Dolphins v Cowboys Challenge live stream grand final: Emaus College faces St Patrick’s College

St Patrick’s Mackay have powered to yet more silverware as their Year 9 and 10 players disposed of Emmaus College with consummate ease in the Challenge final. Relive all the action.

Every story needs a hero.

While this St Pat’s Challenge team doesn’t depend on heroes, it has one everytime it needs it.

With the Cowboys Challenge final on the line, it was Ryan John who lay the match-winning tackle.

And when pitted against the Dolphins Challenge’s best, Emmaus College, it was Trae Cora who stood tall, catching and zigzagging his way to a decisive first half hat-trick.

It would lay the foundation for a 44-0 destruction so bruising in nature, it’s rarely saved for a match of this calibre.

Cora’s showing was scintillating in its own right, but made possible by star halfback Adam McSherry, who expertly pulled the strings of his potent offence with the ease of a seasoned puppeteer. 

McSherry’s right hand man, second-rower Mark Morrow, was equally dominant. 

Everytime McSherry crashed and weaved his way into the Emmaus backfield, Morrow was perfectly in tow, eager to get his hands on a well-timed offload he could see before the boisterous crowd.

It was a one-two punch that backed Emmaus into the corner and left them hanging off the ropes time and time again. 

Combined with Cora’s flawless positioning and finishing, St Pat’s grasped a 16-0 half-time lead despite Emmaus owning the territory for much of the half.

And if St Pat’s first half display was strong, it’s second was unforgiving.

The floodgates opened.

A string of clean hands put Billy Cruden over in the right corner, before McSherry decided to cash in on one of his many linebreaks with a try for himself.

Cooper Cavell notched a late double, his second try coming off an intercept and 50-metre run as the final seconds of the clock ticked, vigorously rubbing salt into the many Emmaus wounds.

Declan Grady would also muscle his way over with an individual effort that epitomised the brutal nature with which St Pat’s entire forward pack played.

Emmaus wasn’t without its moments.

Captain Latham McMeeken had moments of brilliance from fullback, and his side came agonisingly close to scoring with the result foregone.

But a St Pat’s team so close to a clean sheet it could very nearly touch it, remained steadfast in its defensive resolve.

Historically, Challenge winners had never been afforded the opportunity to progress, and this was the St Pat’s year 9/10 team’s first foray into a game of this nature.

“We’re in uncharted waters a little bit,” said St Pat’s coach Tom Gaviglio before the game.

“It’s a good time to set the tone and start a new history.”

Start a new history they did, and it’s one that will go down in folklore.

PREVIEW

Emmaus College will head into the Northern and Central Schoolboys Challenge grand final with nothing to lose, according to coach Josh Merlow.

And it’s that carefree approach, he believes, could well get them the result when they meet Mackay’s St Patrick’s College on Wednesday.

The same two schools will meet in the Northern and Central Schoolboys Cup final and you can watch both games LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on KommunityTV.

WATCH THE DOLPHINS v PAYNE CUP WINNERS HERE

WATCH THE LANGER TROPHY GRAND FINAL HERE

WATCH THE WALTERS CUP, LANGER RESERVES DECIDER HERE

Check the full Queensland finals live stream draw for details.

Emmaus qualified for the decider after taking out the Dolphins Challenge, while St Pat’s booked their place by winning the northern equivalent - the Cowboys Challenge.

Merlow said his team’s self-belief had grown with every game, and that had been a major contributor to their success.

“The fairytale is still alive,” he said.

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Emmaus College fullback Lathan McMeekan.

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“It’s come as a bit of a surprise, but we’re very excited about it. It’s just about harnessing that energy and making sure we put it in the right areas.

“It’s like a free hit for us. I think we are going in as underdogs, but we believe anything’s possible.

“Every week we’re better and that‘s what we’ll be looking for again this coming week.

“It will be a challenge for us but if we can put two halves of footy together, we give ourselves every chance to be competitive.”

Merlow said Emmaus’s forward pack would need to stand up against St Pat’s, who were strong across the park.

He said if they could do that, it would allow halves Will McLaughlin and Taiamai Taurima to control the play and lay the platform for the attacking backline, led by fullback Lathan McMeeken.

Emmaus College forward Jack O'Neil.

Merlow would be looking for another big performance from prop Sam Adams, who was player of the match in the 32-12 win over Shalom in the Dolphins Challenge final.

Edge backrowers Fletcher Dagan and Liam Spanner would be key, so will centres Hudson Keepkie and Alex Fuller, who both bagged a double against Shalom.

Meanwhile, if it wasn’t for a barnstorming Ryan John pummelling the breakaway Ignatius Park fullback into touch, the undefeated St Pat’s College may have fumbled a Cowboys Challenge title for the second year running.

Fortunately for St Pat’s coach Tom Gaviglio and his side they didn’t, and are now faced with the opportunity to take on Emmaus.

“When (Ryan John) did make that tackle, it was a massive sense of relief, because it’s hard to not take your brain back to what’s happened,” Gaviglio said.

“The first (against Iggy) half, I think, went to plan relatively well. We played through them and put a lot of pressure on.

Sangwani Chinula goes in for a try for St Patrick’s College. Picture: Michaela Harlow

“Second half, we got a little bit exposed behind the eight-ball, they started coming up with some good options and I think, defensively we fell off, but we did a good job to put a hold on at the end there and turn the tide to get us back on top.

“The players were probably calmer than I was on the sideline, and that helped.

“But that moment, it’s definitely something that will be remembered in St Pat’s history, I daresay.”

And if St Pat’s remain unbeaten by beating Emmaus, another new chapter will be etched in their history.

Gaviglio believes several facets of his side’s game will be paramount to etching that chapter.

“I watched (Emmaus’) grand final against Shalom, it seems they do throw the ball around a bit more,” he said.

Hamish Donohoe from St Patrick’s College. Picture:Michaela Harlow

“Defensively, it’s going to be about making sure we’re strong on our edges, because they’re happy to throw the ball from the centre to wing and flick pass and what not.

“(In attack), I think our middles going to be important to make sure we can get through them.”

The opportunity to progress past the Cowboys Challenge is only newly introduced, and one St Pat’s have never undertaken. That excites Gaviglio.

“We’re in uncharted waters a little bit,” he said.

“It’s a good time to set the tone and start a new history.”