Legends tie with Allstars in Townsville Gagai celebrates 250 games

BY ALF WILSON

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.

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.

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.