Dolphins Cup v Payne Cup winners live stream: Emmaus College take on St Patrick’s Mackay

Sick of playing second fiddle to the big schools up north, St Patrick’s Mackay changed their philosophy - and now they are flying. Catch their game against Emmaus LIVE today at 1.30pm.

St Patrick’s College are fast becoming a juggernaut of north Queensland schoolboys footy - and eager to take that next step as the best in the state.

The year 11/12 side has won the Payne Cup, demolishing Townsville big guns Kirwan, who had around twice as many NRL contracted players, 32-10, while the younger boys took home the Cowboys Challenge.

And on Wednesday they face off against Rockhampton’s Emmaus College in both Cup and Challenge competitions for yet more silverware.

WATCH THE DOLPHINS v PAYNE CUP WINNERS HERE

WATCH THE DOLPHINS v COWBOYS CHALLENGE FINAL HERE

WATCH THE LANGER TROPHY GRAND FINAL HERE

WATCH THE WALTERS CUP, LANGER RESERVES DECIDER HERE

See the full Queensland Schoolboys Grand Final week schedule below.

But it hasn’t always been that way.

“It’s taken us a long time to get here, it’s been a big effort from everyone involved and everything’s just coming to fruition now,” said Chad Buckby, the school’s rugby league co-ordinator.

“We’ve got a lot of depth now, we didn’t used to have that depth.

“Going back four or five years, we’d have a squad of 22 players and that’d be it for the whole year, now we’ve got a squad of 30 players and there’s very good footballers missing out.”

Diesel Costigan charges into the St Ignatius defence. Picture: Michaela Harlow

Current Mackay Cutters coach Michael Comerford, who is a St Pat’s alumni and spent over a decade working with the program in a coaching capacity, pinpoints how things started to change.

“You get sick of going to St Brendan’s and losing by 30 and hopping on a bus to go home, or going up to Townsville and getting a touch up from Kirwan and taking the bus all the way home,” Comerford said.

“There was a shift in mindset from the staff and players at the time to go ‘we don’t want this anymore.’

“To compete with those schools, you have to train and prepare like they do.”

It wasn’t as simple as flicking on a switch, however, Comerford reveals.

“The attitude was probably there for a while of complaining about how (other schools) went about their business, and how serious they took it,” he said.

“We had a real shift where we just decided that’s what it takes to be a force at that level, and you can’t expect to win games off talent alone.

Xavier Kerrisk in last year’s Payne Cup final. Picture: Evan Morgan

“It was a real shift in mindset around the training and commitment that was needed from the players.

“Commitment was prioritised over every other aspect, including talent and ability.

“Over the years that’s meant a number of quite talented players have missed opportunities to be part of big moments.

“But the program’s bigger than the individual, and now you’ve got all the best players committing and prioritising - it and that’s why they’re having the success now.”

Two players, in particular, also proved to be the catalyst for the St Pat’s transformation: Cutters captain Ross Bella and Cowboys lock Mitchell Dunn.

“Players like that were a catalyst for the program to go, ‘we need to provide a standard of training and coaching that is fit for these kids who wanna progress as far as they can’.” Comerford said.

“That was probably the building blocks, from there it was getting fed up with not winning against the big schools.”

Michael Comerford. Photo: Zoe Devenport

Another key aspect of the turnaround was the school’s investment in the strength and conditioning of their players, which came in the form of a partnership with Mackay company Integrated Bodies.

Comerford outlined 2016 as the year where the tide turned and St Pat’s produced a highly successful cohort.

From there the school’s dominance ebbed and flowed, but now it seems sustained success is inevitable.

“We’re on the map, and we’re here to stay,” said Payne Cup coach Ian Schifilliti.

With a title-winning group of year 9 and 10s, spearheaded by playmaker Adam McSherry and second-rower Mark Morrow, it’s hard to see the school’s dominance wavering.

St Pat’s has also been buoyed by a new partnership with the Cowboys this season, which has seen coaching education and other resources shared, as well as the ability to use the NRL club’s facilities when travelling to Townsville.

“It’s definitely an advantage to have that partnership, we’re very hopeful it can continue into the future because it’s seemed to work this year,” Buckby said.

“Hopefully that will benefit our kids and give them opportunities at that club.”

Cowboys Challenge winner Adam McSherry is poised to light up the Payne Cup.

St Pat’s joins Payne Cup powerhouses Kirwan and Ignatius Park College, as well as Rockhampton’s The Cathedral College, as schools to partner with the Cowboys.

Kirwan and Ignatius Park, however, reap the rewards of being on the Cowboys doorstep, enticing talent from all over the state, whereas the St Pat’s sides are largely homegrown.

“It’s pretty amazing what this group’s been able to achieve. The majority of that team walked through Mercy College doors in year 7 and have been a big part of the program since day dot,” Comerford said.

“This group, in particular, has played a big part in helping the program get to where it’s got to.”

Originally published as Dolphins Cup v Payne Cup winners live stream: Emmaus College take on St Patrick’s Mackay