Round 3 of the QRL's Junior Statewide Competitions leave us with 15 teams undefeated keen to keep their momentum going to set themselves up for a three-from-three start to the season.
The Mackay Cutters are the form team of the Mal Meninga Cup presented by Ford season so far following two wins against against the Capras and Pride.
The Cutters' attack is leading the way while their defence is averaging just nine points a game.
In Round 2, the Cutters played the Blackhawks and came away with a solid win 32-4., as Mackay dominated Townsville with 57 percent of the ball.
10-line breaks and it was time to attack with seven tries.
It took Townsville until right on half time to register a point and then that was it for the day.
The Cutters had a diverse range of high performers with Travis Larner making 33 tackles - the big front rower kept the middle safe for his attacking arrows to take aim.
Outside back Zane Elletson ran riot with 189 metres and Toby Woodfall made two line breaks.
In the opening round, the Cutters got the better of the Pride 38-14 and it will be interesting to see what the Pride have learned since that loss.
The Pride are coming off a win over the Central Queensland Capras 26-22 and the goal will be to build on that win and topple the Cutters.
Against the Capras, the Pride were able to re-group after they let them score in the first three minutes, but from there the Pride scored the next three tries which was pleasing.
The Pride will need to improve their discipline - with two players in the sin bin the Capras made a comeback and could have stolen a late victory.
Marley Helion made 23 tackles for the Pride and Mafiou Cherif made 147 metres with the ball.
Taakoi Benioni was dangerous with the ball scoring three tries - two at the end when the game was on a knife's edge.
Down at Tiger Town, Brisbane are happy with the view from the top of the Harvey Norman Under 19s table.
The Tigers have beaten Norths and Wynnum Manly, and now come up against the Dolphins in Round 3.
The Tigers scored two separate doubles last week with Saupo-Mina Toeleiu and Fleur Ginn getting four tries between them.
The Tigers had 57 percent of the ball and made great use of it scoring seven tries, as they rolled forward with 523 metres more than the Seagulls could manage in return.
The Tigers’ completion work will need some work this week with a 48 percent completion rate.
Saupo-Mina Toeleiu scored two tries and added 169 meters while Fleur Ginn had two line breaks.
The Dolphins have gone win-loss to start 2025 and that is not the Dolphin way.
Redcliffe started last week slowly and it could have gone badly for the red and white machine.
Toowoomba scored the first two tries and led 12-4 at half time.
From there the Dolphins snapped into gear and scored five tries which was led by their top performers Delen Paitai with 18 tackles and Tianah Teo with 121 metres.
The Western Clydesdales are at the top of the table in the Harvey Norman U17s competition after a win against the Sunshine Coast Falcons and Wide Bay Bulls.
The Clydesdales' 42-6 win was built on outstanding defence - they had 52 percent of the ball and found 10-line breaks that the Bulls couldn’t hold back.
It was the 14 missed tackles that kept Wide Bay frustrated and out of the game.
This week against the Ipswich Jets, Toowoomba will be looking to Chole Thompson to bring her ground gaining game.
Thompson made 121 metres for the Clydesdales and that great defence was led by Tilly Wilkes with 19 tackles.
Keelie Hilt has been outstanding working on an edge and is a future NRLW player in the making.
The Jets will bring an element of inconsistency to this local game having won the opening round clash 48-0 but then losing 44-12 to the Falcons last week.
The Jets Tahli Flux scored a double to go with her Round 1 double, with the hooker making attacking waves from dummy half in what has been a great start to the season.
Ipswich will need to match the Clydesdales start and not find themselves 30-nil down again.
In the Cyril Connell Cup presented by Ford, the Ipswich Jets have started the season with two wins to sit on top of the table.
This week they play the Western Clydesdales and and will look to consolidate their start to the season with another victory.
Tomasi Vaitai will be vital to the Jets in the middle of the field, as the young tyro really took it the Falcons last week and stood up to their forward pack.
Ipswich lock forward Brayden Watcho-Page will be one to keep an eye-on this week after his 23 tackles in Round 2, so too Harrison Vidler who made 110 metres for the Jets.
Meanwhile, Toowoomba have had a win-loss start to their 2025 campaign.
They'll no doubt look to Alastair MacLachlan this week following his outstanding performance against the Bulls last week - scoring three tries and making four line breaks for 263 metres.
The only thing he didn’t do was drive the bus to the game.
