Queensland Cup
Round 2 Review

Redcliffe 42 - Easts 28

Redcliffe has turned the tables on its worst ever Queensland Cup defeat, bouncing back with a 42-28 win against 2004 grand finalists Easts.

Mindful of a 60-24 loss to Norths the previous week, Redcliffe went on a rampage that featured 36 unanswered points in the middle period.

Dolphins coach Anthony Griffin revealed he pointed the finger of blame at himself after the heavy first-up loss, a blemish on the club?s proud modern era.

?I was disappointed at myself to be truthful?I didn?t prepare the team with enough intensity,? Griffin said.

?A few questions had to be asked around the place, of myself and of the players.

?It wasn?t a good week to have at all, but in the end it?s worked out for the best.?

Asked what the difference was between rounds one and two, Griffin said, ?Mentally we weren?t prepared to lose.?

Off-season recruit Ryan Cullen bagged a hat-trick for the Dolphins, while Danny Burke was player of the match. Nick Walker and Mark Christensen played strongly.

Easts halves Phil Dennis and Brandon Costin continually asked questions of the Redcliffe defence, but only two late tries added respectability to the score.

For the Tigers it was also a remarkable reversal of form, having put 70 points past Souths Logan in round one.

Griffin said the return of forward leader Troy Lindsay (pictured) from suspension had a significant impact on the home side, with ?Cowboy? playing his 185th Queensland Cup match.

?He certainly does real good things for us,? Griffin said.

?You probably underestimate his importance, but he lifts those around him.

?When you have a lot of young forwards that haven?t been at the club long?they were probably shell-shocked without some like him in the first game.?

Redcliffe travels to Burleigh for a blockbuster next Sunday, while Easts hosts North Queensland in the first televised match of the year on Saturday.

REDCLIFFE 42 (Ryan Cullen 3, Mark Christensen, Shane Perry, Michael Roberts, Gerard Parle tries; Greg Bourke 7 goals) EASTS 28 (Nigel Roy 2, Steve Beattie, Matt Lockyer, Marty Allen tries; Brandon Costin 4 goals). ______________________ Burleigh 28 - Souths Logan 22

A desparate Robert Apanui tackle has denied Souths Logan a major upset, with Burleigh clinging on for a 28-22 win over the Magpies at Davies Park.

Keeping the reigning premiers early 2005 pace-setters, Bears back-rower Apanui (pictured) managed to fell interchange forward Matt Bell in open space just as it seemed an unlikely draw would result.

Souths Logan had led by as much as 16-0 early in the match at West End, but skittled its chances of victory by completing just seven of 17 sets in the second half.

Burleigh fought back to be behind 22-10 at halftime and then steamrolled the home side in yet another come-from-behind victory.

?I?m disappointed that the guys? concentration levels just weren?t there in that second period,? Magpies chief executive Jim McLelland said.

?But after last week (70-12 loss to Easts) it?s a major improvement.

?When you?re in a position like us where we haven?t won many games of late, it seems hard to nail one down.

?We?re a young side that doesn?t have experience in those situations.?

Adding to the predicament, Souths Logan was without Daniel Joyce, Tanu Wulf, Josh Jepson and Lyle Kunst, all of whom were injured.

Rivals Burleigh had another ace up their sleeve in speed, with Souths Logan struggling to contain the likes of Trent Leis and Balin Cupples, who between them scored five tries.

For the second week in a row the Bears did not allow any opposition points in the second half, building on a 28-14 win against Wynnum in round one.

Burleigh aims to keep its unblemished record secure against Redcliffe at Pizzey Park next Sunday, while Souths Logan battles Wynnum at Davies Park on Saturday.

BURLEIGH 28 (Trent Leis 3, Balin Cupples 2, Adam Hayden tries; Reggie Cressbrook 2 goals) SOUTHS LOGAN 22 (Bob Blair 2, Cameron Joyce, Scott Smith tries; Scott Smith 3 goals). ___________________________ Wynnum 28 - Central 10

Wynnum coach Neil Wharton has appealed to his players to ignore the hype after the Seagulls submitted another scrappy performance in a 28-10 win against Central.

With a number of key acquisitions during the off-season ? including that of Wharton ? the Seagulls have been widely tipped as front-runners of the 2005 season.

But so far the Kougari Oval outfit is yet to gel fully, with a first-up loss to Burleigh followed by a promising, but far from perfect triumph against the Comets.

Wynnum led 10-0 early, but could not build the momentum required to dominate their rivals over the entire match.

Wharton estimated his side ?bombed? four tries and noted the completion rate for the first half was just 11 of 22 sets.

?People are talking us up and it?s not warranted by the way we are playing,? he said.

?Certainly, if we listen to and believe what is being said, we?re going to be in a lot of trouble.

?I?d like to think this club has too many good and intelligent footballers to fall into that old trap.?

Jim Ahmat scored two well-deserved tries for the home side and was voted his team?s best by coach Wharton.

Daniel Sorbello also appeared to grow more comfortable at the back for the Seagulls, while Damian Durnford was dangerous on the fringes.

Central was well served for the second week in a row by hooker Chris Fleming, one of two Comets try-scorers along with John Tamanika.

After opening a gash above his eye twice against Burleigh, Paul Green successfully saw out the game at halfback for Wynnum.

Next week Central has the bye, while Wynnum takes on Souths Logan at Davies Park on Saturday.

WYNNUM 28 (Jim Ahmat 2, Daniel Sorbello, Simon Phillips, Damien Quinn, Damian Durnford tries; Damien Quinn 2 goals)

CENTRAL 10 (John Tamanika, Chris Fleming tries; Jade Wogand goal) _______________________________ Ipswich 22 - Toowoomba 22

A Grant Young try off the crossbar has helped Ipswich steal a 22-all draw with a Toowoomba team decimated by injuries to Stuart Kelly and Berrick Barnes.

In scenes reminiscent of Greg Dowling?s famous State of Origin try, Young gathered a Brendon Lindsay bomb on his knees after it ricocheted off the goalposts.

The spectacular try at the death put the Jets just a conversion away from victory after they fought their way back from 22-10 down against the Clydesdales.

In the wash-up Toowoomba posted five tries to Ipswich?s four, but managed to land just one shot at goal courtesy of Greg Eastwood.

Former State of Origin representative Kelly was taken to hospital for treatment after suffering severe concussion, while youngster Barnes also received a head knock. Neither of the Toowoomba players featured over the final 50 minutes of the match.

?You can?t lose your five-eighth and halfback and not have it affect your game,? Clydesdales coach John Dixon said.

?It took a lot of adjustment and I think full credit to the boys that they kept going with 15 men.?

Similarly, Ipswich coach Trevor Gillmeister was reasonably pleased with the draw, given his club encountered the bye in round one.

Halfback Ricky Bird was a standout in the Jets? first fixture game, while the team?s forwards paved the way with heavy-hitting defence.

?You can tell my blokes are still a bit rusty with the ball,? Gillmeister said.

?At this stage we?ve concentrated on fitness and getting the whole club together. With a lot of new faces in the team, we had a bit of indecision in our attack.?

For the visiting Clydesdales, forward Ben Vaeau again impressed, while Tony Duggan, Steve Michaels and Anthony Seibold thrived under adversity.

Ipswich now plays Norths at Bishop Park next Sunday, while Toowoomba heads to Runaway Bay on Saturday to face Tweed Heads.

IPSWICH 22 (Ricky Bird, Adam Boettcher, Grant Young, Marcus Jensen tries; Brendon Lindsay 3 goals)

TOOWOOMBA 22 (Tame Tupou, Scott Minto, Steve Michaels, Tony Diuggan, Ian Lacey tries; Greg Eastwood goal). ____________________________ North Queensland 24 - Norths 22

It was a night of sweet revenge in Townsville as Young Guns hooker Clint Amos sealed a 24-22 win over his old club Norths with a try in the dying stages.

On an evening where clubmate Johnathan Thurston also played a blinder against his former club - the Bulldogs - Amos slid across the tryline to bury the Devils with just three minutes left on the clock.

The result reversed a disappointing loss to Toowoomba in round one, but came at the expense of prop Mitchell Sargent, who suffered a serious tear of the AC joint.

Sargent was only last week demoted from North Queensland?s NRL squad, with Micheal Luck promoted.

Meanwhile, the Young Guns? other NRL regular had better fortunes, with David Myles scoring his second Queensland Cup try of the week, helping to establish a 12-4 halftime lead.

Brenton Bowen certainly enjoyed a night to remember, crossing twice against the Devils and also potting four goals.

Bowen moved to 51 Queensland Cup tries, placing him in the top 25 for career tries in the State League.

The Cairns junior also passed the 400 mark in Queensland Cup points, making him 12th highest point-scorer since the competition began.

Similarly elusive and graceful opponent Greg Inglis grabbed a double for the Devils, making it five tries in the opening two rounds.

However in the wash-up, it proved to be a missed conversion from the teenager which cost Norths a share of the points at a muggy Dairy Farmers Stadium.

Next week North Queensland stars in the televised ABC match against Easts at Langlands Park on Saturday, while Norths hosts Ipswich at Bishop Park on Sunday.

NORTH QUEENSLAND 24 (Brenton Bowen 2, David Myles, Clint Amos tries; Brenton Bowen 3, David Myles goals)

NORTHS 22(Greg Inglis 2, Josh Graham, Jeremy Smith tries; Greg Inglis 3 goals).

Thanks to the guys at http://www.qrl.com.au for another excellent article.