Southern Suburbs finally started their 2015 David McCoy Homes Cairns Key Real Estate CDRL A Grade season with a convincing 38-18 Round 2 win over reigning premiers Cairns Kangaroos on Saturday night.
Suburbs, who last week saw their game at Atherton Roosters postponed due to Tropical Cyclone Nathan, were in impressive form during the seven-try display at Alley Park.
In an evenly-matched game for the first hour, Suburbs stretched away after Kangaroos were reduced to 12 men following a sending-off, while the visitors also suffered a couple of injuries.
Suburbs, who were thankful to try doubles from Luke Saunders and Richard Joinbee, were praised by coach Greg Annison after the match.
“It was a cracker of a game for the first 60 minutes, but then Roos started to fade being down on troops, and we managed to get on top,” said Annison.
“The thing that pleased me most was that when the game got scrappy, we were able to get ourselves back on track quickly, not waste our sets and mount pressure again.
“I was also really happy with our halves, who we’ve worked on during the off-season on being more efficient with the way we’re doing things.
“We’re where we need to be at the moment, but we’re also wary that we need to keep our good start going now.”
Suburbs will play their re-arranged fixture against Atherton next Thursday (2 April) at Roosters Stadium, with the Gordonvale club having a bye this weekend.
Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks caused a boilover at Callendar Park as they shocked last season’s Grand Finalists Innisfail Leprechauns 26-16.
Tries to George Toby (two), Dylan Creek, Demilio Denman and Darryl Lightning saw the Sharks surge into a 26-0 half-time lead.
Innisfail hit back hard in the second stanza with tries to Colin Wilkie, Matt Romano and Anthony Perkins, but it was not enough for Ty Williams’ men.
Ivanhoes continued their impressive start to the season, making it two wins out of two with a 58-4 thumping of Mareeba Gladiators at Smithfield.
Zane Pryor was named the LD Total Cairns Player of the Round for his four-try performance, while Northern Pride-contracted players Regan Verney and Dave Murphy scored two tries apiece.
Tully Tigers also kept up their 100 per cent record with an equally convincing 64-6 win over Atherton Roosters at Tully Showgrounds.
The Tigers ran in 11 tries, with hooker Aaron Jolley (one try, 10 goals) following up his 28-point display last week with another 24 points this week.
Finally, Edmonton Storm also kept up their winning start with a 22-14 victory over Yarrabah Seahawks at Petersen Park on Sunday.
Septimus Ambrym, Wade Smith, Ash Currie and Anthony Volpe scored four-pointers for Cameron Miller’s side.
Cairns Brothers had a bye.
2015 DAVID MCCOY HOMES CAIRNS KEY REAL ESTATE A GRADE - ROUND 2 RESULTS:
FRIDAY 20 MARCH
Ivanhoe Knights 58 (Pryor 4, Murphy 2, R. Verney 2, B. Reed, Munster, Lawson tries; Pye 3 goals) def Mareeba Gladiators 4 (Hayes try) at Smithfield Sporting Complex.
SATURDAY 21 MARCH
Tully Tigers 64 (Rankin 2, van Aalst 2, Musumeci, Peri, Lama, Rata-Makene, Lavell, Jolley, Ketchell tries; Jolley 10 goals) def Atherton Roosters 6 (Gregory try; Grant goal) at Tully Showgrounds.
Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks 26 (Toby 2, Creek, Denman, Lightning tries; Cobb 2, L. Murgha goals) def Innisfail Leprechauns 16 (Wilkie, Romano, Perkins tries; Healy goal) at Callendar Park, Innisfail.
Southern Suburbs 38 (Joinbee 2, Saunders 2, Chinfat, Sutherland, Day tries; Deen 5 goals) def Cairns Kangaroos 18 (Pau, Gibas, White tries; Pau 2, Stephen goals) at Alley Park, Gordonvale.
SUNDAY 22 MARCH
Edmonton Storm 22 (Ambrym, Smith, Currie, Volpe tries; Sibley 2, Ambrym goals) def Yarrabah Seahawks 14 (Barlow, Canendo tries; Duncan 2, Dabah goals) at Petersen Park, Edmonton.
Cairns Brothers – bye.
