QLD Cup
results and match reports round 10

Former North Queensland player Rory Bromley has scored with 20 seconds remaining for Redcliffe to beat the Young Guns 16-14 in the top-of-the-table clash.

In other matches Wynnum Manly and Souths Logan were level 16-all early in the second half before the Seagulls won 37-22.

And after battling with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Jamie Simpson continued his great form with a hat-trick for Toowoomba. Josh Phelps also scored two tries for the Clydesdales, coming in as a late replacement for Leon Bott. Toowoomba won 42-10.

ROUND 10 RESULTS SUMMARY Saturday 20 May BURLEIGH 22 (Adam Hutchison, Jordan Atkins, Reggie Cressbrook, Josh Blatch tries; Reggie Cressbrook 3 goals) d TWEED HEADS 10 (Josh Vaughan, Eddie Harrison tries; Brad Davis goal) at Pizzey Park

CENTRAL 28 (Dallas Williams, Herewini Rangi, Mick Esdale, Wayne Barnett tries; Scott Porter 6 goals) d IPSWICH 14 (Ben McFadgean, Geoff Chalk, Joel Reithmuller tries; Geoff Chalk goal) at QLD Group Stadium.

Sunday 21 May REDCLIFFE 16 (Michael Roberts, Grant Flugge, Rory Bromley tries; Greg Bourke 2 goals) d NORTH QUEENSLAND 14 (Josh Hannay, Neil Sweeney, Jamie Frizzo tries; Josh Hannay goal) at Dolphin Oval.

WYNNUM MANLY 37 (Simon Phillips 2, Tangi Ropati 2, Daniel Sorbello, Mark Leafa, Luke Dalziel-Don; Steve Irwin 4 goals; Luke Dalziel Don field goal) d SOUTHS LOGAN 22 (Michael Anschau, Damien Willis, Brandon Costin, Chris McGurk tries; Brandon Costin 3 goals) at BMD Kougari Oval.

TOOWOOMBA 42 (Jamie Simpson 3, Josh Phelps 2, Gideon Mzembe, Jason Moon, Brett Seymour, Greg Eastwood tries; Ben Green 2, Brett Seymour goals) d NORTHS 10 (Isaac Kaufmann, Aaron Bulow tries; Luke Samoa goal) at Bishop Park.

ROUND 10 RESULTS AND MATCH REPORTS

REDCLIFFE 16 d NORTH QUEENSLAND 14 ONE OF the biggest Wizard Cup crowds of the season has witnessed Redcliffe steal a 16-14 win over North Queensland courtesy of a try to Rory Bromley just 20 seconds before fulltime.

Playing against his former team, winger Bromley had the nous to bring the ball around near the goalposts after crossing, allowing Greg Bourke a relatively easy conversion to secure the result.

In what was billed in some quarters as a grand final preview, Redcliffe led 10-0 at halftime before the Young Guns scored 14 unanswered points.

It took a heroic effort from hooker Michael Roberts to spur the home side to victory in a highly physical encounter which attracted 3000 patrons to Dolphin Oval.

With fears he had dislocated his elbow during the week, Roberts was initially ruled out of the clash. However, on the eve of the match he pleaded with coaching staff to be included.

His grittiness proved invaluable, with the loss of halfback Marty Turner leaving the Dolphins short-handed in the ball-playing department.

After starting as a rake, Roberts shifted to half late in the game and threw the decisive cut-out pass which put backrower Gerard Parle into space. Parle then offloaded to centre Nick Emmett, who delivered the ball to the flying Bromley.

?It?s a bit early to be talking about grand final previews, but I know that everyone who came got their money?s worth,? Redcliffe coach Anthony Griffin said.

?Going on the standard of footy and the quality of the players who featured today, you would say it was fitting of the best rugby league competition outside of the NRL.?

The result sees Redcliffe take the outright lead on the Wizard Cup ladder, leaving North Queensland tied with Toowoomba for second spot.

In an affair where both sides scored three tries, it was goal kicks which made the difference on a blustery day. Struggling with the ?Redcliffe Doctor?, usually reliable Josh Hannay landed just one conversion for North Queensland.

?I would have been disappointed to lose today,? a relieved Griffin said.

?The Young Guns had a fair bit of error in them in the first half and I thought we could have led by more than 10-0 at halftime with the amount of ball they gave us.

?But ultimately I think there was only a struck match in the game. If anything we probably defended a little better.?

Redcliffe prop Adam Starr was another to be pleased with the outcome, playing strongly in his 100th first grade game for the Dolphins.

Round 11 sees North Queensland host Wynnum Manly at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday, while Redcliffe travels away to the Piggabeen Complex to face Tweed Heads.

REDCLIFFE 16 (Michael Roberts, Grant Flugge, Rory Bromley tries; Greg Bourke 2 goals) d NORTH QUEENSLAND 14 (Josh Hannay, Neil Sweeney, Jamie Frizzo tries; Josh Hannay goal) at Dolphin Oval.

WYNNUM MANLY 37 d SOUTHS LOGAN 22 HIS DELIVERY may have lacked a little eloquence, but centre Simon Phillips said what most Wynnum Manly supporters were thinking after the Gulls notched an encouraging 37-22 win against Souths Logan on Sunday.

?It?s about time we pulled our finger out and had a go,? man-of-the-match Phillips told Bay FM.

?We hadn?t shown much at all this season. We?ve done it tough. Credit goes to the fans for turning out.?

In what was the Baysiders? first win on home soil this season, Phillips scored two decisive tries, including one on the stroke of halftime.

The Seagulls subsequently led 16-10 at the break. However it only took a few minutes for the gap to be bridged, with Souths Logan fullback Quentin Laulu-Togagae putting Michael Anschau away to score.

At 16-all and with better form leading into the game Souths Logan looked a strong chance to record its first win of the millennium at BMD Kougari Oval

Yet Wynnum Manly found something it had been looking for all season ? courage under fire.

In the blink of an eye interchange forward Kerry Smith used guile and strength to lay on a try for Luke Dalziel-Don, while Phillips ensured back-to-back four-pointers by exploiting a narrow corridor opened by Rodney Barba.

Although the visiting Magpies crossed once more for the afternoon - via skipper Brandon Costin - they recorded too many errors to consistently build pressure.

The final 14 minutes saw the Seagulls run in three tries and a field goal to Dalziel-Don, inflating the final margin and partly erasing the club?s poor for-and-against.

Leap-frogging both Ipswich and Norths on the table, Wynnum Manly has now won two of its last three games and has been competitive in its only loss during that period.

Conversely, Souths Logan has two losses and a draw from its last three games and is threatening to slide out of the top five.

There may be injury concerns for both clubs during the week, with Seagulls John Bruce and Smith both finishing the worse for wear and Souths Logan prop Geno Costin appearing to suffer a shoulder injury.

Aside from Phillips, who has scored six tries from his last four games, other Wynnum Manly players to impress were Gary Winter, Matt Ross, Albert Talipeau and Darren Bain.

Continuing an impressive rookie campaign, New Zealand signing Tangi Ropati showed great pace in scoring two tries at the death.

For Souths Logan there were some uncharacteristic mistakes at vital times, including a knock-on by Brandon Costin direct from the second-half kick-off.

WYNNUM MANLY 37 (Simon Phillips 2, Tangi Ropati 2, Daniel Sorbello, Mark Leafa, Luke Dalziel-Don; Steve Irwin 4 goals; Luke Dalziel Don field goal) d SOUTHS LOGAN 22 (Michael Anschau, Damien Willis, Brandon Costin, Chris McGurk tries; Brandon Costin 3 goals) at BMD Kougari Oval. TOOWOOMBA 42 d NORTHS 10 IT?S BECOMING abundantly clear Jamie Simpson won?t merely be happy being known as the kid that beat cancer. While his story is inspirational, one also senses it is far from over.

A week after winning man-of-the-match honours against Wynnum Manly, the 20-year-old backed up his credentials with a hat-trick of tries as Toowoomba defeated Norths 42-10 at Bishop Park.

His stunning try-scoring feats have seen him score six tries for the Clydesdales this year, four tries for FOGS Cup outfit Aspley and four tries in Brisbane Broncos colours during pre-season trials.

In last year?s Colts campaign he notched five tries in three finals appearances for Wests, displaying brute strength in almost every instance.

It?s a long way from 2002 when Simpson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a complex cancer which affects the body?s white blood cells and immune system.

Initial fears were that the youngster may have to place his ambitions of a career in football on hold.

Since then however, he has won a Confraternity Carnival with St Brendan?s Yeppoon, been selected for Queensland Open Schoolboys and gradually worked his way up the rungs of the Brisbane Broncos? developmental ladder.

Capable of playing multiple positions ? most usually centre, five-eighth and lock ? he has an uncanny knack of being able to bump off players and continue at pace.

Another Clydesdales up-and-comer who showed promise on the weekend was winger Josh Phelps, brought in as a late replacement for Leon Bott.

Phelps is a Toowoomba native, having played A Grade in the TRL for the last two seasons with Valleys.

On debut he managed to score twice for the Clydesdales, making amends after being overlooked for selection in the Queensland Under 19 and Under 19 Maroons sides.

Toowoomba led 28-4 at halftime against a depleted Norths side, which was without a host of regulars due to injury, Melbourne Storm call-ups and junior representative commitments.

To help fill the void the Devils called upon rookie Luke Samoa, the impressive three-quarter who has collected seven tries and 32 goals in the Colts Challenge so far this season.

Unfortunately he couldn?t help arrest the club?s slide of five successive losses and a drop to second-last on the Wizard Cup table.

Toowoomba also was without several junior representative stars and incurred several in-game injuries, yet boasted the likes of Brett Seymour, Neville Costigan and Greg Eastwood in its ranks.

Recording the club?s third win in a row, the Clydesdales moved to equal second with the North Queensland Young Guns.

Next Saturday Toowoomba plays Souths Logan at Brandon Park at 3pm, while Norths is set to play Central at Salter Oval, Bundaberg at 6.30pm.

TOOWOOMBA 42 (Jamie Simpson 3, Josh Phelps 2, Gideon Mzembe, Jason Moon, Brett Seymour, Greg Eastwood tries; Ben Green 2, Brett Seymour goals) d NORTHS 10 (Isaac Kaufmann, Aaron Bulow tries; Luke Samoa goal) at Bishop Park.

CENTRAL 28 d IPSWICH 14 THE CENTRAL Comets have snuck another mid-season signing under the radar, unveiling speedster Michael Fairweather in Saturday?s 28-14 victory against the Ipswich Jets.

Having gained a release from the North Queensland Cowboys, Fairweather has helped fill the Comets? backline void left by Odell Manuel (knee) and Wade Rothery (broken arm).

His signature comes just two games after powerhouse forward Mark Siniula debuted against North Queensland, with little fanfare made of either players? arrival in Rockhampton.

Fairweather is no stranger to the Central Queensland district, graduating from St Brendan?s Yeppoon after relocating originally from Katherine in the Northern Territory.

He has played Foley Shield for Townsville and is one of the fastest players in rugby league, yet received limited opportunities with North Queensland due to a wealth of talent at the club.

There was little opportunity for the 19-year-old to shine in his Comets debut, with the game restricted mostly to the centre of the park.

Central proved successful at luring the Jets into an arm wrestle and waited patiently for opportunities, doing enough to lead 20-14 at halftime.

Featured as a curtain-raiser to the popular Legends of League match, the game became a no-frills slugfest that led to just one converted try and a penalty being scored in the second half.

While the performance would not have worried the top sides, it did provide further encouragement for the Comets, last season?s wooden-spooners who now sit just two points out of the top five.

?The most pleasing thing for me is that you?re starting to see what I call ?Magpie Talk? amongst the players,? Central chief executive John Quinn said.

?By that, I mean the players are getting chatty and constantly encouraging each other.

?It?s something I?ve wanted in the side for a while. To me it?s a good sign.?

Herewini Rangi led the way for the visitors, while Tyron Haynes, Mick Esdale and Wayne Barnett also came to the fore in the forwards.

Even though there wasn?t much exploration out wide, halves Denny Lambert and Scott Porter probed the ruck well and provided the territorial kicking on which the Comets set their platform.

Ipswich always had a tough task minus suspended skipper Danny Coburn and a glut of mistakes only made the task harder.

The Jets? loss consequently drops them to last on the table, with their only wins this season so far coming against Wynnum Manly and Norths, two teams also occupying the cellar.

Next week Ipswich hosts Easts in Saturday?s ABC Live telecast game at 2pm Saturday. Central plays Norths at Salter Oval, Bundaberg at 6.30pm on Saturday.

CENTRAL 28 (Dallas Williams, Herewini Rangi, Mick Esdale, Wayne Barnett tries; Scott Porter 6 goals) d IPSWICH 14 (Ben McFadgean, Geoff Chalk, Joel Reithmuller tries; Geoff Chalk goal) at QLD Group Stadium.

BURLEIGH 22 d TWEED HEADS 10 ADAM Hayden turned hitman on Saturday as perennial heavyweight Burleigh thundered back into finals calculations with a 22-10 win against Tweed Heads at Pizzey Park.

In another high-quality affair between the two Gold Coast sides, scores were level 10-all until the middle of the second half when Reggie Cressbrook and Josh Blatch barged over for short-range tries.

Both teams employed a rushing defence and the expected shots came thick and fast in the opening exchanges.

What wasn?t expected however was that Bears five-eighth Hayden would lead by example in the big hit department, pulling off two absolute bell-ringers that would make any forward proud.

His first showstopper came on Jeff Moate midway through the first half, leaving the bigger man stinging from the impact. It came as a right of reply to Tweed backrower Eddie Harrison, who earlier executed another cruncher in broken play.

The undoubted highlight though was an effort just after halftime ? a full-throttle sideswipe by Hayden of Selasi Berdie, putting an abrupt halt to the man working the ball out of his own half.

Hayden?s timing was perfect, not only in performing the tackle, but also in giving focus to his teammates after they squandered a 10-0 lead.

The vigour was also there for the Bears in attack, with captain Ryan Gundry reveling in a move to halfback, taking on the defence and firing pin-point passes to either side.

Tweed scored both its tries through Brad Davis kicks. The first came when Josh Vaughan collected a cross-field kick on the stroke of halftime. The second came in the 44th minute when Nat Barnes pushed a grubber back inside for Harrison to score.

Harrison was never far from the action and found himself on report for a lifting tackle on Chris Barnes. As tensions rose through the second half he also became involved in a fracas with Martin Griese.

One man to count himself lucky in remaining on the field was Burleigh interchange forward Marty Mitchell. The fiery youngster conceded five penalties in a space of 20 minutes and later went on report for his part in the Harrison altercation.

It was a game where desperation was evident to the end. Tweed defenders Scott Ella and Tim Maccan both managed to punch the ball from the grasp of attackers as they crossed the line, denying tries to Dimitri Pelo and Jordan Atkins respectively.

Yet in terms of composure it was always Burleigh that seemed to hold the upper hand.

After showing signs of improvement in recent weeks, the Bears submitted a top-shelf performance and looked every bit a confident team, moving to sixth place on the ladder.

For Tweed Heads it was the club?s second loss in a row, coming ahead of next Sunday?s showdown with Redcliffe at the Piggabeen Complex.

BURLEIGH 22 (Adam Hutchison, Jordan Atkins, Reggie Cressbrook, Josh Blatch tries; Reggie Cressbrook 3 goals) d TWEED HEADS 10 (Josh Vaughan, Eddie Harrison tries; Brad Davis goal) at Pizzey Park