Meninga Cup: Tigers, Magpies swoop to best wins
The Brisbane Tigers and Souths Magpies swooped to their best performances of the season, while country teams the Blackhawks, Mustangs and Capras also got the job done in Meninga Cup.
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The Brisbane Tigers and Souths Magpies swooped to their best performances of the season, while country teams the Blackhawks, Mustangs and Capras also got the job done in Meninga Cup action over the weekend.
And in today’s match, Wynnum Manly Seagulls dummy half Shaun Packer and Cassius Cowley starred in Wynnum Manly’s surprisingly expansive 48-12 win over Norths, while the Tweed Seagulls also had a big win, 50-24 against Ipswich Jets.
In Townsville, the Blackhawks coach Stephen Sheppard said his side was good in winning 32-nil, but “not as good as we would have liked’’ in demanding weather conditions against Mackay Cutters.
“Our ball control was down but the conditions may have played a part,’’ Sheppard said.
He felt his side was “probably a step behind the pace’’ he would have liked, but he did praise the opposition who contributed to his side not being at its best.
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“They had intent in defence,’’ Sheppard said.
The Blackhawks had three bursts of scoring, with Dudley Dotoi and Cathane Hill scoring within four minutes of each other early, Tyreice Baira-Gela and Cruz Smith scoring either side of halftime, and then Baira-Gela again scored quickly followed by Jordan Davies.
Sheppard said his best players were Baira-Gela who started at dummy half but ended up playing No. 13, while captain Luke Jack produced a tradesman’s effort.
Mackay Cutters coach Nick Swan said his team’s first half was strong and “the best football we have played so far this year’’.
“But we couldn’t maintain it through the second half,’’ Swan said.
Mackay’s cause was not helped by three head knock assessments.
Best for the Cutters were Ethan Sweet, Baden Robertson, Brady Hazeldine, Arthur Miller and Pat Hoare.
At Davies Park, the extremely talented Souths Logan side finally put it all together in a good win 42-18 over Burleigh Bears.
Magpies coach Billy Vine was delighted to see errors and penalties not compound one on top of each other during the match.
He said “we were very good with the ball’’ and “far more cohesive’’.
Souths Logan’s road to victory started in the middle with Herman Tofaeono leading the way, and the side was able to maintain momentum through the middle of the match when its four bench players made an impact.
He had high praise for the four interchange players Vincent Sefo, Denzel Samoa, Jieye
Mauai and Terry Lafoai.
Bears coach Michael Witt said his side was flat. He said they trained well during the week but he wonders if injuries were starting to take a toil.
Hunter Ploegsma, Jeremaiah Tamepo and Tuvalli Pereira scored first half tries for Burleigh.
At Langlands Park, the Brisbane Tigers upstaged Redcliffe 28-10 to claim the Tigers first win in the Meninga Cup season.
Coach Isaac Kauufman said the penny had dropped for his players that they “needed to stay in the game for 70 minutes’’ and he praised “our energy and effort’’.
“We have played well in patches, but we have not been able to maintain it. But today we maintained it for a long time which was a big difference.’’
Kauufman said he would like to see errors at crucial times eradicated “but that will come with experience’’.
He said the Tigers discipline was also better.
Kauufman said his best players were front rower Tyson Stanley who played long minutes, half Zac Lamont steered the team around nicely, dummy half Jackson Chang was sharp while the returning No. 13 Caleb Tokam aimed up.
Chang scored the first and last tries for his side.
Redcliffe coach Wade Hadley said his team needed to improve its intensity across the match.
“We need to improve our intensity and stay in the game and hop into the grind for 70 minutes, not just for half the game or for 50 to 60 minutes,’’ Hadley said.
But Hadley did give “full credit’’ to the Tigers for sticking to its game plan and winning its first match of the season.
Dolphins prop Tuhirangi Ratana was one of the best players on the ground and gave everything he could according to Hadley.
Again the hard working Drew Timms impressed for Redcliffe as did interchange player Jarrod Patchett.
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In Toowoomba, the Mustangs claimed a 64-nil victory over Wide Bay.
Mustangs coach Brendan Wilson said the side started well and maintained pressure across the first half with a comprehensive effort.
Riley Wockner scored in just the second minute and another eight tries followed for Mustangs, with Wockner and Joshua Truscott and Matthew Wilson scoring doubles.
Wilson said he was pleased to keep the opposition to nil, and said his side was able to defend its mistakes.
“We also improved our second half completion rate.’’
Matt Wilson received the Players’ Player award while the front row of Kelly Shadlow, Ky Rashleigh and Lachlan Fanning laid foundations.
At Browne Park, Rockhampton, the home side Capras got the job done 24-10 over the Sunshine Coast Falcons.
“It was a gritty win. The Sunshine Coast were really good and we had to grind it out,’’ said Capras coach Kane Hardy.
Again he wants to see the team’s discipline and completion rate improve, but in terms of effort he could not fault the side.
Again the North Queensland contracted edge forward Riley Hall shone for Capras, while Izaac Jackson off the bench changed the momentum of the match with good leg speed.
For the Capras Jai Hansen got his team off to a dream start by scoring just two minutes into the match.
Coby Williamson bagged a double either side of halftime while Matthew Hill crossed to wrap the match up.
Falcons coach Danny Gray said his side needed to reduce its errors. “The boys worked really hard but made a few errors at critical times and gave away silly penalties that let them off the hook.’’
Gray said the team also needed to capitalise on its opportunities.
For Falcons, captain Blake Woodford led by example while halfback Jackson Russell and centre Tyler McGoldrick challenged the opposition.
At Iona College, Wynnum-Manly set up a 42-18 victory with an outstanding first half, and an accomplished late finish to subdue Norths’ Devils 42-18.
Dummy half Shaun Packer, his front row and captain John Radel and halfback Cassius Cowley starred, with Packer and Cowley feasting off the back of an up tempo performance by the side.
Wynnum Manly tried to get the match rolling with quick play the balls, while Norths power game at times threatened.
But across the match, played in hot conditions, the pass beat the man as Wynnum tried to play the ball quickly and either scamper forward or move the ball wide.
“Our strengths are quick play the balls,’’ said coach Jesse Maclean. :We don’t have big multiple units like other teams do, so we have to play with what we have got.’’
Packer crossed for two tries, was held over the line on another four occasion and generally dictated the tempo of his team’s attack from the ruck.
It was not all about run with Packer, with his passing game, like looking right and passing left trick shots all a part of his package.
It is little wonder the Brisbane Broncos identified him early from the Darling Downs stronghold of St Mary’s College.
And he will get better, having spent most of last season recovering from injury.
“Shaun is very good off quick play the balls. He has been since he was a kid,’’ Maclean said.
Maclean said Cowley, in his second game in a row, was starting to build combinations.
Against a big, big pack, skipper Radel was also grand for Wynnum, with his post contact metres and ability to play the ball quickly eye-catchng. He certainly lived up to his reputation.
Norths tried hard, but never really gave themselves a chance.
Early penalties and handling errors gifted Wynnum momentum, and in the heat they were always going to man the pumps.
The Devils fought back hard in the second half, getting a power game going and going set for set with Wynnum defensively.
They got back to 24-12, but it was Wynnum who finished with a flourish with tries to Cowley (twice) and Braydon Seu-Easthope.
There was a key moment when Norths centre Isaiah Iongi drove for the line, but in the left hand corner Wynnum trio Te Hau, Wright and Tempest knocked him into touch, with Tempest coming across in cover defence.
Tweed Seagulls coach Tim Maccan said the kick-chase of his side was outstanding.
“It is something we have been working on for last couple of weeks - keeping opponents down one end.’’
He said Tweed also stuck to the game plan, which was reflected on the scoreboard.
But he wants to improve the team’s wrestle in defence and give his players time to regroup in the defensive line.
Maccan said his halfback and captain Tom Weaver steered the side nicely, hooker Oskar Bryant did well and his two centres Kaleb Ngamanu and DeineMariner shone.
He also said Nick Hilton deserved a mention n a good team performance.
Jets coach Michael Armstrong said his side needed a douse of self belief after getting back within eight points of Tweed.
He said No.10 Josiah Pahulu was again outstanding.
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