Cutters come back to down Falcons
A BIZARRE try from the kick-off has helped the Mackay Cutters to a 28-20 victory over the Sunshine Coast Falcons at Darryl Bourke Oval in Moranbah on Saturday.
Trailing 14-6 at halftime, the Cutters needed a strong start to the second half and they found it in unusual circumstances.
Described by the referee as the strangest try he had ever seen, Zac Santo’s kick off bounced over the head of one defender and off the leg of another, rolling across the goal line for Anthony Mitchell to score amidst confused looks from Falcons players.
Although Mackay opened the scoring through a James Uhatafe try in the right-hand corner, the Falcons responded a minute later when Tom Murphy dummied and stepped his way in to score.
Murphy’s defence was on display soon after, when his bone-crunching tackle knocked the ball free for Joe Meninga to retrieve and run the length of the field for his first of the night.
Callum Klein extended the Sunshine Coast side’s lead when he crossed in the left corner to give the Falcons a 12-point lead going into the break.
Looking to build on their strong performance in the first half, the Falcons were left scratching their heads mere seconds after the kick-off when Mitchell scored for the Cutters. It sparked a revival for the Mackay side, who ran in three of the last four tries.
Dough Hewitt put the Cutters back in front after a Falcons error on their defensive line gave him the easiest of tries, before adding a second eight minutes with a slicing run through the line to score under the posts.
Joe Meninga kept the Falcons alive three minutes from time when a bounce-pass found the winger alone on the right edge to score his second for the night. It was not to be however, with Uhatafe ending the night as he started it with a diving try in the right corner icing a hard-fought Cutters victory right on fulltime.
This weekend, the Cutters host North Queensland rivals and ladder-leaders Northern Pride at Stadium Mackay on Saturday, while the Falcons will look to bounce back at home against Norths Devils, also on Saturday.
by Callum Dick
Sunshine Coast Falcons v Mackay Cutters at Daryl Bourke Oval, Moranbah on Saturday, August 9 - 6pm
MACKAY CUTTERS 28 (James Uhatafe 2, Doug Hewitt 2, Anthony Mitchell tries; Zac Santo 4 goals) def SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS 20 (Joe Meninga 2, Callum Klein, Tom Murphy tries; Ryan Hansen 2 goals) at Daryl Bourke Oval, Moranbah.
Sunshine Coast Falcons
1. Sam Wright 2. Joe Meninga 3. Rowan Klein 4. Callum Klein 5. Paul McKewin 6. Kyle van Klaveren 7. Tom Murphy 8. Mboya Adams 9. Matt Gilliman 10. Ryan Hansen (c) 11. Jaz Nahu-Main 12. Rueben Baillie 13. Phil Taylor 14. Jay Lobwein 15. James Leavai 16. Luke Blumke 17. Mitch Ebdon
Mackay Cutters
1. Zac Santo 19. Ross Bella 3. James Uhatafe 4. Curtis Rona 5. Justin Tavae 6. Doug Hewitt 7. Brent Warr 8. Dan Beasley 9. Anthony Mitchell 10. Karl Davies 11. Kelvin Nielsen 12. Chris Gesch 13. Rohan Ahern 16. Josh Osborne 15. Aleki Falepaini 20. Ryan Kinlyside 17. Mitch Day
