In the tightest Universities Rugby League Queensland season on record, four teams are locked on top of the ladder at the halfway point of the competition.
The Griffith Dragons ensured a traffic jam at the head of the table after they blew away the Queensland University of Technology Trouts at Bishop Park yesterday.
In a match that was the main curtain-raiser to the Norths Devils-Sunshine Coast Falcons Intrust Super Cup clash, four tries from Emmanuelle Kiddie spearheaded the Dragons to a stunning win.
It was a first-half demolition job in a replay of last season’s URLQ Grand Final, with the Dragons well in control with a 30-4 lead at halftime.
With Jesse Domic directing play – and booting eight conversions – the Dragons relaxed a little in the second half but still went on to win 48-28.
Jayden Marrott got in on the act by scoring twice for the Dragons, while Lachlan McCarron went over for a double for the Trouts.
The win pushed the Dragons to the top of the competition, where they are joined by the Trouts, the University of Queensland Hounds and the surprising Griffith Logan Redbacks.
Australian Catholic University sit just behind and the Griffith Gold Coast Panthers last-round win has them still in contention.
The competition will take a hiatus for semester break and return with Round Six matches in July.
The UQ Hounds and ACU will re-start the competition when they play a curtain-raiser at Suncorp Stadium to the Broncos-Bulldogs NRL match on July 20.
URLQ Round 5 Results
Griffith Dragons 48 (Emmanuel Kiddie 4, Jayden Marrott 2, Tyran Rundmann, Clayton Bohan goals; Jesse Domic 8 goals) def QUT Trouts 28 (Lachlan McCarron 2, Alex Fites, Richard Kay, Steven Thompson, Jack Watson tries; Blake Trace 2 goals) at Bishop Park.
UQ Hounds 16 (John Upton 2, Chris Hansen tries; Hansen 2 goals) def Griffith Gold Coast Panthers 10 (Maverick Sooalo try; Cody Feltham 3 goals) at UQ Campus, St Lucia.
Griffith Logan Redbacks 30 (Te-Ama Atuhihi, Sam Liana, Andrew Taukalo, Letoe Perrin Solomona, Ben Kelly tries; AJ Mulitalo 5 goals) def ACU 26 (Declan Morrisey. Josh Cook, Drew Ballard, Keanan Yow Yeh, Lachlan Quarmby tries; Omair Khan 3 goals) at ACU Campus, Banyo.
URLQ LADDER
11 points – Griffith Dragons (+36), QUT Trouts (+12), UQ Hounds (+6), Griffith Logan Redbacks (0)
9 points – ACU (+24)
7 points – Griffith Gold Coast Panthers (-82)
