Young Tiger enjoys bittersweet debut in Clydesdales cup defeat

The Western Clydesdales have gone down in demoralising fashion yet again, however, one player couldn’t have been happier after making a well deserved debut. Find out what happened here.

Cooper Howlett (left) made his debut for the Western Clydesdales during their Round 14 Hostplus Cup clash with Wynnum Manly Seagulls. Picture: Nev Madsen.

The Western Clydesdales produced another gutsy but ultimately fruitless performance at the weekend.

At home to a Wynnum Manly side laden with Brisbane Broncos talent the Clydesdales trailed 24-22 at halftime before losing 43-22.

For Cooper Howlett the result was bittersweet.

The 22-year-old, who played a pre-season trial against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in February, made his Clydesdales Hostplus Cup debut in the defeat.

The young Southern Suburbs Tigers centre became the 254th player in the club’s history to don the light blue jersey and no-one in attendance was more stoked than himself.

“I enjoyed it (the game) very much,” Howlett said with a grin ear-to-ear.

“I was absolutely blowing for the first set and a half there, I’m not going to lie.

“It was huge contact and the pace was definitely intense.

“Thankfully, my outside, my winger and my half all kept me focused and helped me out heaps.

“They kept the communication up and the chat uplifted me and allowed me to not get too gassed.”

Cooper Howlett of Southern Suburbs against Brothers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

While Howlett may have been over the moon about making his debut, he was bitterly disappointed to not come away with the two-points.

“As a team I think that we did a lot of things right, especially up against a competition heavyweight as stacked as they (Wynnum) are,” Howlett said.

“There was just a crucial time in the game that we let them get a roll on us and we were a bit spent, but other than that we put together a good performance I feel.”

The Clydesdales definitely showed doubters they are capable of taking big scalps in the cup, however, without the elite players some of sides possess, they often lack the killer instinct.

To their credit, the Clydesdales went toe-to-toe with a side made up of six Broncos contracted players, despite missing a number of their own key players; Matt Duggan, Bessie Toomaga and Melino Fineanganofo.

The Clydesdales will have time to dissect this loss as they have a bye, and will have ample time to prepare for their clash with top of the ladder Magpies next month.

ROUND 13 vs. HUNTERS

ROUND 12 vs. DOLPHINS

ROUND 11 vs. MAGPIES

The Western Clydesdales have once again gone down in agonising fashion, losing by eight points to the Broncos littered Souths Logan Magpies.

Playing at home in front of a raucous crowd, the Clydesdales took an early lead, up eight points in the opening 12 minutes.

The home side however took their foot off the pedal and were punished for their defensive inefficiencies, trailing 16-8 at the break.

Despite a hearty effort from the team, they were let down by their lapses in concentration and goal kicking, having kicked two of six, while the Magpies kicked five of six plus a penalty goal.

They ultimately lost 36-28 despite Brock Diment and Mitchell Watson’s 79th minute heroics.

“We say every week we are our own worst enemies,” Diment said on the gut-wrenching loss.

“While we have good stints of 10 to 15 minutes, the next 15 are just really poor.

“At this level you just can’t do that, you just can’t be chasing points.”

Diment was understandably frustrated to be in the same position once again, going down in similar fashion their past few games.

“Every time we find ourselves chasing points in the last 10 minutes (of games) which you just can’t do, and we are just struggling to put that full 80 (minutes) together,” he said.

“We can score the points, we’ve shown that this season we can go with the best teams, it’s just our defence.”

Not shying away from criticism, Diment was his own harshest critic.

“My defence today was a bit ordinary and I let a few tries in so, I just have to be better in that aspect.”

When asked about why his side have these lapses in concentration Diment said he wasn’t ‘really sure’.

“I think it’s just wanting to do it,” he said in reference to putting together a full game.

“At the end of the day, you just need to want to be there for your teammates and work hard to make it easier on ourselves, because we are making it far too difficult.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Darryn Schonig (c): The captain was huge when on the field. He played just 46 minutes in total, with five of the Magpies tries coming while he was on the bench. And when he was on the field, the Clydesdales scored five of their six tries.

Drew Timms: The young number nine was immense, putting together another very solid performance, providing good service, off-the-cuff kicks and made 47 tackles.

Cory McGrady: The veteran five-eighth was once again the heart and soul of the side. Putting in skilful kicks off restarts and line dropouts, he was on another level due to his halves partner Matt Duggan out for the game.

ROUND 10 vs. BEARS

ROUND 9 vs. PRIDE

A shattered Western Clydesdales outfit left Clive Berghofer Stadium wondering how a win slipped through their fingers on Saturday.

In front of a vocal home crowd, the Hostplus Cup side lost a nailbiter 32-30 against the Northern Pride.

The Clydesdales got out to a flying start, scoring in the first minute of the contest, and went into the break up 18-12.

“We just seem to let teams get back into the game,” Western Clydesdales hooker Drew Timms said.

“Our errors through the middle of the game cost us, and they have gas at the end of the games which stuffs us.”

The Clydesdales gave away too much possession and errors also proved costly in the second half.

The home side also failed to capitalise on a ‘man advantage’ when a Pride player was sin-binned.

“It’s pretty tough,” Timms said of the loss.

“I think we need to be a lot better and not have those moments in the game where we clock off I guess.

“We had some tough calls go against us but that is never an excuse, we can’t let those decisions get the better of us.”

Veteran halfback Matt Duggan echoed his teammates comments post match.

“Look, that one hurts,” he said.

“I felt like we were right on top of them to start with but we just didn’t capitalise on all our opportunities.

“And then once they got momentum, we struggled to turn it till right at the very end and then mistakes just hurt us.

“It’s a tough one, I feel like that’s one we should’ve won.”

Duggan lamented his side’s second half effort, saying that they were not up to par.

“I don’t think we were outplayed, I felt like we were really in it,” he said.

“Our second half just wasn’t good enough.

“Tweed (Seagulls) were bloody good last week, like everything just stuck for them whereas with this one, I felt like it was very winnable and we were on top.

“I felt like we were where we should be and we were playing well in that first half, but in that second, I just don’t know, you can’t make those errors and give them that much ball.”

Fortunately Timms said there were plenty of positives the Clydesdales can draw on.

“Parts of the game we executed what we were told to do like kick to corners and other small things like that, but yeah, I guess we’ve just got to keep building on those positives and move forward,” he said.

“We’re a new team and like we’re still all quite new to each other and we need to keep building those connections across the park.

“We’ve had some new boys in the last few weeks in key positions and we need to keep building and eventually it’ll click I reckon, and that’s when we’ll start to go all right.”

ROUND 8 vs. TWEED

Eager to build on their Round 7 win against the Jets, the Western Clydesdales were dealt a reality check by the high flying Tweed Seagulls.

The Clydesdales were on the backfoot almost immediately with the Seagulls fullback Lindon McGrady scoring in the opening minute of the match.

Rocked by the early try the Clydesdales quickly found themselves 24-0 down inside the first 20 minutes.

The Clydesdales replied through Melino Fineanganofo in the 21st but the damage was done with the Seagulls going on to record a 50-18 win.

The telling blow for the Clydesdales was their 47 missed tackles with the team unable to stem the forward pressure of the Seagulls.

Compounding their defensive woes, they made 415 less total metres, meaning they were hemmed in to their own half for longer.

Fortunately, the sides’ cannonball centres Melino Fineanganofo and Bessie Toomaga provided some saving grace, with Fineanganofo crossing the line to score twice and Toomaga slotting his three kicks, continuing his form with the boot.

The Clydesdales play Northern Pride this Saturday, May 13, at home with kick-off at 5pm.

ROUND 7 vs. JETS

Winger Mitchell Watson was front and centre in a Western Clydesdales masterclass on Saturday.

Watson scored as many tries as the number on his jersey, crossing the line five times in his side’s 46-10 thrashing of rivals Ipswich Jets.

The win was one for the record books with the Hostplus Cup side securing their first every victory at home.

“It’s the most I’ve scored, or at least it’s up there,” Watson said.

“I’m definitely happy with my performance.”

With his side starting to come together as a cohesive unit, Clydesdales captain Darryn Schonig had nothing but praise for his teammates.

“I feel like Watto (Mitch Watson) has been one of our best performers all year,” Schonig said.

“He has just out done himself again, and what a stellar game tonight.”

“It was finally good to get a win at home in front of our home fans.

“Everyone has been putting so much into us you know and we’ve lost a few games, and there was probably always going to be that rocky kind of start but yeah, it’s really nice to have been able to put on a show at home.”

The Clydesdales dominated proceedings on Saturday night racking up 950 more run metres than their rivals.

With the Clydesdales pack punching holes through the Jets middle, the backline was able to capitalise.

“As a middle, our job is hard but it is a lot simpler than what an edge’s job is,” Schonig said.

“We are finally starting to find those connections out on our edges which the boys have been working hard to get.

“The left edge in particular with Watto (Mitchell Watson), Lino (Melino Fineanganofo) and now Brock (Diment) is dangerous.

“No-one is overplaying their hand and it feels like we are establishing everyone’s role within the side and playing more cohesively as a unit.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Mitch Watson: The winger scored a first half hat-trick and two more in the second. His effort on the wing in support of Melino Fineanganofo and his finishing ability demonstrated his desire to win.

Melino Fineanganofo: Produced another utterly dominant display of brute strength and skill. Making a number of tackle breaks and creating chances out of nothing, the barnstorming centre is quickly becoming the form player of the competition.

Brock Diment: The Clydesdales look better since the Valleys product made the move to fullback. Diment has been solid in defence and has formed a killer partnership on the left with Fineanganofo and Watson.

Darryn Schonig: The captain was courageous through the middle, busting numerous tackles and consistently making metreage post contact, lifting his side and leading from the front.

Cory McGrady: The crafty five-eigth was critical in his side’s win, making clutch kicks out of trouble and kicking a 40-20 that later led to a try.

ROUND 6 vs. TIGERS

Teams rarely score six tries and lose, but the Western Clydesdales did just that and left Brisbane with nothing to celebrate at the weekend.

Away from home from for the third week in a row, the Clydesdales played Brisbane Tigers in a very windy ANZAC affair.

In their special commemorative jerseys, the Clydesdales stuck with the Tigers till the end, losing 32-28.

“It was a hell of a tough and close game, and it was extremely windy so kicking was a real struggle,” Clydesdales halfback Matt Duggan said.

“We scored the same number of tries (six) as them, but we let in a couple soft ones (tries) that didn’t help with the momentum of the game.”

On paper it was a match they should’ve won with the Clydesdales superior in the possession, post contact meters, total runs, linebreaks, tackle breaks, kick return meters, passes and offload stakes.

They also made less tackles, missed tackles, penalties, and had less ruck infringements.

Going into the break down 20-18, the Clydesdales put in a big effort in the second half, but were unable to get the results.

Disappointed with the loss, Duggan is adamant that the performance was indicative of a team headed in the right direction.

“As a side, we are 100 per cent getting those connections firing, and combinations are starting to work a lot more smoothly,” he said.

“Our overall shape and especially our attack is looking really good.

“We just need to start icing more of the plays and making sure that on the fifth tackle we get it right.”

TOP PLAYERS

Mitchell Watson: The crafty winger scored a double, in the first half and was a key player in the side’s attacking plays, he also played the full 80 minutes.

Brock Diment: The Valleys Roosters ace, playing his second game in a row as the side’s fullback, Diment made numerous clutch tackles in their defensive third, as well as providing a solid voice in the back.

Melino Fineanganofo: The centre and self titled ‘Tongan Gorilla’ also snagged two tries, and was a menace for the full 80.

ROUND 5 vs. JETS

For the fans lining North Ipswich Reserve the opening half of Saturday’s Ipswich Jets and Western Clydesdales clash was a spectacle.

Trailing 22-20 at the break the Clydesdales were not unhappy, however they knew things needed to change.

After being drawn into a shootout with their long-time rivals, the Clydesdales were determined to play the second half on their terms.

“The first half was not us. That’s not the way we want to play,” Clydesdales coach Jason Alchin said.

“There was a lot of positives to take away from the half but at the same time we’re a gritty, hard working team.

“We sat down at halftime and had an open and honest chat.

“We talked about getting into the grind, playing the game on our terms, fighting for every centimetre, working hard for each other and we did that in the second half.

“One thing we talked about a lot before this game was post-contact metres and it was pleasing to see how well we did in that area.

“ That’s a sign of their (the players) willingness to work.”

The talk paid off with the Clydesdales galloping away in the second half.

Takai Mokohar’s try in the 49th minute gave his side the lead and the Clydesdales never looked.

The Clydesdales gradually took control of the game before breaking it open in the 56th minute.

Todd White’s four pointer kicked off a dominate 15 minute period with the Clydesdales racing away to 44-22 lead.

Former Toowoomba talent Denzel Burns scored a consolation try late to reduce the score to 44-28.

“It’s great result for everyone,” Alchin said.

“I’ve said it a lot but it is important … a lot of people have worked very hard for a very long time to get us here (in the Hostplus Cup).

“Club officials, supporters, the community, the coaching staff and players.

“This win is a great result for everyone involved with the club.”

Bessie Toomaga was the standout for the Clydesdales scoring two tries, kicking a perfect 7 from 7 conversions and running for 248m.

ROUND 4 vs. SC FALCONS

The Western Clydesdales played their best 40 minutes of football this season, but unfortunately it amounted to nothing on Saturday.

Up against a Sunshine Coast Falcons side featuring eight Melbourne Storm contracted players. the Clydesdales were outclassed in the second half.

The Falcons turned a 16-12 halftime advantage into a 40-12 win by capitalising on multiple Clydesdales errors in the second half.

“Our starts in both halves were not good enough,” Clydesdales coach Jason Alchin said.

“We made unforced errors that put us on the backfoot and under the pump.

“We just have to move forward from this loss, keep our heads and the intensity up, and we cannot be happy with losing.”

Despite the loss, Alchin was impressed with his team’s performance in the first half.

“We should be proud of where we are,” Alchin said.

“I am really happy with that first half, it’s the best 40 minutes I’ve seen us play.

“They (Falcons) had eight (Melbourne) Storm players in their side.

“You can’t beat any side if you miss 57 tackles in a game, let alone a side of Storm players.”

Alchin was able to take some other positives out of the game, namely under-21 player Hayden Ensbey.

Filling in for hooker Drew Timms, who suffered a head-knock last week, Ensbey was impressive against the Falcons.

“He (Ensbey) had a whale of a game and was very solid for us,” Alchin said.

The Clydesdales will next line up against the Ipswich Jets on April 15.

ROUND 2 vs. TWEED

The players have the heart and working spirit of the ‘mascot’ that adorns their club badge.

Heart and spirit only get you so far though with errors and a slow start proving costly in the Western Clydesdales 26-22 loss at the weekend.

“There was a lot of heart from the boys, 1-17 everyone, dug deep there especially towards the end,” Clydesdales fullback Jayden Corrigan said.

“We probably didn’t really start playing until 15-20 minutes in.

“We were a bit slow to start and then we finished strong in the second half, a bit like last week.

“(I’m) not sure what we are putting that down to just yet.”

Trailing 16-6 at halftime, the Clydesdales were a much better team in the second half.

The home side narrowed the gap with a number of late tries but left their run too late against Seagulls.

Chasing their first win of the Hostplus Cup season the Clydesdales were once their own worst enemies.

Unforced errors, incomplete sets, piggyback tries off penalties and conceding points right after scoring proved costly for the Clydesdales.

“I think you know we need to have a good chat with the boys and see how we can start a bit better because we are making it hard for us when we have to chase down leads” Corrigan said.

“So I think its about just changing that mentality of really you know protecting our line and being up after points.

“I think we need to improve more on our edges.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Todd White: Leading from the front, White again made good metreage post contact in attack. Making a total of 33 tackles, the prop played a

Cole Waaka: strong commanding runs and big hit ups, Waaka played the full 80 minutes. He also had a crucial intercept when defending his tryline, preventing the Seagulls from scoring.

Jayden Corrigan: Strong hit-ups, clutch tackles and scoring the Clydesdales opening try, overall he had another high quality game.

Blake Lenehan: Very solid in the middle, Lenehan played positive footy, providing a number of chances and played the full 80 minutes. In the second half he came out fired up and made back-to-back bone-rattling tackles.

Bessie Toomaga: With 170 run meters, a try and kicking 3/4 of his goal attempts, he had a gritty performance again in the centres.

ROUND 1 vs. PNG Hunters

On paper the Western Clydesdales should’ve won their first Hostplus Cup match in more than 15 years.

The home side won nearly every major metric in their clash with Papua New Guinea Hunters, but games are not played on paper and the only numbers that truly matter are those on the scoreboard.

After a slow start the Clydesdales showed plenty of grit.

They broke the line more, out ran, out passed and missed less tackles then the Hunters but were less effective in attack.

The occasion and suspense coupled with the torrential downpour and raucous fans, made for a very lively game, however the Clydesdales faithful had little to celebrate with the home side losing 20-10.

“It’s disappointing,” Clydesdales fullback Jayden Corrigan said post match.

“The conditions weren’t ideal and we had a number of injuries but those cannot be used as excuses.

“It’s our first game, we had a lot of boys who hadn’t played at this level before, and congratulations to them, but you need to stick with us as we’ll only get better.

“Some of our combinations need to keep being worked on but I know we’ll get there.”

Corrigan praised his forwards workrate against a strong Hunters outfit.

“I gave our forward pack a wrap after the game, I felt like they really went after them (Hunters) and us in the backs can build off that,” he said.

“They (Hunters) were really solid in defence and scored two freakish tries off flick passes, but we need to complete our sets better and not make silly errors.”

The Clydesdales won every metric apart from the one that counts; the scoreboard.

Ending the first half down 14-4, the Clydesdales came out in the second half with a lot more aggression and had a solid game plan.

If the Clydesdales are able to cut down on their errors and loose carries in the final 10m, they will have a solid season.

The side will use this game as a great learning curve and litmus test, ahead of their home clash next Saturday when they take on the Tweed Seagulls.

TOP PERFORMERS

Darryn Schonig: Captain and prop, Schonig made damaging carries every time he had the ball. Good for an extra 5m after each initial contact, he led from the front and recorded the most run meters with 208.

Bessie Toomaga: Wrote his name into the history books as the first point scorer in the new Western Clydesdales era. Toomaga scored a try and kicked a conversion.

Todd White: The standout player of the day, the veteran prop scored a try and played the full 80 minutes.

Melino Fineanganofo: The cult hero and self proclaimed ‘Tongan Gorilla’ Fineanganofo made an immediate impact off the bench. In his first carry Fineanganofo fended off two Hunters players in a barnstorming run.

Jayden Corrigan: In his first game back from injury the fullback command his side during defensive phases, keeping the strong Hunters attack at bay.

Coaches Corner

Coach Jason Alchin said his side was ‘tough’ but ultimately let themselves down.

“All the stuff we had been doing on the training paddock we didn’t transfer across to the field,” Alchin said.

“This is a great lesson for all the boys in the side and we can take away a lot from that performance.

“We made some errors and mistakes, and we just didn’t help ourselves.

“I’m taking nothing away from the Hunters, they played a very good and tough game.”

Despite losing 20-10 Alchin was able to find a few positives in his side’s performance.

The Clydesdales coach said was impressed with the efforts of his forward pack and the impact some of his bench players had on the game.

“Considering the team hasn’t been together long, we had some late changes to the squad, and we hadn’t played in a month, we put in a solid effort,” he said.

“Todd White was by far my player of the match.

“He played the full 80 (minutes) and scored a try and was involved in a lot.

“Darryn (Schonig) was really solid as well and made a big impact and Takai Mokohar had a great performance off the bench.”

Looking ahead to next week’s clash with the Tweed Seagulls, Alchin said that his side will remain the same barring any injury updates.