WATCH THE REPLAYS: Livestream Delfina Water Polo Queensland Premier (WPQ Premier League)
All the action of the Delfina Water Polo Queensland Premier League series played at the Valley Pool. WATCH NOW
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The Delfina Water Polo Queensland Premier League series continued today, with the best of the best in action at the Valley Pool.
Watch the replays below of the seven games that were livestreamed by www.couriermail.com.au, the Gold Coast Bulletin, Sunshine Coast Daily and News’ affiliates.
Matches saw UQ Barras and North Brisbane Polo Bears enhance their reputations in both men and women competition, while Merlo Mermaids’ women stood tall despite a loss to Barras.
Round 3 competition also saw Sunshine Coast women sneak a win.
THE GAMES
WOMEN
Sunshine Coast caused an upset on the women’s side of the draw with an 11-7 victory over Vikings.
Vikings scored first through Emily Gallagher, but from 2-nil Sunny Coast turned the tide.
Indeed when Sunshine Coast hit the front 2-1 after goals to Ashleigh Roberts and Bailee Johns, they were never without the lead.
They led 3-1 at quarter time, 6-3 at halftime and went on with the job.
Sunshine Coast captain Lillian Merlo said her team went into the match not expecting to win, but as the first quarter progressed, her teammates grew in confidence.
“We were like let’s go in, have fun and see what happens. There was not much expectation on us,’’ said Merlo, who as goalkeeper made some outstanding early saves to ensure a 0-1 deficit did not turn into a 0-3 deficit.
“Water polo is a mental game. If you drop your head it is hard to comeback.’’
At a time when Vikings were hoping for a last quarter recovery, Sunshine Coast held firm and goals to Lowe, Roberts again and Winter ensured they stayed on course for victory.
The Gold Coast team learned the hard way, well beaten by North Brisbane Polo Bears who will be pushing hard for the title alongside UQ Barras and Merlo Mermaids.
With Four-time Olympian Bronwen Knox directing traffic, young guns Charlize Andrews Bridget-Leeson Smith and Sophie Milliken had a good day out against the Coast.
Rookies Horatia Schlect, Claudia Czerniawski and Olivia Camilleri also gained valuable experience.
The UQ Barra v Merlo Mermaids women’s encounter was a hum-dinger of a clash of finals’ intensity, with Barras winning 8-5.
Barras stole the march with the first three goals of the match - to Georia De Stefani and left handers Phoebe Leech and Abby Andrews - before Mermaids reduced the margin to 3-2 and then 5-4 when Kate Blew scored.
But successive goals by Anna Lendarduzzi lifted her side to 7-4 entering the final quarter.
De Stefani then scored her third early in the fourth quarter for Barras and although Blew scored late for Mermaids, the UQ Barras prevailed.
The Vikings women redeemed themselves after the morning loss to Sunshine Coast by beating Carina Leagues Warriors while North Brisbane Polo Bears exerted early pressure on the Sunny Coast.
Bridget Leeson-Smith, Abigale Houston scored first quarter doubles as Polo Bears slipped to a 6-nil advantage and never lost gallop on the way to win.
For the second time in the day, the UQ Barracudas big guns fired against Gold Coast in winning 21-6, and Barras have finished the opening four rounds as premiership favourites, although North Brisbane Polo Bears and Merlo Mermaids remain big threats.
THE MEN
The UQ Barras had a powerhouse round 3 win over Kawana, 20-9.
Kawana got within striking distance late in the second quarter when they trailed 7-5, but Barras experience and team work came to the fore as they blew out to 14-7 and then 20-9.
The Carina Leagues Warriors also got in amongst it against Bushrangers, with Reilly Townsend a focal point.
Carina won 23-13, although Bushrangers displayed plenty of spirit to draw the last quarter, four-all, when they were staring down the barrel.
For Warriors, Townsend scored four goals in the first quarter, two in the second and three in the third as Warriors produced a commanding win.
The North Brisbane Polo Bears men had a tough outing against River City.
Polo Bears had six individual scorers in establishing a 6-2 advantage across the first half before going on with the job, while Tom Culleton was dangerous for River City.
In the Kawana v Gold Coast men’s clash, Kawana jumped out of the blocks to lead Gold Coast 6-1.
Kawana had five different scorers in the opening salvo that set up the win - Matt Schuil, Joshua Eyles, Patrick Flanagan, Liam Johns and Steele Gribble.
Johns was also first to score in the second quarter as Kawana ground out its lead to 6-1 and then 7-1 to one when Flanagan scored his second goal.
Kawana then went on with the job to win 20-9, although to Gold Coast’s credit they did score seven second half goals which were evenly shared around the side.
The Carina Leagues Warriors v UQ Barracudas was a rip-roaring match before Barras eased out to a 14-10 win.
The big fellas went toe-to-toe, shadowing each other throughout like a couple of prized fighters in the ring.
Three goals - one in each of the opening three quarters - to Mason Fettell helped keep Barras in front - while Seam Lenarduzzi’s two goal thrust in the fourth quarter prised Barras out to their biggest lead in the match - 13-9 - the biggest margin of the game.
But back Warriors came through Will Downes and Cooper Gosney and the clash was easily the best from the boys in round 3-4.
Earlier, Tom Hardy and Daniel Hansen (Warriors) and Mason Fettell and Sean Boyd (Barras) were first quarter scorers, but the defence from both teams was outstanding.
In the Polo Bears v Bushrangers clash, the Bushrangers held their own early but when Polo Bears got rolling, they dominated on the scoreboard and by halftime it was 17-6 and by fulltime 30-11.
In the late game, River City could not have wished for a better start against Gold Coast, with goal sneak Culleton again among the action as the side raced to a four-nil advantage.
Culleton, Ivan Sinitsyn, Franco Conversano and Daniel McHugh all scored to get the team’s wheels in motion.
Noah Connors broke River City’s sequence of scoring, but then Culleton launched a bomb from a long way out which found the back of the goals.
THE PREVIEW
So who will be some of the key Players to Watch from the respective squads?
UQ Barras:
The Barras’ women are an all-star line-up featuring 2020 Olympic team mates Andrews and Palm (goal keeper), plus Olympic training squad member Tenealle Fasala.
But they also have a past champion, three time Olympian and dual bronze medallist Kate Gynther, along with a host of rising talent like Thunder representative Jessica Emerson, Georgia De Stefani and Phoebe Leech.
The Barra men have a heap of experience thanks to Billy Miller (2012 Olympian), four time Olympian Rhys Howden and another old boy, Sydney Olympian Sean Boyd.
Bushrangers:
Cameron Wallace and Dylan were once opponents at the Queensland Country Water Polo Championships but find themselves locked in unison helping the Bushranger men. Wallace is of course a 2021 Queensland country team selection and Coolican an Aussie junior representative.
Gold Coast:
The 2016 Olympian Kelsey Wakefield will be a guiding hand in a side full of bright young women’s talent, while in the men Finn Bright, Dylan Salter 2021 and Jared de Vries will call on combinations they developed when they represented Queensland Country earlier this year. de Vries was somewhat of a childhood prodigy who was an Australian junior representative and who travelled around Europe playing the sport he loved.
Kawana:
Watch out for Queensland Thunder leader Matt Lenarduzzi and Australian Uniroo representative Pat Flanagan to spearhead Kawana’s campaign. Lenarduzzi cuts an imposing figure in the goals and is sure to give his side plenty of confidence.
Mermaids:
This brilliant young club is bristling with talent across the women’s league, with Queensland Thunder team mates Kasey Dalziel, Kate Blew and Matilda Moore part of a side rich with ability. Country girl Moore has found a home away from home wearing the Mermaids colours while Blew has been a junior since the club’s inception in seven or eight years ago.
North Brisbane Polo Bears:
The UQ Barras may be an all-star side, but there is also plenty of star power in this Polo Bears women’s squad. Coached by the great Naomi McCarthy, Polo Bears have experience in the pool as well where Alice Williams (2021 Olympic squad member), Bridget Leeson-Smith (Aussie Stingers squad), Bronwen Knox (four-time Olympian) mix in with brilliant young talents Charlize Andrews and Sophie Milliken.
For the Polo Bears men, schoolboy Will Valentine and his Aussie youth team mates Noah Bright, Marcus Berehulak and Jack Fodor give the Polo Bears men plenty of grunt.
River City:
Watch for rising star Isaac Kyle-Little who has been identified as a future representative player.
Sunshine Coast:
Former Australian Stringers representative Ash Roberts and Aussie junior Jess Lundgren will lead the charge for Sunshine Coast.
Vikings:
The young and the slightly older will feature for Vikings when Georgia Hickey will look to recapture her form of 2019 which helped Queensland Thunder to the Australian championship, while Lucy Peers is rising through the youth ranks.
Warriors:
Anthony Martin continues his comeback after being a 2008 Olympian, while Aussie Sharks representative Reilly Townsend will give the Warriors plenty of thrust.
LIVESTREAM SCHEDULE
Round 3, Delfina Premier League Women
10am HWLE Vikings v Sunshine Coast (blue cap)
11:15am: North Brisbane Polo Bears v Gold Coast (blue cap)
12:30pm: UQWPC Barracudas v Merlo Mermaids
Round 3, Delfina Premier League Men
1:45pm: Gold Coast v Kawana Wolves (blue cap)
3pm: UQWPC Barracudas v Carina Leagues Warriors (blue cap)
4:15pm: Bushrangers v North Brisbane Polo Bears (blue cap)
5.30pm: River City v Gold Coast (blue cap)
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