Panthers power past gritty Normanby

By their own admission it wasn't pretty, but West Brisbane Panthers scored a valuable 18-16 win over Normanby on Saturday. 

The club claimed the Craig Little Cup - played in honour of the former Panther who tragically passed away in a freak on-field accident in 1990 - in an old fashioned bash-up at Purtell Park. 

Only goal kicking separated the two sides in a physical encounter.

Locked at 12-all at halftime, West Brisbane scored one of the tries of the season with a length-of-the-field effort. 

Fullback Jack Mackin finished off the movement after great support play from his outside men turned a regulation bomb take into four points. 

That gave the Panthers an 18-12 lead but they were forced to  sweat out a tense final ten minutes after Hounds outside back Michael Crosby touched down in the corner. 

Normanby never put up the white flag but were unable to crack the Panthers line in the dying stages.

It was a crucial win for West Brisbane, who were staring down the barrel of just one win in the opening four rounds. 

Coach Wayne Weekes praised his side for backing up well after a bruising loss to Gaters last weekend but conceded the performance was scratchy.

"It was gutsy win ...  but we're still slightly disjointed when we attack," Weekes said. 

"I thought we rolled down the field really well but it's just that final pass on a few plays."

Earlier, Normanby opened the scored when centre Mitch Hallinan showed too much pace off a scum win.

The Panthers now have a well-timed weekend off, with their Round 5 clash against defending premiers Ipswich postponed due to representative fixtures.

"I think our bodies are holding together pretty well ... and they have to with the style of footy we play," Weekes said. 

"But we'll freshen up on the week, it has come at a good time with two really physical games."

The Jets sit top of the table after a 46-8 win over Logan Brothers at North Ipswich Reserve.

Five-eighth Mikaere Beattie picked up personal haul of 18 points. 

Meanwhile, a hat-trick to Wynnum Manly Redland City playmaker Brayden Josephs helped the bayside club inflict Gaters first loss of the season.

RESULTS

Saturday, April 31

REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS 26 (Kyle van Klaveren 2, Mitchell Wilson, Jonus Pearson, Hayden Hansen tries; Jonus Pearson 2, Jaz Nahu-Main goals) def CARINA 4 (Matthew Craven try) at Leo Williams Oval, Carina.

WYNNUM MANLY REDLAND CITY SEAGULLS 34 (Brayden Josephs 3, Liam Clark, Mitch McMillan, Hayden Crowley tries; Tyson Brookes 5 goals) def GATERS 12 (Kieran English, Dwayne Duncan tries; Dwayne Duncan 2 goals) at South Pine Sports Complex, Brendale.

WEST BRISBANE PANTHERS 18 (Jack Mackin, Sam Carson, Kristian Wanka tries; Hayden Potts 3 goals) def NORMANBY HOUNDS 16 (Mitchell Hallinan, Jordan Eaton, Michael Crosby tries; Jacob Thomas 2 goals) at Purtell Park, Bardon.

FULL MATCH REPLAY

IPSWICH JETS 46 (Dan O’Reilly 2, Mikaere Beattie 2, Francis Leger 2, Ono So’Oialo, Mitch Koina, Ben Sullivan tries; Mikaere Beattie 5 goals) def LOGAN BROTHERS 8 (Ellery Tusa, Kieran Battelley tries) at North Ipswich Reserve.

Sunday, May 1

EASTS TIGERS 45 (Shem Tatupu 2, Sam Bielefeld 2, Thomas Tuumaga, Jack Schaffer, Adam Crear, Sam Gee tries; Adam Crear 6 goals; Mackenzie Reid field goal) def VALLEYS DIEHARDS 14 (Stacey Everitt, Daniel Nolan, Arthur Brown tries; Arthur Brown goal) at Suzuki Stadium, Langlands Park.

LADDER

Win - 3 points, Draw - 2 pts, Loss - 1 pt

ROUND FIVE

Saturday, May 7
Valleys Diehards v Logan Brothers at Emerson Park, 3pm
Carina v Gaters at Leo Williams Oval, 3pm
Easts Tigers v Normanby Hounds at Leo Williams Oval, 4.45pm
Wynnum Manly Redland City v Redcliffe Dolphins at Kitchener Park, 3.15pm

Wests Brisbane v Ipswich Jets postponed until Saturday, July 16