Aaron Payne Cup Team of the Week: Hat-trick hero Adam McSherry captains round 2
A hat-trick hero headlined the round 2 Team of the Week, but his was one of many outstanding performances. See which players made up our Aaron Payne Cup team in round 2.
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A hat-trick hero headlined the round 2 Team of the Week, with an emphatic 32-16 victory over Trinity Bay State High School earning St Pat’s fullback Adam McSherry captaincy honours.
McSherry led St Patrick’s College to its first victory of the 2024 season, scoring 20 individual points in a monumental performance.
The Mackay powerhouse hosts Ignatius Park College in the highlight game of round 3 with a Tuesday night blockbuster at BB Print Stadium.
The Kirwan Bears play Trinity Bay in the other Pool A meeting while Mareeba SHS host St Augustine’s up in the tablelands and Mackay SHS take on Holy Spirit College in a Mackay derby.
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ROUND 2 TEAM OF THE WEEK
1. ADAM MCSHERRY, St Patrick’s College Mackay (C)
Adam McSherry’s stellar three-try performance was spectacular to watch against Trinity Bay State High. The flying fullback delivered a dominant performance, scoring his side’s opening two tries before snatching another late to secure his side’s first victory of the season. This week’s captain also made all four of his conversions.
2. BLAZE MOWLES, St Augustine’s College
Mowles runs and carries helped build the momentum early in the domination of Holy Spirit, using his pace and agility to run through the defence. Scoring his second try in the second half, Mowles put together another strong performance to back up his round 1 clash against Mackay SHS.
3. WILLIAM VEITCH, Mackay SHS
Mackay’s captain was devastating in the opening exchanges of his match, running for 110 metres in eight minutes. A stats-obsessed player would have been content to sit back and allow his running metres average to soar but Veitch kept busy. A lone handling error was the only blight on a tidy performance.
4. REUBEN SARON, St Patrick’s College Mackay
Centre Reuben Saron’s sensational solo effort against Trinity Bay was perhaps the moment of the match as he surged past defenders to secure his team’s fourth try. His speed and power was on show when he cut through the defence and will be a player to watch for the remaining fixtures.
5. JORDAN CHANDLER, Mackay SHS
While winger Jordan Chandler finished capably, it was two highlight reel moments in defence that stood Chandler above a classy group of Payne Cup wingers this week. Chandler forced a knock-on with a try-saving tackle, scoring on the following set, while he also produced a trysaving intercept to get his side out of trouble.
6. RYAN VAN ZANDEN, Kirwan SHS
Scored Kirwan’s first try and was an active threat at five-eighth throughout the contest, teaming up brilliantly with halves partner Marley Proctor to steer his side to a win over arch rivals Iggy Park.
7. D’ARTANYAN CONNOLLY, Trinity Bay SHS
Livewire halfback D’Artanyan Connolly possesses a rare mix of acceleration, skill and vision. Connolly burst away for his side’s opening try of the day, showcasing his raw speed. Still in grade 11, he was an ever-present playmaker, looking to take risks and capped off his game with a try-saving tackle in the second half.
8. SITIVENI AFU, Ignatius Park College
A huge shift from Ignatius Park’s captain, including a try to take the lead late in the first half. Afu is devastating whether he’s taking a carry or making a tackle and he is proving impossible to leave out of the Team of the Week.
9. BEN WALKER, St Augustine’s College
Walker took no prisoners in the 80-0 thumping over Holy Spirit, breaking the lines in the first half with a hat trick ensuring the game was well out of reach before midway through the first half. His brute force to break tackles and speed continued to be on show this tournament.
10. COOPER FLETCHER, Ignatius Park College
The big middle forward never took a backwards step as he crunched anyone that ran at him with a brutal tackle. Ignatius Park’s forwards had the upper hand for large periods of the contest and it would most likely correlate with when Fletcher was on the ground.
11. ZANE BETHEL, Kirwan SHS
Understated performance by Kirwan’s tough-as-nails backrower. Bethel’s best work was done in defence, but he also put his hand up for difficult carries early in the Bears’ sets.
12. JACK THORBURN, St Patrick’s College Mackay
Jack Thorburn was outstanding for St Patrick’s with his formidable presence in the forward pack instrumental to his team’s 32-16 victory.
13. JASON HASTIE, Mareeba SHS
A repeat selection in the team of the week despite not matching his hat-trick heroics of last week. Hastie was a post-contact metres beast with the explosive ability to beat a team single-handedly. His linebreak off the kick-off was the perfect example, and although it was finished off by winger Nathaniel Ross full credit for the length-of-the-field score belongs to the stocky lock forward.
14. JAY WHALEY, Kirwan SHS
Whaley had to come on in the first minute after starting hooker Cooper Cox went down, and the hard-hitting utility excelled. Whaley broke the line early to set up Kirwan’s first try and continued to turn up in attack and defence.
15. NOAH DOWDLE, Saint Augustine’s College
Dowdle’s tackling strength was on full display ensuring no Holy Spirit player was breaking through the line of the Saints defence. The big bodied prop was a brick wall in game two and will look to hold the fort once again in the Cairns derby on Monda
16. JACK TURNER, Trinity Bay SHS
The Trinity Bay forward put his physical strength and brutality on show. The Second row was a core presence despite his side’s defeat.
17. ELSIYAH SUAVAI-LAUMATIA, Trinity Bay SHS
Elsiyah Suavai-Laumatia put on a big defensive tackle that shortly after resulted in an opening try at the hands of D’Artanyan Connolly. Their momentum continued, but with a stroke of luck this time, as Suavai-Laumatia’s hopeful kick rebounded almost comically back into his own lap leading to another quick score. As his side lost momentum, his influence on the match dropped but still a worthy member of the team of the week.
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Originally published as Aaron Payne Cup Team of the Week: Hat-trick hero Adam McSherry captains round 2
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