’13 Straight’: Pride storm into Preliminary Final with 38-0 win over Falcons
First-class Cowboys duo Tom Chester and Tom Duffy rally Pride a giant step closer to glory.
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First-class Cowboys duo Tom Chester and Tom Duffy rally Pride a giant step closer to glory.
The Northern Pride have powered their way into the Preliminary Final of the Queensland Cup with an emphatic 38-0 victory over the Sunshine Coast Falcons at Barlow Park on Saturday.
Boosted by a vocal home crowd, the win marks their 13th consecutive triumph, reinforcing their status as the minor premiers and placing them just one step away from a grand final appearance.
Halfback Tom Duffy was instrumental in orchestrating his team’s attack, scoring a try while converting all seven of his goal attempts and accumulating 208 kick return metres.
Duffy said changing the angles and attacking the guts was a focus.
“(We found a lot of success attacking central areas), we’re trying to move them around as much as we can,” he said.
“They’ve got some really big bodies, which is their strength. We’re trying to go line to line, get those big bodies moving over. Then playing flat and fast through the middle. That’s where our strength is and I think towards the back end of each half it really paid off for us.”
Their performance was complemented by a solid team effort, with five players crossing the try line: Will Partridge, Ash Little, Mason Kira, Jensen Taumoepeau, and Dantoray Lui.
The Pride fielded six Cowboys contracted players who featured in the clubs first home final since 2018, including Tom Chester, Rob Derby, Braidon Burns, Tom Duffy, Mason Kira and Emarly Bitungane.
Pride’s defensive resilience was a standout feature of their performance.
Despite a sweltering heat that affected both teams, they managed to keep the Falcons scoreless.
Northern Pride coach Eric Smith praised his team’s defensive effort.
“Defensively it wasn’t pretty at times, but under pressure we managed to stop the Falcons’ drives,” he said.
“To hold a top four team scoreless in a big game like this is a significant achievement. I’m incredibly proud of the players.”
The Pride’s dominance was reflected in key statistics.
They outperformed the Falcons in line breaks, with five compared to none for the Falcons. Additionally, they secured 38 tackle breaks to the Falcons’ 18.
Pride’s Kyle Schneider was notable for his defensive efforts, recording a game-high 38 tackles and providing a crucial try assist.
Meanwhile, Chester led the charge in yardage with 206 run metres, including 75 post-contact metres and 10 tackle breaks.
Chester also made a significant impact when shifted to the halves later in the game.
“He’s one of those players you can put anywhere, he’s going to get his job done, it’s great to play alongside him and I love when he just runs the ball hard with his head down.” Duffy said.
The team’s performance was not without its imperfections, the Pride committed 16 errors which Coach Smith acknowledged.
However, he emphasised the importance of their aggressive defensive strategy and the need for improvements in completion rates.
Looking ahead, there is a possibility of Josh Allen returning for the Preliminary Final, which could bolster the squad further.
The Northern Pride’s victory underscores their exceptional season, having secured the minor premiership with a remarkable 17-win, 3-loss record.
As they prepare for their Preliminary Final, we are witnessing an incredible season play out in front our eyes.
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Originally published as ’13 Straight’: Pride storm into Preliminary Final with 38-0 win over Falcons
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