Starr Fades For Season

Redcliffe Dolphins will be without gun prop Adam Starr for the rest of the season and are resigned to losing Daniel Green and Jamie Russo for the vital home Queensland Wizard Cup clash with Norths on Saturday. Starr cracked a sinus bone in last week?s 36-22 loss to Toowoomba and will have a plate inserted on Friday. Russo (Sternum) and Green (Knee) are unlikely to be fit in time for the clash with the Devils. With one round remaining, the Dolphins are fourth on the Queensland Cup table with 24 points, one ahead of Toowoomba on 23.Fourth hosts fifth in the minor semi-final,so Redcliffe must beat Norths to be assured of hosting the Clydesdales in the knock-out semi on the weekend of August 27-28. Redcliffe Coach Anthony Griffin said his side?s mental approach was not up to scratch against Toowoomba last week. Missed tackles were a problem, although Griffin said it was ?a mental thing, not a technical thing? that let his side down. ?The past six weeks, before our bye,defence had been our strong suit too,? he said.?We were only conceding 14 or 15 points a game.?Against Norths we need to put our bodies on the line. You?ve got to defend well against them because they are scoring a lot of points. ?They put 70-odd on Souths last week and 38 against Burleigh the week before.? Griffin said he had confidence in the club?s capacity to cope with the losses of Starr, Green and Russo. ?We just need to make sure that doesn?t effect our effort or attitude against Norths,? he said. ?If we can secure the win then we?ll finish fourth and it won?t matter what happens on Saturday night (between North Queensland and Toowoomba) in Townsville.?

This article is courtesy of the Redcliffe and Bayside Herald.