For the first time in six weeks, the Hostplus Cup has an outright competition points leader, as the Townsville Blackhawks defeat the Norths Devils 24-16 at Jack Manski Oval.
Arguably the highest stakes match up so far this season, the bout had a true finals atmosphere surrounding it, as the Blackhawks’ faithful showed up to Jack Manski Oval en masse.
Much to the crowd’s pleasure, Edward Hampson crossed over first through a deft pill from hooker Jayden Hodges.
After the Devils replied, a back and forth would ensue, with both teams locked up at 12 apiece at the end of the first half.
A second Jayden Hodges try assist would send Blackhawk Luke Webley crashing over to open the second half scoring, as Justin Makirere of the Norths Devils would barge over himself, though a missed conversion would see the Blackhawks holding on to a narrow two-point lead.
The final points of the game would come in remarkable fashion.
With the Blackhawks playing the ball metres out from the Devils’ tryline, Jayden Hodges would once more find himself in his element.
Opting for the boot instead of his trusty hands, his grubber would find the boot of Peter Hola with the ball ricocheting off the Devil and miraculously finding its way into the hands of Isaiah Latu.
The lock forward made no mistake in planting the Steeden, winning a famous victory for the Townsville Blackhawks, securing their spot on top of the ladder in a true statement victory.
Round 14’s other top of the table clash took place at UAA Park, where the Burleigh Bears defeated the Ipswich Jets 30-18.
Despite the Jets racing out to an 18-6 lead by the end of the first half, a second half attacking onslaught would see the Bears usurp their opposition.
The fearless ball running of Troy Leo would turn momentum for the home side, with the speedy winger crossing for a double within three minutes, as well as setting up a try for his inside man Deine Mariner late in the game.
The forward duo of Sam Coster and Kurt De Luis set the platform for the Bears' victory, with the two combining for 180 metres and a staggering 84 tackles.
Further north in Redcliffe, the Liam Hampson Cup remains in Redcliffe, as the Dolphins defeated the Tweed Seagulls in a heartfelt game for the third consecutive year.
Despite the best efforts of NRL star Brian Kelly, the Tweed Seagulls were unable to capitalise on their firm 16-6 lead at half time.
After Zacariah Miles crossed in the 45th minute, the big boys began to develop a taste for meat pies, as Jarrett Boland and Jaron Purcell both crossed late in the match to secure Redcliffe their third straight win.
Redcliffe half Joshua James continued his strong run of form, contributing a try assist and kicking for 250 metres in a well-executed performance.
Continuing up the M1, the Wynnum Manly Seagulls proved themselves as one of the most lethal teams in the competition currently, blowing out the Sunshine Coast Falcons 46-18 away from home.
Since the arrival of incumbent halfback Liam Sutton four matches ago, the Seagulls have scored 131 points.
This statistic is causation, not correlation, with the new recruit averaging 2.5 try contributions a game, in addition to a whopping 142 average run metres.
With Sutton settling in at halfback, Ben Farr has been excelling at fullback, with the two forming a deadly connection which is sure to worry every defence in the Hostplus Cup.
Against the Falcons Farr notched 263 run metres to go along with his two tries and eight tackle breaks.
Away from the coast and towards the country, the Northern Pride make it three wins from their last five games, defeating the Western Clydesdales 40-14 at Toowoomba Sports Ground.
The Clydesdales were their own worst enemy in this match, with numerous unforced errors leading to tries for the Pride.
Despite this, the Clydesdales continued to fight hard when they did have possession, with three out of the five outside backs running for more than 100 metres.
In addition, Corey Fenning showcased an impressive ability to finish near the line, nabbing his first double of the season.
For the Pride, Marly Bitungane picked up a double of his own, with the Tanzanian prop seeming to improve with every match.
Seamus King-Smith continues to excel in the absence of Tom Duffy and Jake Clifford, scoring one try and assisting another in this bout.
The final match of the round took place in Totally Workwear Stadium, as the Brisbane Tigers ran rampant against the PNG Hunters, defeating them 36-16 in Ryley Jacks’ 150th Hostplus Cup match.
Jacks celebrated his milestone in the best way possible, scoring a hat-trick in front of a packed-out home ground.
Despite not scoring one of the Tigers’ 7 tries, Josh Smith was arguably best on ground.
Creating two line breaks from static play, Smith ran for 274 metres and broke 6 tackles while also offloading four times.
His outside man Kane Bradley wasn’t too shabby either, with the tall winger chipping in two try assists along with 179 run metres.
Though Judah Rimbu’s highly anticipated return didn’t end with a victory, the former Petero Civoniceva medallist was still highly impactful, scoring a try and making 42 tackles with only one miss.
To watch every game of the Hostplus Cup live and on demand, head to Qplus.tv – with monthly access starting from $2.49 a week.
ROUND 14 SCORES
Saturday June 21
Northern Pride 40 def Western Clydesdales 14 at Toowoomba Sports Ground, Toowoomba
Burleigh Bears 30 def Ipswich Jets 18 at UAA Park, Gold Coast
Redcliffe Dolphins 24 def Tweed Seagulls 16 at Kayo Stadium, Redcliffe
Wynnum Manly Seagulls 46 def Sunshine Coast Falcons 18 at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast
Townsville Blackhawks 24 def Norths Devils 16 at Jack Manski Oval, Townsville
Sunday June 22
Brisbane Tigers 36 def PNG Hunters 16 at Totally Workwear Stadium, Brisbane
