The Southport Tigers have sewed up their second consecutive Bycroft Cup minor premiership with a dominant 50-12 win over the Cudgen Hornets at Owen Park on Sunday.
The Tigers big win coupled with Bilambils loss to Currumbin means the Tigers are four points clear on top of the ladder and with just one game left in the regular season they are assured of finishing on top.
Against Cudgen the Tigers showed exactly why they sit at the top of the competition as they totally outplayed the visitors from start to finish.
It took only five minutes for returning Tigers halfback Marty Mitchell to open the scoring and the home side kicked on from there.
Winger Patrick Hunt had a field day on the right side scoring a hat-trick, the most impressive of which came in the 24th minute.
Hunt raced up in defence to crunch his opposite number. The tackle knocked the ball loose and Hunt picked it up, fended off a handful of defenders and ran 75 metres to score a highlight reel try.
Hunt and right centre Tim Matenga were dangerous all day, but most of the damage was done through the middle with Southports big men running amok.
Props Mark Campbell and Chester Paselio were colossal in the middle and constantly had the Tigers on the front foot.
Once the forwards were on a roll Chris Thomas and Craig Chapman were dynamic out of dummy half, making and creating linebreaks across the park.
Those two did much of the creative work and the Tigers played some entertaining football on the back of it to eventually rack up a 38-point win.
The business end of the season starts now for the Tigers as they travel to Burleigh next Sunday to take on the defending premiers before what is sure to be a tough finals series starts the following weekend.
Were looking forward to Burleigh next week, Tigers coach Steve Dowd said.
That will be a test. Theyre always strong especially at home. I dont think you can ask for a better game heading into the semi-finals.
It will be hard against Burleigh but well be ready for them. We need to keep winning.
Dowd praised the work of halfback Marty Mitchell and prop Mark Campbell, both of whom were making their return for the Tigers.
Next week they will be boosted by the return of representative prop Jared Blanke and veteran pairing Drumayne Dayberg-Muir and Dean Vinson, created a happy selection headache for Dowd.
In other round 16 Bycroft Cup games the Currumbin Eagles solidified their place in the top five with a 32-18 win over Bilambil at Galleon Way, while Burleigh and Tugun thrashed Runaway Bay and Tweed Heads 52-0 and 72-6 respectively.
SOUTHPORT TIGERS 50 (P. Hunt 3, M. Davis, T. Matenga, S. Mulligan, M. Mitchell, T. Whakatihi, T. Cannard tries C. Thomas 4, C. Chapman 3 goals) def CUDGEN HORNETS 12 (Z. Spring, S. Nipperess tries J. Sands 2 goals)
The Tigers big win coupled with Bilambils loss to Currumbin means the Tigers are four points clear on top of the ladder and with just one game left in the regular season they are assured of finishing on top.
Against Cudgen the Tigers showed exactly why they sit at the top of the competition as they totally outplayed the visitors from start to finish.
It took only five minutes for returning Tigers halfback Marty Mitchell to open the scoring and the home side kicked on from there.
Winger Patrick Hunt had a field day on the right side scoring a hat-trick, the most impressive of which came in the 24th minute.
Hunt raced up in defence to crunch his opposite number. The tackle knocked the ball loose and Hunt picked it up, fended off a handful of defenders and ran 75 metres to score a highlight reel try.
Hunt and right centre Tim Matenga were dangerous all day, but most of the damage was done through the middle with Southports big men running amok.
Props Mark Campbell and Chester Paselio were colossal in the middle and constantly had the Tigers on the front foot.
Once the forwards were on a roll Chris Thomas and Craig Chapman were dynamic out of dummy half, making and creating linebreaks across the park.
Those two did much of the creative work and the Tigers played some entertaining football on the back of it to eventually rack up a 38-point win.
The business end of the season starts now for the Tigers as they travel to Burleigh next Sunday to take on the defending premiers before what is sure to be a tough finals series starts the following weekend.
Were looking forward to Burleigh next week, Tigers coach Steve Dowd said.
That will be a test. Theyre always strong especially at home. I dont think you can ask for a better game heading into the semi-finals.
It will be hard against Burleigh but well be ready for them. We need to keep winning.
Dowd praised the work of halfback Marty Mitchell and prop Mark Campbell, both of whom were making their return for the Tigers.
Next week they will be boosted by the return of representative prop Jared Blanke and veteran pairing Drumayne Dayberg-Muir and Dean Vinson, created a happy selection headache for Dowd.
In other round 16 Bycroft Cup games the Currumbin Eagles solidified their place in the top five with a 32-18 win over Bilambil at Galleon Way, while Burleigh and Tugun thrashed Runaway Bay and Tweed Heads 52-0 and 72-6 respectively.
SOUTHPORT TIGERS 50 (P. Hunt 3, M. Davis, T. Matenga, S. Mulligan, M. Mitchell, T. Whakatihi, T. Cannard tries C. Thomas 4, C. Chapman 3 goals) def CUDGEN HORNETS 12 (Z. Spring, S. Nipperess tries J. Sands 2 goals)
