Young finishes fine career with
Ipswich

IPSWICH JETS 36 defeat CENTRAL COMETS 14

Warhorse prop Grant Young has hung up the boots after being named Players? Player in Ipswich?s final match of the 2005 season.

With the Jets getting the bye in Round 22, Young was able to have his day in the sun ? literally ? as the squad beat Central 36-14 and then stayed an extra 24 hours in Rockhampton to celebrate.

At 35-years-old the former New Zealand international led from the front in his last stand, finishing a difficult campaign in which he played through injury and shouldered a heavy workload.

Key members Brendon Lindsay and Steele Retchless may have also played their last games for Ipswich, with the former heading overseas and the latter contemplating retirement as well.

The changing face of the Jets is set to be unveiled in coming months, with four unnamed players already agreeing to terms for next year, although they are yet to sign.

?We?ll build on what we?ve got with some good young blokes already coming through,? Ipswich chief executive Brendan Hurst said.

?We are in the best situation we?ve been in for several years in regards to local players. Against Central we had seven juniors from our local area aged between 18 and 20.?

The Comets themselves are not disgraced by the promising talent climbing their ranks and over the weekend they added the signatures of props Grant Wooden and Adam McEwan for 2006.

Both teams brought great intensity to Browne Park for a game that was of no consequence to the finals, however they found themselves struggling with handling and execution.

One veteran who will return for Ipswich next season, Ricky Bird, took control of the match when needed, putting the Jets in front and keeping them there after an early skirmish.

?I thought Central came out well and, with a vocal crowd behind them, they were tough,? Hurst said.

?There were probably just a few different positions on the field where we had a touch more class.?

Young played the full 80 minutes in his swansong, while Retchless was also among the best on ground.

No matter the results of Round 22 Ipswich will finish the season in ninth, while Central will collect its first wooden spoon in a decade of Queensland Wizard Cup participation.

The Comets have one remaining fixture and are due to play Tweed Heads at the Piggabeen Complex next Sunday.

IPSWICH JETS 36 (Tries: Steven West, Geoff Chalk, Chris Scanlan, Ricky Bird, Danny Coburn, Steele Retchless, Peter Savage. Goals: Steven West 4.)

defeated

CENTRAL COMETS 14 (Tries: Paul Albury, Aoterangi Herangi, Andrew Dale. Goals: Jade Wogand.)

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