action.
Today on the Sunshine Coast, there was a 62 point scoring spree which came to rest with the Falcons 32, Ipswich 30, while in the Meninga Cup Ipswich won 32-22.
In the Connell Challenge Ipswich actually scored seven tries to six, but the goal kicking of halves ace Ellyjah Birve proved the difference. He kicked four goals.
Birve, the Queensland schoolboys under 15 representative, also scored a try alongside Nate Donald, Jackson Koina, Tyson Fallon-May, Tyler Conquest and Taj Handsaker.
Ipswich’s scorers were Finn Kendall (2), Ty Taputoa, Dennis Papua (2), Xzavier Tomiteo.
Falcons coach Tim Baldwin said he liked the tough and fast footy played by his side.
“It is just about building on what we have been doing in the pre-season. I’d like a little bit more execution, completing and adding pressure,’’ said Baldwin, who praised his middle forwards.
In the Meninga Cup, Ipswich Jets outside back Alton Naiyep scored in the first minute - and then another two times as his side claimed a 32-22 win over the Falcons.
“I liked our effort today,’’ said Jets coach Shane Harris who had hammered into his team the need to play for 70 minutes, such was the respect he had for the opposition.
“We made life hard for ourselves at times but I cannot fault our effort.’’
But he wants the team to be more patient in coming weeks. “We need to be a lot more patient. We seem to have a desire to score off every play and every set and at Meninga Cup level you need to appreciate it takes time to earn that right.’’
He said he had a naturally talented group and points would come naturally if they did not overplay their hands.
Aside from Naiyep’s three tries; Lj Nonu, Saifiti Junior Saifiti and Keisaia-Iuomalo Su’a crossed, while Cody Rowe scored twice for Sunshine Coast, alongside Jayden Smith and Joseph Meikle.
Fullback Dom Sandow and prop Iosefa Kolio were big effort players for the Jets today.
There were thrillers outside the Connell Challenge as well this weekend.
The Meninga Cup Blackhawks’ centre Immanuel Kawane scored in the 57th and 59th minute as Townsville turned a 20-4 deficit into a stunning win, 24-20.
“It was a game of momentum and we had a fair bit coming home in that second half,’’ said Townsville coach Nathan Norford. More later in the story.
The Western Clydesdales also got home in a thriller against Wide Bay while Norths had a winning start at Kougari Oval to win the Connell clash 40-4, before Wynnum turned the table to win the Meninga Cup and Harvey 19s clashes.
ROUND 1 TEAM OF THE WEEK; ROOSTERS SIGN SCHOOLBOY
And on the Coast, the Burleigh Bears and Souths Logan Magpies played out a Connell challenge classic, finishing 14-all.
In the 19s, Burleigh beat Souths-Logan 26-0.
Coach Spencer Taplin said “ For me, it was a huge step for us moving forward, understanding and implementing structures which have been taught. It was good to see the girls go from training to game day.
“I was most pleased with the opposition not scoring, our defensive package is working. I was happy with those areas.”
At T.J. O’Neill Oval, Kingaroy, the season could not have started any better in the Connell Challenge with a ripping clash.
The home side Wide Bay Bulls took it to the Western Clydesdales in a local derby before the Clydesdale’s prevailed - but only just by 24-22.
In the end a conversion by Koen Zerbst proved the difference in a thriller.
In a see-sawing clash teams traded tries early before Dan Brown’s four-pointer put his side ahead 14-4.
But back came the Bulls courtesy of Kev Weribone and Bentley Rizzo and at 14-all it was anyone’s clash.
An Owen Hess try put the Bulls ahead before Clydesdales regained the lead, but then another by Hess in the 52st minute closed the gap to 24-22.
Western Clydesdales coach Ned Murphy said Braithen Scott, a two try hero, was clearly his best. “He was the difference really,’’ Murphy said.
Murphy said their were a lot of early errors in the game and it really did look like two under 16 teams playing their first match of the season - which of course it was.
But what he did take from the clash was how the team reacted in the tough times. “I thought we dug in when we had to,’’ Murphy said.
Aside from Scott, hard working No.13 Brodie Hilt was an inspiration and Fijian flyer Joe Litidamu a threat on the edge.
Bulls coach Andrew Fillo said his side displayed “a lot of grit and determination’’.
He said once the side stuck together and worked through their structures, the performance got better and better, but he wants to work on marker defence, middle defence and defence on the edge.
Both Hess and Kev Weribone crossed for two tries each, while Bently Rizzo also scored.
Daniel Brown also scored two tries for Clydesdales, while Declan Reen crossed early.
For the Bulls Riley Maule was outstanding at dummy half, while prop Ryan Charteris and captain and fullback Harrison Braithwaite also played strongly.
At Browne Park in Rockhampton, the Connell Capras leapt to a 20-8 lead over arch rivals Blackhawks.
Tries by Phillip Yock, Jake Murphy, Jay Marsh and Tyson Hinds had the Capras out by 20-4 at one stage.
The Blackhawks were always going to fight back, and so they did with tries by Diesel Taylor and Eneliko Savelio cutting the margin to 20-14.
Then came the sensational finale as Townsville swept to victory on the back of successive tries from centre Kawane.
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ROUND 1 TEAMS OF THE WEEK HERE
Townsville coach Nathan Norford said he admired the grit of his team to stay in the fight after trailing.
“But I want to work on being consistent and holding the ball and getting into the arm wrestle,’’ he said.
Norford said his No.13 Diesel Taylor led an excellent core divison.
Capras coach Duane Carpenter reflected on a tail of two halves.
“We were really dominant in the first half but did not get the rub off green in the second half and added to that as well,’’ he said. “We needed to be more consistent in the second half and we would have got that win.
“I really liked our control in the first half and attacking wise they did not have an answer for us. And defensively we put pressure on them and our kicking game was good.’’
Capras halfback Tyler Melrose, a St Brendan’s Yeppoon schoolboy, was the best player in his side.
At Leo Williams Oval, the Brisbane Tigers Connell side had a 46-6 round 2 victory over the Tweed Seagulls.
The home side was on a mission from the first whistle, and thanks to first half doubles from lock Max Blanch and second rower Palehehau Latu, they flew out to an early lead and kept adding to it. By the half, they were up 30-0.
Tigers head coach Lote Tuqiri said Max Blanch led really well from the front, “getting through a ton of work. He got the boys going. I thought our forwards laid the platform,” he said.
“Elijah Breen did really well for us in the halves. He led us around the park and had a great game.”
Tuqiri said after last week’s loss the boys just wanted to get back out there. He said it was a fantastic week of training, where the side gave 110 per cent. Tuqiri also made note that selection had been difficult, “a good sign.. having 25 boys in the squad all fighting and all capable of playing.”
Tigers centre Jahzayis Perenara-Livapulu and his luscious mullet dove over for his team’s first of the day. Then, second rower Palehehau Latu struck, before Blanch went bang bang.
In a blink of an eye, The Seagulls we’re down 24.
Then, on the stroke of halftime Latu crossed again, bringing up two first half doubles for himself and the promising Blanch.
The boys in black and orange came out just as hot in the second half, with fullback Siosaia Poese planting it down after halfback Elijah Breen used his deceptive playmaking ability to create an overlap.
Finally the Seagulls scored and it was the deserving Dylan Watkins who crossed. The centre had been defending tirelessly all contest so it was a just reward.
The Tigers then clawed their way up the field and before the Seagulls knew it they were on the back foot again. This time, No.14 Dominic Ierome cashed in with a dummyhalf scoot.
It’s hard to believe the Tigers saved their best for last but they seriously did. With one minute to play, Perenara- Livapulu crunched his rival, dislodged the ball and a couple tackles later his side was in striking distance.
Winger Raymond Nagas finished half a dozen terrific offloads to crown the Tigers 46-6 winners.
Tweed Seagulls head coach Neil Richards praised his side for their 18-6 second half effort, after being down 30-0 at the break.
“Our execution was poor. They blew us out of the park in the first half. They out-enthused us,” he said.
But, Richard’s implored there were positives to take away from the game although it wasn’t the result they wanted.
He loved the way fullback Taj Lateo shone with his cover defence, playing in a position he wasn’t originally going to play. Winger Boston Hubbard also earned the praise of Richards, who thought the No.5 had one hell of a game- on both sides of the ball.
In the Meninga Cup, the Tweed Seagulls came away with an exciting 36-10 victory over the Brisbane Tigers at Leo Williams oval.
Under lights, the Seagulls triumphed due to their enthusiastic 16-0 start, and their tireless defence which kept the home side to just two tries in 70 minutes.
Seagulls head coach Sam Meskell said he was very happy with the boys in their first hit out.
“We had really good patches in there particularly in attack but still a lot of work to do with our discipline.
“We let them back in during the first half when we had the game in complete control but that’s something to work on.
“Baylen Donald was a worker and it was a great reward for him getting a try. I thought our hooker Will Saunders was really good. He got us going forward and picked his times to run really well.
“Our front rower Isiah Scanlan laid that platform early and we played off the back of him,” Meskell said about his standouts.
The Seagulls soared out to a 16-0 lead early, before the Tigers clawed their way back into the contest with two hard earned tries worthy of a Victoria Bitter.
Hooker William Saunders barged over like a forward for Tweed’s first four pointer, before both wingers executed brilliant through the hands play.
Mathew Barrow and Bailey Simpson dove over in the left and right corner respectively, courtesy of the hardworking forwards who laid the foundation rucking up the field.
The home side answered admirably, through persistence. Finally, the Tweed defensive line budged and that’s when damaging prop Peter James Su’A surged over.
Centre Dean Jones made it back-to-back tries with a duck-and-weave manoeuvre providing just enough room to get his hand free to slam the ball down.
The Seagulls had the final say before the break and it was well received by the Tweed supporters. Towering fullback Mason Barber burst through the line with a deadly step-and-fend combo, before charging downfield for his side’s fourth.
Things started to really heat up in the second half as Tweed held onto a 12 point lead (22-10).
This intensity was personified by Tweed centre Jiale Litidamu who seated his rival with an explosive left shoulder thumping.
It set the tone and Tweed capitalised, scoring two unanswered tries to move ahead 32-10. Second row workhorse Baylen Donald used his powerful leg drive to break a tackle and score, while prop powerhouse Isiah Scanlan strolled through untouched thanks to great work by halves Jack Hudson and Jake Lateo.
A few things stood out throughout the clash. Here’s a few:
+Tweed’s Mason Barber—an electric fullback with the ability to step, fend and carry the ball with one hand while possessing great balance and speed. Coach Meskell said “He came to us for an opportunity because he was stuck behind another really good fullback at Burleigh last year. We had an opening so we gave him an opportunity and he’s definitely talented. We are very happy to have him. He’d be a good chance at playing fullback for them (Keebra Park SHS) this year.”
+ Tigers’ five eighth Bailey Neave— a classy playmaker with elusive ball playing ability.
+ Tweeds Baylen Donald— possibly the hardest worker on the field, the second rower did not stop toiling for 70 minutes.
+Tigers centre Dean Jones and Tweed centre Jiale Litidamu was a great matchup. Jones is tall, and fast while Litidamu is a brick wall defender who loves contact.
+The Seagulls were clinical to start and finish both halves. To prove it, Bailey Simpson scored before the final whistle after a Barber blitz broke the line.
At Kougari oval, the Norths Devils detonated in the first 30 minutes to capture a 40-4 victory in round 2 of the Cyril Connell challenge.
The visiting Norths Devils ran in four tries to none in the first half, storming out to a comfortable 22-0 lead. Hooker Ryan Lopez got the proceedings underway.
Wynnum had their chances, but the Devils stood tall, defending on their try line like their life depended on it.
Devils head coach Shannon Tupara said prop Ryan Johnson had a great game, as did hooker Ryan Lopez who played his first game at that position, “He played some good footy.”
“Our second rower Jarah Chaseling was solid. And Jared Horne you always expect him to show up. He is just a competitor.”
Tupara also commended halfback kicking ace Timahna Tandy saying “He mixes it up. He’s a real footballer. The message to him is just play what’s in front of you.
“We could’ve done a bit more but we learnt from last weeks game and played a bit better today. Not quite 60 minutes but we’re getting closer,” Tupana said after a convincing 36-point win.
After Lopez struck, the Devils moved ahead 12-0 courtesy of five-eighth Keyarn Pene, who grubber kicked a beauty in the in goal for speedy lock Jared Horne.
It was a great answer as the play before Seagulls centre Jedidiah Mulitalo had flattened his rival with a bone rattling hit, made possible by rushing up in defence.
The Devils third came easily through mobile second rower Dyer Akauola, who with his mix of speed and strength bulldozed his way in after a Horne pop pass.
And to make matters worse just before half, headgeared centre Cooper McInnerney strolled over after a stunning in-and-away step left his defender stuck in the mud.
Horne continued to shine. The Wavell SHS Year 10 showcased his ability to keep the play alive with a one handed offload in contact, giving elusive fullback Ethan Grimshaw a slither of space to slice his way through.
And that’s exactly what he did, dancing his way to the try line with a 30m dash.
The Seagulls scored their first of the day with 15 minutes left on the clock, down 28-0. Exciting young fullback Tawa-Dean Simpkins set the tone with a couple brave hit ups, before prop powerhouse Chaev Kolone barged his way over.
This woke the beast of Horne, a talent to keep a close eye on as the year progresses. The lock scored, before Timahna Tandy slotted the sideline conversion. Moments later, the halfback perfected a 40-20 to keep Wynnum on the back foot.
Prop Hayden Polson scored in the final minute to put the icing on the cake at 40-4.
In Meninga Cup action, the Wynnum Manly Seagulls made it two on the trot to begin their campaign, defeating Norths 22-14 in a sea-sawing affair.
Beni Allen was man of the match for the ‘Gulls, but it was a team effort especially on defence which allowed the home team to overcome a very talented Norths side.
Their back line in fullback Tyreece Tait, centres Tariq Tanner and Robertson Tusi Tofu and five-eighth George Taualai are all Broncos contracted.
Around his star studded backs, North’s coach Rob Tanielu praised the effort and attitude of winger Caleb Brown and Brandon Norris.
He was also very impressed with lock Lauloto Salei, praising his never-give-up attitude and work rate for the entire contest.
The gutsy defence of Wynnum, who were without their Queensland schoolboys halfback Coby Black, held firm to deliver the victory.
Second rower Harry Armstrong forced his way over for an early Seagulls try and centre Kylem Vunipola added the extras with some right touch line magic.
As they did for the full 70, the Wynnum boys followed up with inspired sideline to sideline defence.
And their effort only intensified, with winger Sylas Simon making two try saving tackles to hold up the opposition on the line.
Twice the winger denied the Devils points. On the first occasion he tackled dangerman Tyreece Tait into touch, then moments later he used sheer strength to hold up centre Robertson Tusi Tofu.
On their third attempt, the Devils were finally rewarded. Winger Caleb Brown went over but Vunipola nearly denied it with some heroics of his own.
It was a real arm wrestle, the ‘Gulls with their noses ahead 6-4 heading into the second half.
William Lane was relentless with his carries, marching the Seagulls up the field. Next to him were big boppas Isopo Taunuu and Beni Allen.
Meanwhile, fullback Jeremy Trappett was threatening the line and hooker Cameron Bukowski asking questions with his sharp bullet passing in close.
The teams traded blows with Simon striking first for the home side. He looked like the flash, pouncing on a loose pass and scorching away down the left touchline. It got the fans up but less than a minute later the Devils clawed back at 12-10.
Lock lauloto Salei reminded us why the kick off chase is so important, scoring easily as a result of the Seagulls confusion catching the restart.
Indeed a fantastic finish was in store.
The Seagulls supporters perched on the right sideline were treated this time to a 80m runaway try, sparked by Saxon Innes.
Armstrong was in support, bagging his second of the day thanks to a perfectly timed pass back on the inside by Innes.
The thumping defence by lock Dempsey Taylor was so important for Wynnum. On multiple occasions in the same set he met force with force and it was this effort with just five minutes to go that laid the platform for Lane to land a telling blow.
He dived over right in front of the Chook Pen after carving through the tired Norths defence.
Lane, sealing the deal up 22-10 with two minutes left.
Norths prop Nazareth Taua had the last say but Wynnum came away with the result.
In the Harvey Norman U19s, the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls continued their unbeaten start to the season with a convincing 30-0 win over the Norths Devils.
It was a Masterclass by the halves combination Jayde Herdegen and Sienna Lofipo, who dazzled with their playmaking and line running.
Herdegen bagged a double, while Lofipo scored or assisted on a handful of tries.
“I was happy we stuck to our plan in attack. Our defensive effort was good too. We knew they could throw the ball around so our defence was key, they worked really hard,” Coach Steve Casey said.
“I think Sienna Lofipo, as a half, she hit like a front rower. Her contact was great.”
Not surprisingly Casey was also a fan of Herdegen’s performance, praising the way the No.6 combines with No.7 Lofipo to give their team an edge.
”They work well together” he said, “they just know how to play together, when to be dominant.”
Casey also commended his hardworking forwards, namely Trinity Veetutu, and Alyssa McCarthy in the second row, Hayley Bush at lock, and props Prue Peters and Tino Ah-Him.
Seagulls second rower Trinity Veetutu ran a great line to score her side’s first of the day, before a magnificent kick chase from Five eighth Jayde Herdegen saw the home team go up 12.
Herdegen was back again, diving over for the Seagulls first points in the second half. Halfback Sienna Lofipo broke the line with a cheeky dummy and go, before a hustle play from centre Gloria Seumalii to dive on the loose ball allowed Herdegen to squeeze her way through down the right touch line.
The ever-threatening Destiny Mino-Sinapati crossed the chalk next for the home side, extending the lead at 20-0.
PLAY OF THE GAME
With 14 minutes to go, Seagulls prop Fuatino Ah-Him made a rib-rattling hit on her rival and in the contact managed to rip the ball and turn over possession. The very next set Sienna Lofipo landed a four-pointer all thanks to Ah-Kim’s momentum changer.
Who else but Lofipo to inflict more scoreboard pain? The playmaker with silky smooth skills just oozes class and for the Seagulls sixth of the day, all she needed to do was fake a pass across her body and pop the ball to steaming second rower Trinity Veetutu.
At Barlow Park, Cairns, the day of action opened with Mackay Cutters’ Toby Woodall crossing first try in the Connell under 16 clash against Northern Pride.
Mackay hooker Cooper Deguara was outstanding as his side went on to win 20-4, with Woodall again scoring in the second half around Deguara and Kooper Shears crossing.
“I thought the first half was really good,’’ said Mackay coach Andy Battaia.
“We dominated with defence and both our edges were strong defensively.
“In the rain we shifted the ball well and scored some nice tries and had a smart kicking game.
“That is where we won it.’’
Battaia said in the second half, his side went away from what worked well in the first half hour.
“But our goal line defence was really good and we got numbers in our tackles.’’
Dummy half Deguara was exceptional, although he did cop a late head knock.
Supporting him were halves Flynn Battaia and Shears, with both boys assisting with two tries each.
And Queensland schoolboy middle forward Cohen Jackson was at his tireless best.
On the Gold Coast, Souths Logan and Burleigh Bears traded late tries in a Connell Cliffhanger but still could not be separated, with the match finished at 14-all.
Bears’ Freeman Raftstrand-Smith broke a deadlock, and then Magpies winger Benson Tau scored in the 59th to level the scores.
“It was a night and day improvement from the first round where we had 35 errors,’’ said Magpies coach Scott Bannan.
“Our first half was nice and solid and then little errors crept back in and Burleigh came back pretty hard.
“But it was better than last round and it is a development comp and that is what we are about.
“We’d like to cut those little mistakes out and iron out a bit of discipline and then the boys will be on the money.’’
Props Fa’apale Feaunati and Mace Andrew led the way. And halves Natututasina Leota and Levi-James Bannan Fa’apale combined better with fullback Tom Parker, and all looked to have better communication this week.
Burleigh Bears coach Ryan Gundry said his team’s second half response was outstanding.
“I liked the way we fought back in the second half and we had a few things go against us,’’ he said.
“We came out after halftime and showed some quality with footy and I am proud of the way they responded.’’
Gundry said the group needed to concentrate more on the job at hand, whether it was catching the ball, making a tackle or even playing the ball correctly. Those simple areas needed undivided attention at that moment.
Bears edge forward Nelson Makaafi was a handful and fullback Seth Gundry led the way, while Burleigh No.13 Marley Igasan worked very hard.
In Meninga Cup action, after Wynnum’s early afternoon win over Norths, the Cutters defeated Northern Pride 24-4 while the Clydesdales played out a 56-point thriller against Wide Bay, with the Darling Downs side prevailing 30-26.
Cutters coach Kim Williams said he was most pleased with the defence.
“We showed a high level of resilience in defence and in round 1 that is a good sign. That was a highlight,’’ Williams said.
He said he would like the side not to put themselves under pressure coming out of their own end by handing the opposition opportunities. “We were gulity of giving the Pride too many opportunities in our half,’’ Williams explained.
For the Cutters dummy half Xavier Kerrisk shone and was a clear man of the match. Supporting him was prop Mason Patterson while forward Rory Woodall caught the eye.
Northern Pride Meninga coach John Buttigieg said while the side was good in patches, “silly mistakes let us down’’
A former Queensland State of Origin series winning front rower, Buttgieg praised Cooper Meares, Jackson Clarke and Jack Daniels. “They went really well for us.
“There is a bit of work to be done for a young team that is working hard,’’ he said.
In Meninga Cup action on the Gold Coast, Burleigh Bears had a 36-10 win over Souths Logan, while the Blackhawks also had a 36-10 win over the Capras.
Bears Menings coach Chris McCormack was far from delighted with the first half error rate, but well pleased with the second half improvement.
“We were very scrappy and had a lot of errors and did not build pressure,’’ was the way McCormack explained the first half effort.
But there was a reset at halftime and things did improve, although this week at training he will stress “attention to detail and doing the little things right.’’
He said halfback Bailey McConnell was outstanding and prop Kanititeiti Sikahele a real workhorse who at one stage carried three times in a set of six.
Centres Sunny Kama and Sam Stephenson also impacted the match.
Stephenson scored two tries in a hurry, while McConnell also crossed twice.
Souths Logan were in the match trailing 20-10 when Corey Nassif crossed, but they could not bridge the gap.
Magpies coach Ben Trim said his side competed well for the first 25 minutes but fell away on the back of ill-discipline.
“The game goes for 70 minutes and we need to compete for 70 minutes to be in the competition for the whole time,’’ Trim said.
He said Arthur Folau was his best, along with the other middle forwards who worked hard to improve the ruck this week.
“Our middles did a good job. There was a big focus on that, but we just could not finish off.’’
Blackhawks coach Zeb Kyle was thrilled with the effort of his side in its win over Capras given the team had not had a formal trial match this season.
“It was basically our first trial and I thought there were a lot of positives and improvements,’’ Kyle said. “You take a win any day of the week.’’
He said the team’s first half defence “won the game for us’’, although he will be looking for better execution across the competition.
“Our shape could have been better and we could have executed better, but again we have not had a trial and it will get better Overall it was a pretty good performance.’’
Kyle praised his forward pack, particularly mobile middles Kaiden Lahrs, Jamal Shibasaki and big Tavita Penaia Te’o, while edge forward Nelson Kennedy and Jonah Raidaveta generated chances.
Capras coach RJ Stewart said fullback Mutua Brown was great for the side along with Simon Green.
“I liked how we hung in there and I thought we competed well and stuck with them for the first 20 minutes, but we did drop too much ball in the first half which took its toll.
“Our second half was a lot better and we managed to get a couple of sets completed which led to points.
“There is a lot of improvement on ball security needed and being patient with the ball.’’
He said while “the defence was good’’, there were too many errors.
In Harvey 19s action, the Russell Jones-coached Western Clydesdales turned an 18-nil halftime advantage into a 36-4 win over a plucky Wide Bay Bulls.
The Darling Downs outfit found the tryline eight times, although well done to the Bulls Hanahlin Whittard for scoring when her side faced a 30-nil deficit.
Taylor Logan, Chloe Pallister, Katelyn Collie, Bonnie Zappa, Mackenzie Zeller, Bonnie Zappa, Reagan McMillan and Mariah Brown all crossed.
Jones said on a hot day on a heavy track the girls did not always turn their training into onfield performance, but he was pleased to see his young side grind it out.
“We worked to control the ruck which we did well, and they responded at halftime to first a few things that needed to be fixed up,’’ Jones said.
Fullback Cheyenna Zirbel was outstanding alongside No.13 Chelsea Middleton, and around them halves Chloe Pallisler and Bonnie Zappa did their job.
Centre Lucy Davis was solid in defence while dummy half Rianna Haverhoek supported well and jumped out of dummy half when needed.
Jones also gave high praise to Wide Bay. “They certainly improved. I know they have struggled for numbers but the girls turned up and tried their best.’’
At Leo Williams Oval, Carina, it was a thrilling match on Tiger home ground against Tweed, won 38-14 by Brisbane Tigers
In the opening set of six, Tweed hooker Allira Watson (captain) took the ball as dummy half and went over to claim the first points, before converting her own try to make it 6-0 in the away team’s favour.
In retaliation, Tigers took the ball down the field and scored, with wing Bailee Williams successfully converting to level the score 6-6.
Tigers front rower Rina Francis was the second Tiger to go over, this time on the sideline, but Williams narrowly missed the conversion.
The first half siren went with Tigers ahead 14-10, with unconverted tries in the final minutes for both sides.
In the second half, Tigers’ fullback Montaya Hudson ran the ball 50m thanks to an offload from Francis, beating Tweed’s centre Ava Swain to score under the post, before repeating the effort less than five minutes later.
Williams’ kicking was superb, converting both tries without worry.
Easts’ Kayleen Takai also put points on, using incredible footwork and strength to get under the post.
Tweed put their first second half points on the board from the sideline thanks to Gabby To’o, but the conversion was unsuccessful.
Speed on the wings and tenacious tackles from Tweed’s Front-Rowers failed to crack Tiger’s scoring streak.
The home team weren’t done, with one final try converted before injury concerns for no.20 ran down the clock to fulltime, Tigers winning 38-14.
Coach Paul Neiuwenhyzen said next week the team would continue working on defence leading into their head-to-head clash with Burleigh.
“That was one thing we focussed on this week… so just working on defence and getting better each week is what we’re aiming for,” he said.
MVPs: Tweed prop Jaida Faleono, Tigers prop Rina Francis, Tigers fullback Montaya Hudson, Tigers winger and Bailee Williams.
At Barlow Park, Cairns, Mackay Cutters scored tries courtest of Madison Westecott, Abby-Rose Bowman, Isabelle Bartolo, Emily Bella, Lily Peacock and Abby-Rose Bowman in a 26-6 win over a gutsy Northern Pride.
Pride’s Teesha Potts scored a hard earned try, a four pointer which was reward for her team’s fight.
Cutters coach Matthew Sanders said his side defended very well. “That was a main focus of ours all well so that was very pleasing,’’ he said.
Sanders said he would like to improve “our yardage and exit sets’’ while a couple of mistakes also put the side under pressure.
Sanders said Abby Bowman was the Player of the Match, while Chelsea McLeod performed strongly.
Pride coach Flori King-Smith her team showed “we have some fight’’ on their journey.
“We still have some work to do, but we competed well once into the game,’’ King-Smith said.
She heaped praise on Mackenzie Stephens “who was outstanding’’, Tomiko Hirakawa and representative forward Aerielle Hobbler.
“Our women understand what they represent and are working hard to compete with the opposition,’’ King-Smith said.
“We had some good football in us in the match.’’
At Browne Park, Capras 19s player Alenna Whipp scored a double in her team’s 18-4 win over Townsville Blackhawks, while Burleigh Bears enjoyed a 26-nil win over Souths Logan.
Capras coach Walson Carlos said Townsville were a physical, strong side but his side was able to match them which was impressive. “That was a positive,’’ he said.
But he was looking for more depth in attack and wanted his side to better follow the defensive and attacking systems.
Best for Capras were prop Lillian Yarrow and Tori Dakin.
Capras coach Rob Hall said the squad went to Rockhampton wanting to learn about themselves given it was a new season with new players.
He said it was a real “backs to the wall’’ effort, with Blackhawks only having three sets in their attacking end of the field.
“We showed a lot of grit and reliance and we will look to bounce back quickly.’’
He said Lhylla Williamson, in her first game of under 19 football, did a fine job.
Burleigh Bears enjoyed a 26-nil win over Souths Logan at home, with Lily-Rose Kolc, Milla Ferguson, Sienna Norris, Bella Thompson, Matekino Kahukoti-Gray and Zali Bettridge all scoring.
Souths Logan were best served by Savannah Tato, Jaydika Tafau and Chloe Rowe.
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