14 SPORT
THURSDAY 6 APRIL 2023 TORRES NEWS
Pride kicks over Blackhawks in game’s last few seconds LADIES BMD PREMIERSHIP
STORY ALF WILSON PICS BY CHRISTINE HOWES Northern Pride scored a nailbiting 13-12 win over arch rivals the Townsville Blackhawks at Barlow Park in Cairns last Saturday, in round four of the Hostplus Cup Statewide men’s rugby league competition. The Blackhawks led 10-6 at halftime before the scores evened up to 12-all for much of the second half in a hard fought, end-to-end game with neither side able to break through the other’s defences. It was a field goal by Evan Child, just seconds before fulltime, which sealed the win for the Pride. Two of the best for the Pride were fullback Julian Christian and Denzel King, who scored one of the Pride’s two tries. Playing at hooker against his former club, Jayden Hodges topped the tackle count for the Blackhawks Meanwhile flier Jon Reuben scored a try in his side Norths Devils exciting 18-all draw with the Souths Logan Magpies, and Edrick Lee scored a try for the CQ Capras in their 38-24 victory over the Mackay Cutters in Mackay. The Capras were sitting top of the table after the fourth round with the Pride in sixth, the Blackhawks 10th and the Mackay Cutters 14th. NORTHERN PRIDE 13 (Denzel King, Daniel Hindmarsh-Takyi tries; Evan Child 2 goals; Evan Child 1 point field goal) def TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS 12 (Michael Carroll, Robert Derby tries; Thomas Duffy 2 goals) at Barlow Park. CQ CAPRAS 38 (Kurt Donoghoe 2, Brandon Roberts, Aaron Teroi, Edrick Lee, Samuel Yegip tries; Trey Browne 7 goals) def MACKAY CUTTERS 26 (Flynn Camilleri 2, Jake Riley, Logen Dillon, Sean Mullany tries; Adam Cook 3 goals) at BB Print Stadium.
Mackay Cutters scored a 24-16 win over the Central Queensland Capras on the weekend. Rampaging forward Essay Banu scored a try and and proved troublesome for the defence and is one of the form front rowers in the comp. Cutters sit third on the table after four rounds behind undefeated Souths Logan Magpies and Burleigh Bears. MACKAY CUTTERS 24 (Makenzie Weale, Libby Surha, Emma Manzelmann, Essay Banu, Zoe Cook tries; Zoe Cook 2 goals) def CQ CAPRAS 16 (Delaney Claridge, Bree Spreadborough, Tylah Phillips tries; Mariah Storch 2 goals) at BB Print Stadium.
MOSSMAN PORT DOUGLAS WINS The Mossman Port Douglas Sharks scored a 26-24 win over the Innisfail Leprechauns in round two of the Cairns and District comp last weekend. A major signing for the Sharks is former NRL Dally M medal winner and premiership player Ben Barba. Club supporter Jessica Creek told the Torres News she thought the side would do well. “Everybody is excited about having Ben Barba here,” she said.
WOODEN SPOONERS IMPROVE
MAIN PIC – IN ACTION: Pride captain Julian Christian. INSET – Blackhawks Sylvester Namo. RIGHT – Bernard Lewis, Gordon & Jimmy Ngutlik (PNG International & West Tigers) after the game. BELOW LEFT – Pride’s Denzel King cheering with the crowd not long after the siren. BELOW RIGHT – Blackhawks Jayden Hodges.
In the Townsville and District competition round one last weekend last year’s wooden spooners Norths Devils played a 16-all draw with Herbert River. Classy Joel Marama was a marquee signing for the Devils. Souths Bulls made a long awaited return to the comp and defeated Townsville Brothers 42-12.
Legends tie with Allstars in Townsville
Gagai celebrates 250 games BY ALF WILSON
LEGENDS: Raoul Miller, Rona Miller & Fred Bulsey. Pic submitted. BY ALF WILSON Scores were level at 42-all at the final siren sounded in the North Queensland Indigenous Legends versus an NRL Allstars side in Townsville last Saturday. The match at Townsville Sports Reserve featured former Brisbane Broncos, Queensland State of Origin and Test star Sam Thaiday. Thaiday lined up for the NRL Allstars whilst the NQ legends included Matty Bowen, Scott Prince, Billo Mosby, Roy Baira, Glen Butler, Phil Daisy, Charles Murgha, Hezron Murgha and Fred Bulsey. Scott is well known as a
former champion halfback who shone in the Wests Tigers NRL premiership team of 2005 when they defeated the Cowboys in the grand final. In recent years he has competed on Waiben in touch football carnivals. The NQ side was coached by living rugby league legend and former Mount Isa Foley Shield star Vern Daisy. Dubbed the “legends of league” clash it attracted a big crowd. Fred Bulsey from Palm island is of Badu descent and lined up aged 42 after playing his last game three years ago. “I was very sore afterwards but it was great and kids everywhere wanted our
autographs. I played the entire first half and some of the second and whilst I lined up in the forwards was used in a dummy runner role a lot,’’ Fred said. Fred turned 43 on Tuesday and was not sure if it was his last ever match. Roy Baira, who coached Badu side Kulpiyam at the 2022 Mackay Indigenous carnival, said he felt good afterwards. “It was a good game and great to be part of,” Roy said. In the curtain raiser matches Palm Island Barracudas men narrowly beat Walkabouts. And the Palm Island Barracudettes defeated Thumpal in another action packed match.
Champion centre Dane Gagai played his 250th NRL game when his side the Newcastle Knights scored a 32-all draw with Manly in Saturday’s round five NRL match. A total of 12 tries were scored and the game went into 10 minutes of extra time without an outright winning result at Mudgee. The 32-year-old Dane started his NRL career in 2011. A prolific try scorer Dane has scored 74 tries during his NRL career. Dane played seven Tests for Australia, represented the Queensland State of origin Maroons 21 times scoring 12 tries. He has also played three times for the Indigenous Allstars, once for the Prime Ministers team, and once for the Maori Allstars. From Mackay, Dane often returns there to coach or play in the local Indigenous Allblacks
carnival. He is signed with the Knights until the end of the 2024 season.
MAM SHINES Fleet footed Torres Strait Islander Ezra Mam played a major role in the Brisbane Broncos 46-12 win over the West Tigers in round five of the NRL. Playing at five eighth beside champion halfback Adam Reynolds, Mam set up one try and the Tigers defence targeted him often. The Broncos sit aloft at the top of the NRL ladder.
HAMMER AGAIN AMONGST BEST Hamiso Tabuia-Fidow was one of the best players for the Dolphins during their 38-12 loss to St George Dragons on the weekend.
COWBOYS SUPPORTERS HEART BROKEN A field goal by Matt Burton saw the Sydney Bulldogs beat the North Queensland Cowboys 15-14 in an exciting NRL
game on Sunday. Playing away in wet conditions, the Cowboys led 14-10 lead in the dying minutes but a Josh Addo-Carr try in the corner levelled the scores. Into golden point extra time, Burton hit a drop kick sweetly and it cruised over the post to give the Bulldogs victorY. The Cowboys will be hot favourites when they meet the Dolphins on Friday night at Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium. North Queensland fullback Scott Drinkwater is set to return and it will be a good battle against his former teammate Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who has started strongly for the Dolphins and is the NRL’s equal leading tryscorer with six tries in his five games. The Broncos take on the Canberra Raiders on Easter Saturday. The Knights will meet the New Zealand Warriors.
