‘No bad blood’ between NQ rugby league clubs ahead of trial clash

Punches were thrown and players were sent off the last time they met, but officials insist there’s no bad blood between Tully and Herbert River as the clubs prepare for the first meeting since last year’s trial match descended into chaos.

Punches were thrown and players were sent off the last time they met, but officials insist there’s no bad blood between Tully and Herbert River as the clubs prepare for the first meeting since last year’s trial match descended into chaos.

“We’ve all mellowed down since I went off my head about it, and I’m sure that this year will be completely different,” said Herbert River president Joe Pennisi.

“There’s no bad blood or anything, the players aren’t even talking about it. We just want to make sure they play it as a trial and we play it as a trial.”

The Cairns and District Rugby League’s Tully Tigers and Townsville and District Rugby League’s Herbert River Crushers have played off annually since 2014 in the Martha Wilkie Trophy, a pre-season fixture named in honour of the late mother of North Queensland rugby league stalwart Colin Wilkie, a former captain at both clubs.

Tully Tigers’ Benn Campagnolo. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

The sides are scheduled to meet again at Ingham Showgrounds on March 20, almost a year to the date after last year’s meeting had to be abandoned.

Pennisi said the clubs remained committed to the annual pre-season fixture after last year’s “debacle”.

“It all went a bit pear-shaped with the drama we had, the send offs and then calling off the game,” he said.

“It’s been 12 months, we’ve had a good break, it’s just going to be good to get back playing rugby league again.”

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Tully president Anthony Emmi said he was glad that the clubs could continue the tradition, and expressed his disappointment over last year's incident.

“We’re not going to let one game end our relationship,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s in the past, we’ve moved on and hopefully everything will be better from now on.”

Last year’s match at the Tully Showgrounds started with promise, with both sides displaying a high standard of footy for the first 20 minutes.

Herbert River’s Mitch Seri. Picture: Alix Sweeney

However, somewhere along the lines things went sour, and the match became marred by countless incidents of foul play before it was officially called off with 28 minutes left when an all-in brawl erupted.

At the time, Pennisi labelled the match “a f****** disgrace”, and declared he wouldn’t be bringing the Crushers back to Tully unless the Tigers could guarantee they were changing their culture.

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“We went up there for a trial, so we can have a game of football and a bit of fun, and they came out there like it was World War III,” Pennisi told the Cairns Post last March.

“The players didn’t want to play anymore, the referee had enough, so he called it off.”

Tully will play a trial match against the TDRL’s Norths Devils in Townsville on March 6, while the Crushers are hoping to schedule a trial against CDRL club Atherton on March 14.

Originally published as ‘No bad blood’ between NQ rugby league clubs ahead of trial clash