Northern Pride news: Forwards on notice, teen retains No.1 jersey
Northern Pride forwards will be put on notice after poor spur-of-the-moment decisions contributed to two straight Hostplus Cup losses. THE LATEST >>
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NORTHERN Pride forwards will be put on notice after poor spur-of-the-moment decisions contributed to two straight Hostplus Cup losses.
Prop Nick Lui-Toso returned from suspension against the Cutters last week but lasted just 11 minutes before he was sent to the sin bin for a late hit.
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Fellow forward Ash Little was penalised for a similar incident later in the game, which Mackay won 24-22 courtesy of a try in the final few minutes.
Both have been named in the Pride’s side for the club’s first home game of the season, against Townsville Blackhawks at Barlow Park, and coach Ty Williams said his forwards were treading a fine line.
“(Nick’s) got to compose himself a fair bit … we probably have to change our approach to that,” Williams said.
“We’re an inside pressure football team, we like to attack from the inside and put pressure on their ballplayers. We have to start making judgment calls as to how close we can get.
“If we’re still a distance away, it’s not following through, it might be putting the hands up, and pushing the player.
“I got a bit of clarification from the QRL (Tuesday) morning in regards to that ruling. We’re treading a very fine line at the moment with Nick’s and Ash’s indiscretions on the weekend.
“It’s something I need to address with the boys at training and making sure we do the right thing so we don’t get ourselves in hot water.”
Williams said it was a simple fix, as his side chase their second win of the season.
“It’s recognising that if they stay on the shoulder we require, the inside, then we make the tackle, but if it’s an outside tackle then we push and release,” Williams said. “It’s something we need to be aware of. Whenever we’re hunting it from the inside, we need to make sure that if the footy’s gone, don’t follow through with the contact.”
Halfback Matt Egan has been named to return from illness, while Jahoiyakim Afoa has been retained at fullback.
Evan Child is named at centre, though Shawn Bowen will be given every opportunity to prove his fitness.
THE SQUAD
Northern Pride team to face the Blackhawks at Barlow Park on Saturday.
1. Jahoikayim Afoa 2. Mark Rosendale 3. Evan Child 4. Bernard Lewis 5. Gideon Gela-Mosby 6. Tom Steadman 7. Matt Egan 8. Nick Lui-Toso 9. Jayden Hodges 10. Paea Pua 11. Tom McGrath 12.Kenneth Fonoti 13. Ash Little 14. Chris Ostwald 15. Whyatt Barnes 16. Lata Fakalelu. 17 Joey Ratuvakacereivalu 18. Terrence Casey Douglas. 19. Denzel King. 20. Shawn Bowen.
TEEN STEPS UP IN PRIDE DEBUT
NORTHERN Pride teenager Jahoiyakim Afoa could be the Hostplus Cup team’s fullback for the crunch clash with Townsville Blackhawks after a whirlwind debut in Mackay.
Afoa was called up at the eleventh hour after first-choice custodian Julian Christian was dropped for disciplinary reasons.
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The lad from Liverpool, in southwest Sydney, was preparing to line up for the Hastings Deering Colts’ season opener, and was thrust into his Queensland Cup debut at the last minute.
He handled it well, according to coach Ty Williams, who signed the 19-year-old earlier this year.
Afoa played for Western Suburbs Magpies at the start of 2021, then took up an opportunity at the end of the year to play in France.
That didn’t work out, but Afoa found his way to Pride where he’s made the most every day.
“It was way different,” Afoa said. “It was down a level but I’m so grateful for the experience.
“My goal is to make NRL. I just got to take it step by step, and everything will work out if I train hard and play hard.”
Williams saw him live for the first time when the Pride smashed Yarrabah in a pre-season trial game, with Afoa scoring a hat-trick and showcasing every bit of his unbridled talent.
His pace, agility, and defensive ability were all on show, and his support play convinced Williams he had a player who could thrive off the back of the Pride’s impressive, ball-playing forwards.
“He’s a lively customer,” Williams said after that February game.
“He talks well, but the big thing that impresses me with Ja is that he’s a student of the game.
“He’s very knowledgeable about the game for a young kid but he’s been in the system for a while.
“If he’s going to play HPC, he’ll get those opportunities. Eligible for 21s but he’s with the big boys.”
Afoa had a solid but unspectacular Hostplus Cup debut, but showed Williams enough for the former Cowboys and Maroons representative to suggest the teen could oust Christian from the fullback role.
It’s a big step back for Christian, who had seriously impressed in his transition from the halves to fullback this year.
But it means an opportunity for Afoa to fast-track his rise to a higher level of footy.
“I thought he did really well,” Williams said of Afoa’s debut. “He will be (our fullback) at the moment. We’ve (all) talked a lot about how it is a privilege to play at this club.
“Ja gets his opportunity.”
PRIDE FALLS TO MACKAY
POOR decision-making and fundamental errors cost Northern Pride a victory against north Queensland rivals Mackay, a late try allowing the Cutters to escape with a 26-22 win.
The Pride kept pace with the Cutters throughout the contest, and led late courtesy of Evan Child’s goalkicking.
But Mackay had the last laugh, collecting a short restart and scoring via Ross Bella in the final minutes.
Pride coach Ty Williams said simple issues came back to haunt his side as the club slumped to 1-2 after three games on the road.
“I thought we did a good job to stay with them, but it’s the fundamentals,” Williams said.
“There are a few things in the game against Ipswich, a few more against Wynnum last week and it’s been the same thing this weekend. It’s cost us two wins.”
Both sides dealt with a number of late changes.
Fullback Julian Christian was dropped for disciplinary reasons, and youngster Jahoiyakim Afoa promoted to the starting position, while Cowboys-contracted second-rower Connelly Lemuelu was a late withdrawal.
Fellow Cowboy Ben Hampton made his return from injury for the Pride, slotting into halfback after Matt Egan was ruled out.
Cowboys-contracted utility back Scott Drinkwater was a late omission for Mackay after Cowboys fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow left the field early with injury in the loss to the Roosters on Saturday night.
But Williams refused to use the late chop and change of his 17 as an excuse, instead putting it on his players to make better choices.
Powerhouse prop and forwards leader Nick Lui-Toso was 11 minutes into his first game since suspension when he was sent to the sin bin for an unnecessary late hit.
Mackay scored in the final minute of his stint off the field.
“We want to put on pressure, but you don’t have to go charging in in that situation,” Williams said. “Then for 10 minutes we have to defend with 12, we exert all that energy and they score in the final 30 seconds. Those decisions are hurting us. It’s about understanding the processes.”
Williams said the club was fortunate to welcome back Hampton, while Afoa was solid in his Hostplus Cup debut.
The Pride is eighth and hosts the Blackhawks in its first home game at Barlow Park on Saturday night.
PUA POWER: Prop pushing for starting role
HUMAN wrecking ball Nick Lui-Toso is primed to make his return from suspension for the Northern Pride but his front-row partner Paea Pua has made the most of his opportunity this year.
Pua joined the Hostplus Cup club just after the season kicked off last year and became a key member of the Pride’s forward pack. And across the first two games of this season, the former Penrith Panther has come into his own.
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He has showcased every bit of the ball-playing skill that made him a Pride recruitment target in the first place and, between that and his enthusiasm to put his hand up for tough runs, Pua is showing coach Ty Williams why he should be considered for a permanent starting spot.
“He’s made some adjustments with his lifestyle as well,” Williams said.
“I spoke to Scotty (Callaghan, strength and conditioning coach) after the Christmas break in regards his weight, and he’s pinned that back down now.
“He’s starting to move really well.
“His football IQ is very high, for a guy who plays in the middle of the field.
“He’s a deep thinker of the game but also assesses the situations well. We saw that with the first try on the weekend.
“I’m interested to see how he keeps improving. He’s filling a bench spot, but at the moment he’s working towards being one of those starters with Nicko.
“Even if we do get those allocations later on in the end of the year, I think Paea can hold his own there.”
The return of Lui-Toso is the only change expected at this time, though Williams has not named him in his 18-man squad as he awaits clearance from the team physio.
The Pride’s clash with the Cutters at Mackay’s BB Print Stadium will now be played on Sunday instead of Saturday, and Williams was forthright when asked of the schedule change.
“So they can get the allocations, it’s pretty simple,” he said. “They get six down there. That’s what they’ve moved it for, we’ll adjust accordingly.
“It will be a tough test for us but I think the boys are ready for it.
“It’s a good a challenge.
“I’m going to challenge my boys with that, I’m not going to lie about it. I think it’s a good chance for them to step up to the plate.”
The Cutters last week welcomed back Cowboys regulars Scott Drinkwater, Daejarn Asi and Ben Condon, and will likely have all three available when they face their north Queensland rivals.
PRIDE FALLS TO WYNNUM-MANLY
UNACCEPTABLE errors left Northern Pride to learn a valuable lesson ahead of what promises to be a blockbuster clash against rivals Mackay.
The Pride led 8-4 at halftime but failed to score in the second stanza. They were their own worst enemies as repeated simple mistakes allowed Wynnum-Manly to chalk up a 26-8 win at Iona College.
Dropped balls, penalties and mistakes from the tiring defence conspired to leave the Pride on the wrong end of a 22-0 second-half margin, as they suffered their first defeat of the Hostplus Cup season.
While coach Ty Williams was disappointed in the result, he could take some solace from the fact he knows this team can perform far better than what it did on Saturday.
And that’s exactly what they will have to do when they travel to Mackay to take on an in-form and Cowboys-bolstered Cutters, who destroyed Ipswich 52-12.
“We made 15 errors, which isn’t up to the standard of the CDRL, let alone the Hostplus Cup,” Williams said.
“We completed at under 50 per cent in the second half.”
Those stats were more frustrating than anything for the long-term coach and former Cowboys winger, given how hard the players worked.
“We work so hard to get the ball, then we would just give it straight back to them,” Williams said.
“Those two late tries in the last 10 minutes blew out the score a bit – it was a lot closer than that.
“But to complete 55 per cent in a game of Hostplus Cup is not acceptable.”
The script could not have been better in the first 40 minutes, as winger Gideon Gela-Mosby opened the scoring in his first game for the Pride in two years.
Gela-Mosby, who has worked his way back to the Hostplus Cup after having his contract torn up at the end of 2020 for an off-field incident, proved he was the right decision to replace the injured Will Partridge as he planted the ball just inside the right touchline.
“He showed glimpses of what he’s capable of,” Williams said. “He did blow up towards the end – it’s been two years since he’s played at this level, but that will come.”
Opposite winger Mark Rosendale scored the Pride’s second try, but that was where the party ended as the Seagulls dominated the second half.
Williams pleaded for his team to be more patient, especially when they had the ball, as they look forward to a clash with the Cutters.
“It’s just being focused on the game,” Williams said.
“There were a few errors which were caused by good contact zone tackles, but there’s a few too many play-the-ball errors where if we just took one or two more seconds we’d be fine.”
Williams said his team simply had to get better at making the most of their chances.
“We had some good opportunities but didn’t capitalise. The best teams make you pay each time, and that’s what we have to do,” he said.
COWBOYS FLYER RETURNS
GIDEON Gela-Mosby will end a two-year absence from the Hostplus Cup when he runs out for the Northern Pride on Saturday.
The former Cowboys flyer will replace injured winger Will Partridge for the clash with Wynnum Manly, marking the first time he has lined up for the Pride since the only game in 2020.
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Pride coach Ty Williams isn’t expecting Gela-Mosby to be at his best straight away, but he has seen enough from the winger to know he will be up for the challenge.
And he appealed for fans to have patience as Gela-Mosby plays his way back to state league level.
“For us as coaches, and for the spectators, they need to be patient with him,” Williams said.
“It’s been a good preseason for him … he’s gone through a lot.
“We don’t want to put too much focus or expectation on him.
“It’s going to be a pleasing sight for me to see him out there on Saturday. He’s earned it.”
Blessed with speed to burn and a freakish ability to score bucket loads of tries, Gela-Mosby turned heads in the now-defunct National Youth Competition and earned his NRL debut in 2017.
He played 11 NRL games in three seasons at North Queensland, and he returned to the Pride and local footy at the end of 2019.
An off-field incident in 2020 resulted in his Pride contract being torn up, though Gela-Mosby returned to the footy field for Kangaroos in the Cairns District Rugby League in 2021.
Brought back into the Pride’s fold at the end of last season, Gela-Mosby has worked hard throughout the off-season, and his experience and size played crucial parts of the decision to recall the now 25-year-old.
And it’s been readily accepted by his teammates, who celebrated the decision when Williams made Gela-Mosby’s recall official at training.
“It’s more the outside stuff than football,” Williams said.
“He’s had to re-engage with a lot of things in life.
“It’s tough for players who make NRL. People see the glitz and glamour but when you no longer get that opportunity, it’s tough.
“He went down that path and made some poor decisions.
“We’ve created a good environment for him, but it’s the things I can’t coach, his ability, that will look after him on the field.”
He will partner Bernard Lewis, with Mark Rosendale and Shawn Bowen to occupy the left flank charged with shutting down the Seagulls’ tryscoring sensation Deine Mariner.
Mariner crossed for four tries in the Seagulls’ loss to Burleigh last week, and Williams said they needed the speed to stop him.
Kenneth Fonoti has also been cleared for his return, while Cowboys centre-turned-second-rower Connelly Lemuelu is expected to start in the place of the injured Ewan Moore.
THE AREA PRIDE MUST FIX TO BE A THREAT
THE mood could not be better among the Northern Pride playing group after a gritty, backs-to-the-wall first-round triumph to start the Hostplus Cup season, but coach Ty Williams has identified one key area the team has to fix if it is to be a genuine premiership contender.
The 26-6 win against the Jets suggests a one-sided affair, but the Pride were forced to overcome two serious injuries and three sin-bins to record just their second win at Ipswich in 11 years.
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And it’s for that reason Williams was so impressed with that victory, but the longest-reigning Pride coach in club history has already put that game behind him as he prepares for the headache that is selecting key positions for Saturday’s clash with Wynnum-Manly.
Winger Will Partridge and second-rower Ewan Moore are both gone, while several others will be monitored this week after copping knocks.
It’s why Williams named an identical lineup to that listed last week – he and his assistant coaches had yet to decide who would be best suited to each of the roles, and just how many players he had to replace.
Whoever comes in, whether they’re contracted to the Pride or the Cowboys send allocated players to the club for game day, will have to bring the same steely defensive attitude they had in Round 1.
And it’s defensively where Williams wants to see an improvement.
While they conceded just one try, which came in the final 10 minutes despite playing more than half of the game with only two men left on the bench, the number of missed tackles when compared to competition heavyweights was an immediate red flag for the coach.
“It is only Round 1, but Norths are looking like the benchmark,” Williams said.
“We’re not far off … but the missed tackle count was too high. We had about 30, Norths only had 18.
“These the things we need to address.”
In Williams’ ideal world, the Pride will sit near the top of the table with a 4-0 record in little over a month, but the former Cowboys flyer is very well aware of just how much work that will entail.
And, as he approaches his 100th game as Pride coach, Williams isn’t get too far ahead of himself.
“The ideal scenario is being 4-0, that’s the goal,” he said. “But I want to see improvement from the team week in, week out.”
The Pride will face Wynnum-Manly at Iona College this week, then travel to Rockhampton to take on the Capras the following week.
Their first home game is against Townsville Blackhawks on Saturday, April 9.
THREE INTO ONE: CENTRE SELECTION HEADACHE
A former NRL player, proven performer and a rising star are in the running for a call-up to the Hostplus Cup as the injury-hit Northern Pride prepare for a clash with Wynnum-Manly.
The Pride has named an identical squad to Round 1, but could be without as many four players from the 26-6 win against Ipswich Jets.
Two men will miss extended time, with second rower Ewan Moore set for a 4-6 week stint on the sideline after he suffered a broken foot, and winger Will Partridge facing as many as eight weeks off after fracturing his leg.
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Young forwards Terrence Casey Douglas and Kenneth Fonoti are also yet to be cleared, leaving coach Ty Williams with a headache heading into the second round.
His biggest decision will be who replaces Redcliffe recruit Partridge - and he has no shortage of options.
Evan Child became one of the Pride’s most valuable men last season as the halfback became more of a utility, looking at home as he made the left centre spot his own.
He travelled with the squad last week but wasn’t called upon, which could give him the inside running, but Williams said that option would force either Shawn Bowen or Bernard Lewis to the wing.
Rising star Rob Derby could be a dark horse.
Part of the North Queensland Young Guns setup at the Cowboys, Derby is a promising centre who had previously linked with Sunshine Coast Falcons with a view to training with the Storm in 2020 before the Covid crisis first unfolded.
He impressed in preseason trials, but is yet to start in the Hostplus Cup.
The third option is Gideon Gela-Mosby, the former Cowboys NRL flyer who hasn’t played in the state league for years.
He was signed by the Pride for 2020 when the competition was cancelled due to Covid, and later that year had his contract torn up for an off-field incident.
He spent 2021 playing for Kangaroos in the Cairns District Rugby League, doing enough to earn a position on the Pride’s extended roster.
The advantage for Gela-Mosby is it is a straight swap with Partridge with no other roster moves required.
Williams said all three are viable options and a decision would be made after discussing with assistant coaches, but conceded they might be short of a run given the CDRL is yet to kick off.
“Gids is definitely an option, he is at the forefront with the position, but that’s a bit of an unknown,” Williams said.
“Evan travelled with us on the weekend, Rob is part of the setup in Townsville and is coming along, but they might be short of a run.”
Despite the injury knocks, Williams and the Pride are positive after a successful start to the season.
The club is equal second, sharing an identical points differential with Sunshine Coast Falcons, after the first round, in which they recorded just their second win at Ipswich in 11 outings.
The Pride start the season with three straight away games, and don’t play at their Barlow Park home ground until they host the Blackhawks on Saturday, April 9.
LITTLE SMASHES SIX-YEAR DROUGHT
FROM his first hit-up to the breakthrough four-pointer, Northern Pride enforcer Ash Little showed he hadn’t missed a beat in his four-year absence from the Hostplus Cup.
“It’s good to be back,” said Little, who also smashed a six-year try drought in the state competition.
Little played 23 games for the then-named Easts Tigers from 2015 to 2018, but after leaving Langlands Park appeared lost to the state league as he flexed his muscle in country footy.
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Signed by the Pride in 2021, Little was on the cusp of making a long-awaited return to the state rugby league competition when he endured a horror injury run, he worst of which included a torn pectoral muscle which sidelined him for months.
He returned to the field for Mareeba Gladiators in the last rounds of the Cairns District Rugby League last season, and his attitude throughout the ordeal was a big part of why Pride coach Ty Williams brought him back to the fold in 2022.
Named on the bench for the Round 1 clash with Ipswich, Little played more than 50 minutes after injuries and sin bins wreaked havoc with Williams’ interchange plans.
But Little looked at home.
Little ran for 127m from 14 carries, made 16 tackles, broke three tackles, and made a line break, to go with his first try at state league level in six years.
“That was good, getting a try in my first game back,” Little said. “The boys really stuck in there.
“Personally, it felt good to be back in the Cup. It was great to score a try … but I definitely enjoy playing at that level over any local competition.”
Williams was impressed with the way Little performed throughout the off-season, and named the 29-year-old on the bench for his return to the Cup.
And, at least in the aftermath of that first round victory, it’s a spot Little should maintain for this Saturday’s clash with Wynnum-Manly – depending on how many Cowboys players are named to return to the Pride.
“He was very good, he played a lot more minutes than what we had planned but he was great,” Williams said.
“It was awesome to see him get that try too.
“We didn’t want to put a timeframe on him … but he had a massive effect on the team.”
Williams said his combination with Joey Ratuvakacerivalu made a major difference, their previous Hostplus Cup experience providing the Pride with plenty of starch as they held out the Jets’ attack.
The Pride are locked in second with an identical points differential with Sunshine Coast after the first round.
PRIDE LICK WOUNDS AFTER BIG WIN
NORTHERN Pride was left to lick its wounds after a historic 26-6 win against Ipswich Jets to open the Hostplus Cup season, but the side has found its permanent first-choice fullback.
The Pride’s biggest win at North Ipswich Reserve was just the second time in club history it had prevailed at Ipswich, but the side was made to work for it.
The team lost second-rower Ewan Moore and winger Will Partridge before halftime to a potentially broken foot and broken leg respectively, and had three men sin-binned.
Northern Pride’s Bernard Lewis and Joseph Ratuvakacerivalu, and Jets duo Gerome and Denzel Burns, were sin-binned in the 28th minute after a melee.
Pride custodian and former Ipswich-contracted utility Julian Christian was also binned for a professional foul at the hour mark.
Still, the Pride fought on, conceding just one try in the final 10 minutes to earn the valuable competition points.
“I had very little feedback for after the game,” Williams said. “I was just proud of the effort.
“They could have thrown in the towel there; they were under a lot of pressure but fought on.”
Christian, in his first Hostplus Cup start at fullback after a career in the halves, scored the Pride’s first try of the season after just three minutes and showed why he could be the answer at fullback.
He not only scored a try but ran for 160m, broke five tackles, made a line break, notched a line-break assist and try assist in an ideal outing.
“He was solid,” Williams said of Christian.
“His defence was good. Ipswich made a few good breaks and he shut them down.
“Jules is a work in progress. He’s come from a system at the Jets where they played a lot more laterally. We’re trying to add a bit more structure.”
Ash Little scored his first try since playing for the Tigers in 2016, before halfback Matt Egan wrapped up the result with his own late four-pointer.
Bernard Lewis and Mark Rosendale also crossed for tries.
And while that was the reward, the effort was what made Williams a happy man.
Prop Paea Pua put in a monster 55-minute stint to lead from the front, while five-eighth Tom Steadman became a centre at one stage as injuries and sin bins forced Williams into a reshuffle on the fly.
Whyatt Barnes looked good in his longer-than-planned stint. He replaced the injured Moore and showed why he belongs in the state league.
Eight men ran for more 100m and the team completed at 86 per cent as it dominated the Jets to be sitting near the top of the table after round 1 and looking like a more rounded team than the one which fell short of the finals last year on points differential.
The Pride faces Wynnum-Manly at Iona College on Saturday afternoon.
matthew.mcinerney1@news.com.au
Originally published as Northern Pride news: Forwards on notice, teen retains No.1 jersey
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