No Question
They're Good Enough

NO SHANE Perry? So what? That was the response from Redcliffe on Saturday as the Wizard Cup pacesetters handed a 64-26 pasting to Norths on the back of a near faultless first half. Observers were interested to see whether the Dolphins would fumble without their captain and playmaker Perry, elevated to NRL duty with the Brisbane Broncos on Friday.

Yet there was hardly a hiccup for the peninsula team, leaders to the tune of 40-4 at halftime at Bishop Park. The Dolphins had dodged a rather big bullet during the week, with Perry?s back-up Chris Fox appearing before the judiciary on a kicking charge. FOGS Cup playmaker Matt Anderton was also nursing a dislocated elbow, ruling him out of the equation.

Thankfully for Anthony Griffin?s men, Fox was cleared on Thursday and took his place at the base of the scrum along with Marty Turner.

In comparison Norths was left short-handed by the absence of key players Nathan Friend, Smith Samau, Jeremy Smith and Adam Blair, all in Adelaide with the Melbourne Storm. The resultant score was among the largest defeats handed to Norths in the 11-year history of the Queensland Wizard Cup.

Paradoxically, the corresponding match at Bishop Park in 2005 resulted in a 60-24 win to the Devils.

Redcliffe centre Greg Bourke inched closer and closer to Damian Richters? all-time record of 1030 points in the Wizard Cup. Bourke, who has also played with Burleigh, Wynnum and Cairns, racked up 24 points for the afternoon from two tries and eight conversions. He now sits on 1014 points, making him just the second player in the competition to pass 1000 career points and placing him well ahead of nearest challenger Reggie Cressbrook (985 points).

Bourke has also moved to sixth spot on the all-time tryscoring list with 78 tries, passing legendary try-sneaks Aaron Douglas and David Seage since the beginning of the season.

On a bleak day for Norths one player to have an impact was 17-year-old back Daniel Isaac.

The former Beenleigh and Springwood junior scored two tries after being elevated from Colts, helping to fill the gaps left by the Melbourne withdrawals.

Round Seven sees Norths have the bye, while Redcliffe aims to maintain its unbeaten record on Sunday against Wynnum Manly at BMD Kougari Oval.

REDCLIFFE 64 (Marty Turner 2, Nick Emmett 2, Greg Bourke 2, Alwyn Simpson, Chris Fox, Adam Fletcher, Troy Lindsay, Adam Starr, Ryan Cullen tries; Greg Bourke 8 goals) d NORTHS 26 (Daniel Isaac 2, Jackson Nicolau, Chad Leach, Marc Brentnall tries; Jackson Nicolau 3 goals) at Bishop Park.

This article is courtesy of the QRL for more Queensland Wizard Cup information visit www.qrl.com.au