Penrith punish rusty Roosters
12 hours ago | Aidan Edgecomb
NORTHS DEVILS 40 defeat IPSWICH JETS 14
There's been a big ?Q? hanging over his head for several seasons now, but on Saturday Norths fullback Quentin Laulu-Togagae answered his critics with a stellar four-try performance.
On the back of three successive losses, the young Devils made a stand at QLD Group Stadium, repelling Ipswich for a much-needed 40-14 win.
Aside from the return of flame-haired forward Peter Robinson, the impetus behind the win was largely attributed to Laulu-Togagae, a true enigma of the State League.
?I thought Quentin was outstanding,? said coach Wayne Treleaven, before revealing the rest of the story.
?He was pretty ordinary against North Queensland last week and was very, very close to being dropped.
?Quentin?s been biding his time at this club behind some good players (Billy Slater, Steve Turner, Greg Inglis), but the thing with him is that his consistency can go astray.
?I?m glad this week he proved us wrong.?
Once more Norths took to the paddock depleted for a variety of reasons, but this time they refused to buckle. The Devils led 16-4 at halftime, but Ipswich showed courage to fight back in the second stanza.
Treleaven admitted that several late tries disguised the fact his team was made to work hard for the two points.
Aside from Robinson and Laulu-Togagae, others to shine for Norths were prop Rob Tanielu, hooker Brenton Stonier and three-quarter Aaron Morgan.
Youngsters Luke Millwood and Sika Manu continue to grow in stature as the coaching staff places more faith in them.
?Luke?s the main one. Being a halfback we?ve had to stick with him as we need consistency in that area,? Treleaven said.
?I thought he went pretty well. There are a few incidents where he tries to overplay his hand, but he has plenty to offer.
?And Sika ? the kid is 100kg at 18 and up against grown men in the forwards. Fair dinkum he?s still playing school footy. He doesn?t know how good he can be.?
Next Sunday third-placed Norths hosts Tweed Heads at Bishop Park, while on Saturday ninth-ranked Ipswich plays Easts at Langlands Park.
NORTHS 40 (Quentin Laulu-Togagae 4, Josh Tatupu, Ryan Shortland, Marc Brentnall, Sika Manu tries; Luke Millwood 4 goals)
beat
IPSWICH 14 (Andy Poynter, Steve West, Adam Boettcher tries; Steve West goal)
Special thanks to the QRL website for another fantastic article.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT QRL.COM.AU
To discuss the Queensland Rugby League with other fans please follow this link to League Unlimited's QRL forum.