The Toowoomba Clydesdales Cyril Connell Cup side defeated the Central Crows in an impressive 52-10 win at Bulldog Park in Chinchilla last Sunday to earn themselves a place at the top of Pool B.
The match saw lock Cody Byrne score a hat-trick, with two tries each by prop Luke Maiden and five-eighth Brock Diment and one from fullback Travis Babington.
Halfback and team captain Cory Paix, who coach Derek Brady named as his Man of the Match, also scored a four-pointer and was successful in slotting eight conversions for the Clydesdales.
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After having the bye for the Easter weekend in Round 4, Brady said the first half of the match was the best his team has played this season.
“We’re really coming together as a team now. [We were] 34-nil up at half time, the boys did very well after the weekend off,” he said.
Referring to the second half of the match ‘an even contest’, Brady says his team’s support play needs improvement in order to see consistent results.
“It’s our off-the-ball efforts that need more attention,” he said. “Our support play really dropped off in the second half, we’re just lacking a bit of discipline in that area.”
With three wins from their four games this season, Brady maintains that consistency is the key to pushing further into the competition.
“If we can hold the ball, we can beat any team, but we haven’t been too consistent in other areas, and that’s going to be our focus going forward,” he said.
This weekend, the Clydesdales are set to face the Ipswich Diggers for the second time this season after their 38-20 loss in Round 2.
“We’re still licking our wounds from our first round against Ipswich earlier in the season,” Brady said.
“Although next round will be a bigger challenge, we’re going in better prepared and with better results to come.”
Round 5 in the Under 16 competition also saw the Northern Pride take down the Mackay Cutters in a 22-10 victory, while the Norths Devils defeated the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in a 44-18 match at Bishop Park in their Pool C match.
In the Mal Meninga Cup last weekend, the Sunshine Coast secured a big win over the Ipswich Diggers with a score line that was surprising given how well the Diggers have been performing in Pool B so far.
The 50-0 result at Sunshine Coast Stadium last Sunday gave the Falcons their fourth win from four outings to maintain a comfortable perch at the top of their pool ladder.
While the home side had a confident start to their game to lead by 14-0 halftime; it was in the second half that they produced the most damage, with an additional seven tries and four conversions scored in the second half. Halfback Braydon Trindall scored a hat-trick with second rower Steve Borg crossing for a double.
This weekend, the Falcons are back at home and are hosting the Central Crows, while the Diggers travel to Gold Park in Toowoomba to face the Clydesdales.
Across the pools there will be a number of exciting match-ups to enjoy with top-of-the-table (Pool C) Norths Devils facing second-placed Victoria Rugby League at Casey Fields while the Mackay Cutters will be hunting for their maiden victory when they take on the Capras at Browne Park.