Tom Chester masterclass guides Northern Pride to emphatic win over Western Clydesdales

From stunning 400-metre performance from an NRL-aligned fullback, to a 41-minute onslaught and a dominant performance in the middle of the ground, we reveal the biggest talking points from the Western Clydesdales’ clash with the Northern Pride.

Blake Lenehan of the Western Clydesdales. Picture: Chris Lenehan Sports Photography

It was a road trip to forget for the Western Clydesdales as they suffered a crushing 46-0 defeat to the Northern Pride on Saturday.

In a clash between the ladder-leaders and the last-placed Clydesdales, Jason Alchin’s side were up against it from the outset.

Check out the biggest talking points from the game here.

Horror start

Facing off against a side at the opposite end of the ladder was always going to be a challenge for the Clydesdales and a strong start was vital.

Unfortunately for the visitors, the game got off to the worst possible start from the opening play.

The Clydesdales received the ball from the opening kick-off but knocked the ball on in the tackle, giving the Pride a full set of six just 10m out from the line.

It then took just three plays for the Cairns side to cross over for the opening try in a taste of what was to come.

Tale of two halves

The Northern Pride were a force to be reckoned with in the first half as they put in one of he most ruthless performances seen this year.

After opening the scoring inside the first 90 seconds, the hosts scored seven tries in the first half to go into the break with a massive 40-0 lead.

It seemed like things were bound to go from bad to worse for the Clydesdales as they conceded an eighth try just 40 seconds into the second half.

However, for the remaining 39 minutes, the Pride were held scoreless as Alchin’s team lifted immensely in defence.

Pride dominate in the middle

With the Pride having 10 more sets than the Clydesdales, fatigue was always going to set in and impact the battle of the forwards.

The Clydesdales had to make 64 more tackles than their rivals and was only in possession for just under 19 minutes.

As for metres gained, there was a vast discrepancy between the two sides which had a major impact on the final scoreline.

The hosts averaged more than 52m per set, while the Clydesdales managed just 32.5m per set.

This was the second game in a row where the Clydesdales have allowed their opponents to gain more than 50m per set after the Tweed Seagulls averaged 54.52m last weekend.

Tom Chester makes a break toward the tryline in the Hostplus Cup match between the Northern Pride and the Western Clydesdales. Picture: Brendan Radke

Cowboys fullback dominates

North Queensland Cowboys and Northern Pride fullback Tom Chester had a game to remember as he was at his blistering best.

He had a direct involvement in eight linebreaks, as he made stormed through the Clydesdales defence on five occasions and made three linebreak assists.

He ran an incredible game-high 422m including 113 post contact metres and to top it all off, he scored two tries.