Queensland Cup Round 5 Review

Norths coach Wayne Treleaven joked he was trying to keep star back Greg Inglis secret from onlooker Craig Bellamy after the Melbourne Storm?s big 36-16 loss to Penrith on Friday.

However it seemed Inglis wasn?t willing to co-operate, scoring his second hat-trick of the season as Norths ran away 44-12 winner over Central at Bishop Park.

If for some reason Bellamy hadn?t noticed Inglis?s half-page picture in the Sunday newspaper, he probably would have noted the plucky talent?s nine tries in four previous games and the constant accolades from the coaching fraternity.

Of course, Inglis extended his record to 12 tries in five games ? doubling anybody else in the Queensland Cup ? and kicked four goals to boot.

?Yeah I couldn?t hide Greg from Craig,? said Treleaven, aware Norths? NRL affiliates are likely to call up Inglis soon.

?He played a bit in the centres and at fullback again today, but I mean the kid can just play, no matter where they pick him.?

Despite growing attention, Treleaven said Inglis remained a ?humble, good lad? and did not need to be shielded from his success.

The 187cm, 98 kg teenager made it hard for teammates to steal the show, but captain Anthony Boyd at least made a fist of things, turning in an outstanding display.

Aaron Bulow and Josh Graham were also potent as the Devils upheld an unbeaten record against the Comets at Bishop Park.

With a completion rate of only 47 per cent, Norths led 22-0 at halftime and marched on with the effort in the second half.

The result places Norths third on the ladder, while Central is in tenth.

Central hosts Easts at Browne Park next Sunday, while Norths has the bye before returning for a tough stretch against Toowoomba, Wynnum, Easts and Burleigh.

NORTHS 44 (Greg Inglis 3, Josh Graham 2, Steve Irwin 2, Ryan Shortland, Brent Mulholland tries; Greg Inglis 4 goals) beat CENTRAL 12 (Herewini Rangi, David Nixon tries; Herewini Rangi 2 goals). ____________________

Burleigh has lost lionhearted lock Robert Apanui for at least a month, following the Bears? impressive 30-12 win against Ipswich at Pizzey Park.

Masters of the second half steamroll, the Bears took the ascendancy after scores were locked 12-all at halftime and wet weather began to set in.

However, the reigning premiers will now be without tenacious tackler Apanui for several weeks, courtesy of a dislocated shoulder.

Coach Rick Stone described the injury as a ?bad one for the team?, although the club is flush with backrowers in its well-performing lower grade teams. Among those in reserve is former State of Origin player Adrian Vowles, scorer of a try in Mixwell Cup this weekend.

Stone also revealed he was aiming to reach the bye in round eight with a 6-1 record, something the Bears are on track for if they can beat Tweed Heads and Central in the next fortnight.

?I think our players struggled with some of the referees? interpretations of the play-the-ball in the opening rounds, but they are coming to terms now,? he said.

?You have to remember we were refereed a lot by Tony Maksoud particularly at the end of last year and he was sterner in that area.

?The defence seems to be getting rewarded a lot more for the dominant tackle now, which is something it?s taken four or five rounds to get used to.?

As has been typical between the two Southern Division combatants, Ipswich put themselves in the frame for an upset against the Bears, with Ricky Bird?s short kicking game laying on two tries.

But Burleigh?s self-belief stood the test as halfback David Hicks produced his best game of the year, assisted by the likes of Ryan Gundry, Balin Cupples and Martin Griese.

While Burleigh is equal with Easts in first spot, Ipswich is still searching for its first win and is ninth.

Next weekend Burleigh has the local derby with Tweed Heads at the Piggabeen Complex on Sunday, with Ipswich hosting Souths Logan in the televised game on Saturday.

BURLEIGH (Balin Cupples 2, Trent Leis, Trent Purdon, Martin Griese, Scott Cooke tries; Reggie Cressbrook 3 goals) beat IPSWICH 12 (Andy Poynter, Danny Coburn tries; Brendon Lindsay 2 goals). _________________

The forgotten man of the Queensland Cup has helped North Queensland maintain its impeccable record against Souths Logan, with the Young Guns trouncing the Magpies 48-8 at Davies Park.

Beset by injury in recent times, centre Charles Vis scored a hat-trick in only his second appearance since switching from Redcliffe to the Young Guns.

Formerly a representative for Queensland Under 17s, Queensland Schoolboys and Queensland Under 19s, Vis first entered the State League in 2003.

He posted two tries on debut for the Dolphins in round eight that season, coincidentally also against Souths Logan.

However following a promising rookie year, Vis only added three more Queensland Cup games in 2004 to his name before being recruited by North Queensland.

?It was pleasing to see him perform like that,? Young Guns coach Grant Bell said.

?He?s taken a few steps from where he was and I?m sure further improvement will come.?

Since the Queensland Cup began, the lowest game total North Queensland (including Townsville 1998) has registered against the Magpies is 42 points.

The latest victory was assembled courtesy of a standout match from Jaiman Lowe. Scott Bolton turned in another great display, along with strong performances from Gavin Cooper, Dean Payne and Matt Scott.

Payne, a younger brother of NRL player Aaron, notched two tries, while Mark Dalle Cort also crossed the line in his comeback match from a quadriceps injury.

Sitting last, Souths Logan travels to QLD Group Stadium at Ipswich next Saturday. Meanwhile fifth-placed North Queensland hosts Redcliffe at Dairy Farmers Stadium.

NORTH QUEENSLAND 48 (Charles Vis 3, Dean Payne 2, Wallace Solomona, Brent McConnell, Matt Scott, Mark Dalle Cort tries; Brent McConnell 5, Scott Bolton goals) beat SOUTHS LOGAN 8 (Grant Lewis, Nick Bowman tries). __________________

Easts coach Michael Booth believes the mass exodus of players from last year?s Tigers squad to the NRL has inspired prop Leigh Coghill to recapture his very best form.

Highly rated during his developmental years with Redcliffe, Coghill was recruited by the Sydney Roosters before injury cut short his time with the club.

Now in his second year at Easts, the 21-year-old is starting to remind onlookers what all the fuss was about in the first place.

The rampaging Coghill scored a hat-trick as Easts overpowered Tweed Heads in a tough 36-22 win at Langlands Park, sealed only by two late tries.

?He is playing well again,? coach Booth said.

?The poor bloke has got a torn hamstring they can?t operate on. Only 80 per cent is attached. The other 20 per cent is just hanging there. It?s taken a long time for him to build his strength back up and develop some confidence on it.

?I think guys like him realise they have an opportunity at this club to get back into the NRL. They?ve seen all the other blokes that have gone and are making the most of it.?

From last year?s grand final team, Easts supplied Trent Young to South Sydney, Dane Campbell to Newcastle and Dallas McIlwain, Charlie Tonga and Isaac Kaufmann to the Bulldogs. That?s without mentioning skipper Darren Smith, who remains dual contracted with the Brisbane Broncos.

Aside from Coghill, the best performed on the weekend was another youngster, 19-year-old winger Walter Imo. Imo grabbed two tries and continues to show rapid improvement after spending most of last season in the Mixwell Cup and Mixwell Colts Challenge.

For Tweed Heads, halfback Tim Maccan was a constant threat again, with the Seagulls behind just 18-12 at halftime.

The loss was Tweed?s first defeat of the year, but due to two draws and a bye the club plunges to eighth on the table. Easts is first from Burleigh on for-and-against.

Next week Easts travels to Browne Park to play Central, while Tweed hosts Burleigh at the Piggabeen Complex the same day.

EASTS 36 (Leigh Coghill 3, Walter Imo 2, Marty Allen, Scott Sipple tries; Brandon Costin 4 goals)

beat

TWEED HEADS 22 (Jeremy Walters, Tim Maccan, Matt King, Nathan Small tries; Brad Davis 3 goals). _______________

Among the talk of hoodoos, the return of Neil Wharton and the competition for representative places, one factor seemed to escape everybody?s attention in the lead-up to Redcliffe?s 20-10 win over Wynnum at Dolphin Oval.

That being, Dolphins coach Anthony Griffin sure knows more than a thing or two about how Seagulls half Jace Van Dijk likes to play.

It was only a year ago that Griffin and Van Dijk were thrust together at Souths Logan, a challenging situation that brought a thorough understanding of each other?s strengths and weaknesses.

On the weekend, when everyone else was speculating about whether Wynnum could win its first game at Redcliffe in 21 years, Griffin chose to use the intimate knowledge to dismantle the visitors yet again.

?We never spoke about Neil Wharton coming back to Redcliffe or the hoodoo thing in the lead up to the game,? Griffin said.

?They weren?t factors at all.

?One thing we did concentrate on was Jace and his kicking game and how he likes to get a team around the park. Jace and Royce Simms (Wynnum hooker) make one of the best combinations in the competition, so we had to nullify that.

?Jace and I are good mates and yeah, I know his footy. I thought we did a pretty good job of what we set out to do.?

For the second week in succession, Redcliffe kept its opposition to nil in the first half. That said, the Dolphins only posted four points themselves.

In damp, heavy conditions the home side countered a lack of quality possession and territory to finish the stronger, with short kicks bringing rewards.

Late signing Jamie Russo upped the ante with his aggressive style, showing the benefits of keeping your old contacts.

?I coached Jamie?s younger brother Michael at the Melbourne Storm and I got to know his family pretty well,? Griffin said.

?When Jamie moved back to the Sunshine Coast he was nice and close by and his Mum gave me a call.

?To get someone of that quality?I mean he?s seen a lot of NRL at just 24. We were all feeling sorry for ourselves when Daniel Irvine left just before the season, but Jamie?s been a great pick up.?

Making matters more interesting for Redcliffe, backrower Daniel Green continues to perform strongly in Mixwell Cup, winning the Players? Player award on the weekend.

For former Dolphins coach Wharton ? winner of three grand finals with the club ? his return with Wynnum brought his third straight loss at the ground, having lost in rounds 21 and 22 last year.

Next week Redcliffe flies to Townsville to face North Queensland on Saturday, while Wynnum hosts Toowoomba at Kougari Oval on Sunday.

REDCLIFFE 20 (Phil Shilvock, Matt Gruszka, Danny Burke tries; Greg Bourke 4 goals)

beat

Wynnum 10 (Daniel Sorbello, Wade Bachmann tries; Jace Van Dijk goal).

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