CDRL Rd 10: Why winning is everything for Brothers

A try in the final minutes and a last-ditch defensive effort as time expired decided one of the best games of the CDRL season to date. EVERY RESULT >>

Matthew McInerney

6 min read

June 13, 2022 - 11:50AM

The Cairns Post

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A TRY in the final minutes and a last-ditch defensive effort as time expired has handed Brothers a thrilling 26-22 come-from-behind win against Kangaroos.

In a contender for the Cairns District Rugby League game of the season, the old and fierce rivals traded tries in a belter of a clash at Stan Williams Park.

“That was our toughest game of the year,” said coach and halfback Jordan Biondi-Odo.

“It felt like every tackle had that little bit more in it.”

It was a fixture which meant everything to the Brethren.

Not only was it their annual reunion weekend, where they celebrated nine premiership winning teams from the past 90 years, but it was their first game since the passing of long-serving volunteer, the beloved John Bingham.

They were forced to fight, but Brothers delivered on their promise of victory.

Winger Devante Heron scored four tries, the second time he has done so in a game this season, while Kangaroos duo Louie Ganaia and Tyson Phineasa scored two each.

The difference was a try to Lachlan Biondi-Odo, who finished a long-range effort which started with Heron, before Falcon Peni and Saifu Savage turned the Kangaroos defence inside out before sending the fullback on his way to the try line.

Coach Biondi-Odo said he never felt uncomfortable, despite trailing as the clock ticked down, and that belief permeated into points.

“It’s good to win games like this,” the coach said.

“You don’t want to be out there winning by 20 every week.

“It tests the character a bit. I wouldn’t say we felt uncomfortable at any point.”

Brothers led 20-10 at halftime before a sensational second-half fightback from Kangaroos put the Mooroobool club in the lead with just 18 minutes left to play.

And while they didn’t get the job done, coach Jared Allen must have been proud of his troops to fight until the final siren.

They had a chance to win it late, but Ganaia’s last-ditch effort came undone when he stepped on the sideline in the face of a swarming Brothers sliding defence.

Before kick-off, Allen said his team had to win games like this fixture against Brothers to prove they can match it with the best in the CDRL.

Kangaroos are yet to beat a top five side, and while they fell short on this day, there is enough in the performance to prove they have what it takes to beat the best.

RESULTS

BROTHERS 26 (Heron 4, L Biondi-Odo tries; Peni 3 goals) def KANGAROOS 24 (Ganaia 2, Phineasa 2 tries; Stephen 4 goals) at Stan Williams Park, Manunda.

MOSSMAN-PORT DOUGLAS 36 (Daniel, K Anau, S Anau, G Bon, B Gibuma, Crampton, M Gibuma tries; Daniel 4 goals) def IVANHOE KNIGHTS 12 (Hodges, Bulkua tries; Knowles 2 goals) at Coronation Park, Mossman.

INNISFAIL LEPRECHAUNS 28 (Jolley, Vota, D Mooka, Murimurivalu, Valentine, Taga tries; Jolley, D Mooka goals) def YARRABAH SEAHAWKS 12 (Hunter-Flanders, H Murgha, Costello tries) at Callendar Park, Innisfail.

ATHERTON ROOSTERS 30 (Grogan 2, Partridge 2, Foster tries; Grogan 4 goals) def TULLY TIGERS 12 (Ivey 2, Nona tries) at Tully Showgrounds, Tully.

EDMONTON STORM 42 (Dau 2, Connolly 2, Crathern, Anton, Malisi, Rosendale tries; Simpson 5 goals) def MAREEBA GLADIATORS 22 (Dodd, Grogan-Hayes, Somumu, R Dally tries; Dodd 3 goals) at Petersen Park, Edmonton.

SOUTHERN SUBURBS had the bye.

Women

Tablelands 38 def Mossman-PD 0.

Kangaroos 68 def Innisfail 4.

Edmonton 28 def Yarrabah 24.

Reserve grade

Brothers 22 def Kangaroos 8.

Ivanhoe 50 def Mossman-PD 12.

Innisfail 54 def Yarrabah 24.

Tully Tigers 26 def Atherton 6.

Edmonton 40 def Mareeba 20.

Under-18s

Kangaroos 20 def Brothers 16.

Innisfail 44 def Yarrabah 12.

Atherton 50 def Tully Tigers 10.

Mareeba 46 def Edmonton 26.

Ivanhoe and Suburbs had the bye.

FIXTURES

Round 4 catch-up

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

Southern Suburbs v Tully Tigers at Alley Park, Gordonvale.

Round 11

SATURDAY, JUNE 25

Ivanhoe Knights v Atherton Roosters at Smithfield Sporting Complex.

Innisfail Leprechauns v Edmonton Storm at Callendar Park, Innisfail.

Tully Tigers v Southern Suburbs at Tully Showgrounds.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26

Kangaroos v Mareeba Gladiators at Vico Oval, Mooroobool.

Brothers v Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks at Stan WIlliams Park, Manunda.

Yarrabah Seahawks have the bye.

Kick-off times not listed at time of print.

BROTHERS: WINNING IS EVERYTHING

WINNING is at the centre of any team which strives for success, but there’s not many times a coach will openly say that any other result isn’t good enough.

And if that doesn’t highlight just how important Saturday’s Cairns District Rugby League clash between rivals Brothers and Kangaroos is, then nothing will.

Brothers coach Jordan Biondi-Odo has named one of his strongest squads of the year for the Stan Williams Park clash with Kangaroos, which will be livestreamed on the newly launched KommunityTV via the Cairns Post.

Adam Hepworth of Cairns Brothers in action. Picture Emily Barker

The fixture is already one of the biggest on the calendar.

The long-term rivalry is one of the deepest in the CDRL, and Brothers uses their clash at Stan Williams Park for their annual celebration of premierships.

On Saturday, the club will mark the nine premierships they have won in years ending with a ‘2’, from 1932’s Minor Juniors to the 2012 A-grade triumph – their last in the senior grade.

But it has taken on even more significance after the passing of long-term volunteer John Bingham earlier this week, who president Stephen Widt praised by saying the “club would never see another volunteer like him”.

“Everyone was a bit shocked and saddened,” Biondi-Odo said.

“As far as footy is concerned, it’s extra motivation. Anything less than a win is not good enough.”

Brothers will be without Ernest Suavai and Abiu Pearson, but are otherwise full strength, with young guns Adam Hepworth and Joseph Wigness making it difficult for the coach to leave him out.

Biondi-Odo is joined in the halves by Patrick Lewis, with gun utility Falcon Peni in his primary centre position after multiple strong showings in the halves.

“That back line is as strong as it will get,” Biondi-Odo said.

“We have forwards who can go, and I’m keen to see how Teddy Kepa goes in his return.”

Kangaroos half Theo Majid during the game against Tully at Vico Oval. Picture: Brian Cassey

While Brothers are joint leaders and out to maintain their cracking pace, Kangaroos are sixth and driven by their own motivation to prove themselves as worthy presences in the discussion about CDRL’s title contenders.

“We haven’t beaten any of the top five teams this year, so this is massive for us,” said Kangaroos coach Jared Allen.

“We need to beat Brothers to prove that we can win at all.”

Kangaroos halfback Theo Majid will face Brothers for the first time since switching clubs, and Allen said he was a key for his side’s success this season.

SHARKS SET AFTER INJURY WOES

A MOUNTING injury toll has left Mossman-Port Douglas without several regular A-grade players ahead of a heavyweight Cairns District Rugby League clash.

The Sharks are set to host Ivanhoe Knights in one of the biggest games of the season so far on Saturday night.

Mossman-Port Douglas are flying, with six wins from eight games to be third on the ladder. Ivanhoe is level on points but one position back, but have played only seven games with their two byes already served.

Both sides have gone well under new coaches.

Mossman's Matthew Bon. Picture: Brian Cassey

Joel Marama is in his first season as a player-coach at the Sharks, and while injuries to key players like Matthew Gibuma and Jimmito Harris might have taken an edge off their attack, the men who stepped up to replace the duo have impressed Marama.

“We’re so fortunate to have guys like Stanley Anau who can cover a lot of positions,” Marama said.

“We were missing six guys last week and found a way to win (v Suburbs). We played one good half of footy, we slipped away a bit in the second half but we did enough to get the points.

“We’ve been travelling well. We’re not worrying about our opponents, we out the focus on ourselves and what we need to do.”

The Sharks have won three straight games, while Ivanhoe is riding a four-game winning streak after losses in two of the first three weeks.

The Knights started slowly but have come into their own in recent weeks, and under Lindsay Styles maintained the tough, gritty defence and club-first mentality which has served the Smithfield side so well in recent years.