The battle between 2nd and 3rd place saw the Townsville Blackhawks taking home the spoils on the back of an Edward Hampson hat-trick.
After Townsville raced out to a 24-nil lead within twenty minutes, the PNG Hunters would turn to Gairo Voro and Finlay Glare who both scored on the eve of halftime.
Two tries in the second half for the Hunters would see them reduce the deficit to six points, as conversions proved hard to come by at Jack Manski Oval.
A cross-field chip from Matthew Wright would see Edward Hampson leap above the rest to secure his hat-trick, as the Blackhawks were able to stem the Hunters’ attacking onslaught.
The buffer which Hampson’s third try provided would prove too much for the Hunters, as the final score finished 36-26 in favour of the home side.
The high-scoring affairs continued into Saturday afternoon, with the Brisbane Tigers scoring 38 points to the Tweed Seagulls 24.
Four first half tries for the Tigers would put them in the driver’s seat early, with the Seagulls entering half-time down 20-6 at home.
The Seagulls were able to mount some second half points, though it was too little too late, as the Tigers were able to strike twice early in the second half.
The second consecutive 72-point game would go to the Brisbane Tigers, who have won two of their last three as they enter their bye week.
A 46th minute Jordan Lipp penalty goal proved crucial for the Norths Devils, as the table toppers leave Mackay having done just enough to secure two competition points.
A Sam Elliott double headlined the match, with the lock’s fancy footwork proving that he’s far more dynamic than a run-of-the-mill nut-trucker.
For the Cutters’, Jaxson Paulo continues to impress, racking up 226 metres at centre as well as running the length of the field for his intercept try.
Despite the win, the Devils are still unable to shake off the Townsville Blackhawks at the top of the ladder, as both teams continue to fight for their spot as outright league leaders.
As both 1st and 2nd sit equal on points, so too does 14th and 15th place, as the Northern Pride nabbed their second win of the season in Rockhampton.
A Tom Duffy masterclass was on full display at Rugby Park in Rockhampton, with the talented half scoring sixteen points on the day, with four of those points coming from a silky chip and chase play early in the second half.
Despite the loss, Capras centre Nixon Putt made a strong argument for man of the match, as the powerful Papua New Guinean scored a try, ran for 180 metres and delivered a staggering five offloads in a mammoth performance.
The plight of home teams losing continued down in Redcliffe, with the Dolphins falling agonisingly short against the Ipswich Jets.
After two early tries saw the Dolphins leading 10-nil, the Jets would hit back through burgeoning star hooker Oliver Pascoe.
Despite being down 10-6 at the half, a rapid double from Jets centre Luke Maddaford would put Ipswich ahead by two points with fifteen minutes left in the match.
A try from Ken Maumalo with a failed conversion meant that the Dolphins were a converted try away from levelling the scores, with only minutes remaining on the clock.
After a Will Partridge try at the death, a Joshua James conversion would be pushed wide, with the final score finishing 22-20 in favour of the Ipswich Jets.
The final match of the round lived up to its broadcasted hype, as 84 points were scored between the Western Clydesdales and Souths Logan Magpies.
The Magpies dominated the first and last ten minutes of the first half, while the Clydesdales tore through their opposition during the middle portion of the first-half.
As the Clydesdales began the second half with a 22-18 lead, the Toowoomba Sports Ground faithful were on the precipice of witnessing a brilliant upset.
However, the Clydesdales lead would be lost within a minute of the second half, as two unanswered tries returned momentum to the Magpies.
From there the Magpies would pull away, as Anthony Milford wound back the clock displaying brilliant playmaking and confidence, culminating in a final chip and chase try for Magpies halfback Cody Black.
ROUND 10 HOSTPLUS CUP RESULTS
FRIDAY MAY 23
Townsville Blackhawks 36 def PNG Hunters 26 at Jack Manksi Oval, Townsville
SATURDAY MAY 24
Brisbane Tigers 38 def Tweed Seagulls 24 at Seagulls Sports Complex, Tweed Heads
Norths Devils 24 def Mackay Cutters 22 at BB Print Stadium, Mackay
Northern Pride 32 def Central Queensland Capras 14 at Rugby Park, Rockhampton
Ipswich Jets 22 def Redcliffe Dolphins 20 at Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe
SUNDAY MAY 25
Souths Logan Magpies 52 def Western Clydesdales 32 at Toowoomba Sports Ground, Toowoomba
Watch the replay of every Hostplus Cup match in Round 10 via QPlus.TV - with monthly packages starting from only $2.49 a week.
