Given the points for and against in their past three games – the Mackay Cutters might break into a sweat at the sight of anything green in the future. In their recent matches against the Ipswich Jets, the Cutters have seen the Jets score 134 points to the Cutters 42.
The Jets on the other hand might ask the QRL to consider letting them play Mackay more than twice a year and stage the games in Mackay. The Jets have now won seven of their past nine played in the north, including last night’s 36-20 victory.
The Jets have made a habit this year of dominating sides from the start; scoring 166 points in the first half of games while the opposition is managing only 86. It was in the first set of six that Carlin Anderson got the Jets rolling and scored his sixth try this year to get the Jets away to 4-0.
This game was a homecoming game for Marmin Barba who was looking forward to his mum’s cooking and looked like he was running to get to the table when he started the movement that saw the Jets go 100m and end with Matt Parcell scoring the first of his two tries. The Jets were up 10-0 after the successful conversion.
Sam Martin scored his third try for the year not long after to move the Jets along to 16-0 with 18 minutes to go in the first half, things were not looking good for the Cutters.
The home side brought on hooker Josh Chudleigh to straighten up the attack and spark some action and when Sam Clune pulled down a flying Chris Walker who was try-bound, things were looking more positive for the Cutters.
Cutters winger Jordon Pereira scored the his side’s first try after 28 minutes and the Cutters were chipping away at the Jets at 16-4 with 10 minutes to go till half time.
Any momentum the Cutters won back with the try was lost when they let the Jets score a great team try showcasing all their attacking brilliance to finish with Parcell posting his double.
The Jets then made a mess of the kick-off and the Cutters got one back through Justin Tavae and at halftime it was 22-8 to the Ipswich Jets.
The message at halftime was for the Jets to respect the ball and Josh Cleeland took the message all the way to the try line, scoring his third try in three weeks and showing great skills when he runs the ball. The Jets now led 28-8 with 30 minutes left to play.
All week the Jets had spoken about Cutters’ playmaker Cameron Cullen, but he evaded the Jets defenders and scored with 25 minutes to go and give his team a chance at 28-14.
Nemani Valekapa has been quiet the last two weeks not adding to his try scoring tally of six, but he struck back this week when it mattered, sending the Jets out to a 32-14 lead and ending any hope the Cutters had of a comeback had been extinguished.
Cullen again showed how dangerous he could be and why he was 18th Man for the Residents by scoring his second try of the night and making it 32-20.
Last week both Jets’ second rowers Sam Martin and Kurt Capewell got tries and this week Capewell left it up until the last minute to repeat the feat, helping the Jets to a strong win.
The Jets will be at home next week at the North Ipswich Reserve to the Tweed Heads Seagulls, while the Mackay Cutters will take on the Burleigh Bears on the Coast.
IPSWICH JETS 36 (Matt Parcell 3, Carlin Anderson, Nemani Valekapa, Josh Cleeland, Sam Martin; Carlin Anderson 4 goals) def MACKAY CUTTERS 20 (Cameron Cullen 2, Jordan Pereira, Justin Tavae tries; Liam Taylor 2 goals) at Stadium Mackay.
Final teams
Mackay Cutters: 1. Sam Clune 2. Jordan Pereira 3. Tyson Martin 4. Justin Tavae 6. Cameron Cullen 7. Liam Taylor 8. Brad Lupi 9. Michael Sio 20. Rory Kostjasyn 11. Josh Osborne 12. Kelvin Nielsen 13. Chris Gesch (c) 14. Josh Chudleigh 15. Aleki Falepaini 16. Brenden Treston 17. Joss Boyton 5. Blake Atherton
Ipswich Jets: 1. Carlin Anderson 2. Marmin Barba 3. Chris Walker 4. Nemani Valekapa 6. Josh Cleeland 7. Dane Phillips 18. Joe Ofahengaue 9. Matt Parcell 10. Rod Griffin 11. Sam Martin 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Keiron Lander (c) 14. Troy O'Sullivan 15. Kurtis Lingwoodock 16. Billy McConnachie 17. Liam Capewell 21. Daniel Vidot
