Kimberley Hunt scores three tries to lift Northern Pride over Sunshine Coast Falcons in BMD Premiership
Find out how Northern Pride secured a clutch victory over Sunshine Coast on Saturday. DETAILS
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Northern Pride is back to its winning ways in the BMD Premiership with a clutch 22-20 victory over Sunshine Coast Falcons spurred by an incredible hat-trick from Kimberley Hunt.
In what was a back-and-forth thriller, Hunt was able to have the final say, scoring her third try in the final three minutes and nailing the subsequent conversion from the touchline to give the Pride the win.
Ever the humble veteran, she praised the work of her teammates throughout the contest for putting her in a position to score when it counted.
“It was a team effort across the board, Jenni-Sue was crucial in the process leading up to those tries, and beyond that everyone in the side played their role,” she said.
“We’re stoked to come away with the win, there were moments where I was biting down on my mouthguard and it was hurting.
“I think the whole team probably felt the same, it was a hard fight till the end.”
Her coach Colin Wilkie echoed many of his star player’s sentiments, adding that they had bounce back from a “disappointing” opening.
“Our first half was disappointing, even though we went in to the half up 12-10, we didn’t play well at all,” Wilkie said.
“I challenged them with a few things and they responded. So credit to our girls for hanging in there.
“(Hunt) is playing busted up, I don’t quite know how she took the field and played the way she played.
“She used every ounce of her experience, along with Jenni-Sue (Hoepper).
“While in rugby league terms they may be getting a bit long in the tooth, their experience shone through in this game.”
There was a lot of praise to go around, with Wilkie shouting out the efforts of debutant Elishama Suavai.
“The way she played you would never have known she was a 17-year-old on debut,” he said.
“She showed she belongs at this level for now, and I only say that because I don’t know how much longer it’ll be before she’s moving on to the top level.
“Sareeka Mooka was another one, her first half wasn’t up to her own standards and she came out in the second half and turned it around.
“Autumn (Stephens-Daly) and Tayla (Curtis), our two Cowboys players, showed why they belong at the top level with their performances.”
The Pride will now be faced with a nervous wait on the status of Indiana Tillett, who suffered her third concussion of the season in the opening minutes.
“There’s a bit to unpack there as far as her overall health and wellbeing, which is of course the top priority with this sort of thing,” he said.
“We’ll be guided by the medical professionals and there’s certainly no intention to rush her back onto the field.”
The women will now enjoy two weekends off to recuperate before going again for the back half of the season.
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Originally published as Kimberley Hunt scores three tries to lift Northern Pride over Sunshine Coast Falcons in BMD Premiership
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