Risdon Cup 2024 mid-season report

As we approach the second half of the 2024 Risdon Cup season, we run the rule over every side in our mid-season report card.

Daniel Cover in action for the Toowoomba Rangers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

As we hit the midway point in the 2024 Risdon Cup season, we run the rule over each side and highlight what has and hasn’t worked for them ahead of the second half of the campaign.

With just seven weeks left in the season before finals fever hits the Darling Downs, check out what the key focus will be for your club in the run home.

Toowoomba Rangers

The Rangers have picked up where they left off in 2023 and are on top of the ladder after seven games with six wins and one defeat.

Their historic unbeaten streak which spanned almost two years came to an end in round 7 where they suffered a thrilling 31-32 defeat to the Gatton Black Pigs.

Aside from the shock defeat to Gatton, it has been smooth sailing for Toowoomba as it has showed its class with big wins over sides like Uni and Condamine, but has also shown it can grind out results.

This was most evident in round 6 where the Rangers held on to defeat Goondiwindi 9-6.

The likes of George Andreas and Curtis Rayment have been crucial for Toowoomba’s charge, with several tries between them, while Sebastian Russell-Sharam has been an elite kicker.

Toowoomba Rangers and Goondiwindi Emus met in the 2023 Risdon Cup grand final and are expected to be in contention again this year. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Goondiwindi Emus

Much like the Rangers’ solid start to the season, there have been few surprises to come out of the Emus camp as they have hit the ground running in 2024.

With five wins, a draw and a loss, the Emus have continued their elite form over the last few years.

Goondiwindi has been ruthless in attack this season, scoring more than 35 points on four occasions.

The Emus have also been elite defensively, conceding more than 20 points on just two occasions.

In terms of areas Goondiwindi needs to improve, execution in the close contests will be the main area of focus.

The Emus have played in just two games decided by one score or less but did not win either.

In round 4, they drew 17-all with the Dalby Wheatmen, while in round 6, they suffered a three-point loss to the Rangers in a top of the table clash.

Goondiwindi has shown it has that killer instinct to run away with games but will just need to find ways to grind out results to have a chance of dethroning the Rangers.

Dalby Wheatmen

While the Rangers and Emus are undoubtedly the favourites to take home the Risdon Cup, Dalby is definitely a side which should not be counted out.

The Wheatmen have been a perennial top four side over the last four years but appear to have taken a major step up in 2024.

Dalby is currently third with four wins, two draws and one loss and is one of the in-form teams of the competition.

The Wheatmen boast the best points differential with +109 and appear to be playing their best football.

After a difficult start to the season, where they drew with the Toowoomba Bears and lost to the Rangers, the Wheatmen have had a change in fortunes and have won four of their last five games.

Dalby produced one of the best performances of the season in round 6, when it claimed a stunning 56-5 win over Uni.

Looking at their performances against the two other contenders, the Wheatmen have been solid in both games, losing by just seven points to the Rangers and drawing with the Emus.

However, now that they have momentum and confidence behind them, they could be a serious force to be reckoned with in the second half of the season.

Gatton Black Pigs

The Black Pigs have been one of the major success stories from this season as they have bounced back from difficult 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Gatton is currently fourth on the ladder with four wins and three losses and claimed the biggest upset of the season on the weekend, when they ended a near two-year unbeaten run for the Rangers.

After showing they can compete against the elite sides in the competition, the main focus moving forward will be to build consistency.

While they are dangerous when they are performing at their best, the Black Pigs are still a fair way off the top three.

This was most evident in their trip to Goondiwindi, where they suffered a heavy 41-0 loss at the hands of the Emus.

However, a season-defining win against the Rangers could be what is needed for the Black Pigs to continue their push for finals in the second half of the season.

Toowoomba Bears

In many ways, the fifth-placed Toowoomba Bears’ record to date speaks for itself; three wins, three losses and a draw.

The Bears started their season strongly with a draw against the Wheatmen before defeating Roma, Condamine and Uni in their next three games.

However, they since lost their last three games to the Rangers, Black Pigs and Emus.

The comprehensive defeats to Goondiwindi and their Toowoomba rivals where the Bears conceded a combined 88 points proved there was still work needed on the defensive end in particular to match the elite sides in the competition.

The Bears are still within touching distance of finals but will need a result against the Black Pigs when they meet again in round 9.

Roma Echidnas

Despite winning just two of their opening seven games, the Echidnas have plenty of reasons to remain upbeat.

Roma flexed its strength in round 7 when it claimed a 57-17 win over Uni.

They have been a consistent threat in attack, averaging 23.14 points per game but it is the defensive side of the game where they will need to work on.

The Echidnas have conceded 28.14 points per game but if they can solidify their defensive line, they could pick up a few extra wins towards the end of the campaign.

Condamine Cods

After a strong bounce back season in 2023, where the Cods surged into finals after finishing last in 2022, Condamine has been unable to kick on from its breakthrough campaign this year.

The Cods have picked up just one win so far but could very easily be in a strong position if they had that touch of class in the close games.

Besides their defeats to the three contenders, every single Condamine game has gone down to the wire with the biggest margin just six points.

The Cods were left to rue what could have been on two occasions as they lost by just one point to Uni and Roma in round 5 and round 6.

While they are far from the level of the top three teams, the Cods’ performances in their four other games have been impressive enough to believe they could still turn their season around.

UniSQ coach Gary Briscoe (pictured in 2018) has returned to Uni in 2024 to help kick start the rebuild.

Uni

After a forgettable 2023 season where they finished without a win, this year has been all about laying down the foundations for a rebuild for Uni.

There is still a fair bit of work to be done before they can rise up the ladder with their heavy defeats to the Wheatmen and Echidnas evidence of that.

However, a drought-breaking win over Condamine in round 5 will be a major takeaway for Uni.