Aquis Titans prop/second-rower Eddy Pettybourne was able to get a valuable 60 minutes on the field for Burleigh Bears on Sunday, his longest stint in his stop-start 2016 season, while his NRL teammates enjoyed the round 12 bye.
Pettybourne had been hit by a calf injury and compound dislocation in his finger which had limited his season to just four NRL appearances (two when he had to retire early) and a previous Intrust Super Cup run with the Bears.
“He was good and, like all the Titans boys, really put the effort in,” said Burleigh coach Jim Lenihan.
“It was good to get a good hit out under my belt and help my match fitness but it was a pity the boys lost,” said Pettybourne who started the game in his third match in successive weeks.
The Bears went down 32-16 at Dolphin Oval to the Dolphins, who are now two points behind them on the ladder, but Burleigh have retained third spot.
The Bears were unbeaten in four straight matches and had won five in a row away from home coming into the top-of-the-table clash but the brakes came on as the Dolphins farewelled prop Tyson Andrews, whose immediate retirement was announced, with an inspired display.
The Dolphins were effective in slowing down Burleigh’s big forwards at the play-the-ball, while the Bears produced errors at crucial times, which stalled their momentum.
“No one is going to win every game, every week and it’s a situation where we need to learn to deal with pressure at moments of the game,” Lenihan said.
“I thought in that first 20 minutes we were just as good as Redcliffe but I think coming up against the better teams like Redcliffe we’ve got to learn to compete at a higher level for longer.
“I think we were forced into too many errors throughout the game. We were good for patches and then we’d make errors and put ourselves under pressure. We put ourselves in a position to win it at certain times but we hurt ourselves.
“We might have been able to get away with it in games against sides that aren’t as good as Redcliffe but Redcliffe is clearly going to be a top-four side this year.”
Redcliffe led 16-4 at half-time. Burleigh needed to score first in the second half to stay in touch and they did that when Jamal Fogarty played short to a charging Pettybourne.
After that though the Dolphins ran away with the match.
The Seagulls went down to a big Northern Pride side 46-18 however Titans youngster Karl Lawton scored two tries playing in the centres and showed some good touches.
“We just couldn’t shut down their second phase and made too many errors,” Lawton said of the effort.
His second try came from a good long ball from prop Oshae Tuiasau, his former Titans under-20s teammate, who is getting better with each appearance after recovering from a serious knee injury suffered in the last match of 2015.
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS 32 (Jack Ahearn 2, Curtis Johnston 2, Darren Nicholls, Jonus Pearson tries; Darren Nicholls 4 goals) def BURLEIGH BEARS 14 (Waka Wanahi, Eddy Pettybourne, Paterika Vaivai tries; Jamal Fogarty goal) at Dolphin Oval.
NORTHS DEVILS 46 (Rogan Dean 2, Matiu Love-Henry 2, Rhett Webster, Jack Mackin, Jack Miers, David Faamita tries; Todd Murphy 7 goals) def TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 18 (Karl Lawton 2, Matthew Hundy tries; Michael Burgess 3 goals) at Bishop Park.
To watch the Bears v Dolphins match highlights, click this link - http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2016/05/30/highlights_tigers_v_.html
To watch the Seagulls v Pride highlights, click this link - http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2016/05/30/hlights_wrap_devils_.html
INTRUST SUPER CUP
POINTS TABLE AFTER ROUND 12
Team |
Played |
Won |
Draw |
Lost |
Bye |
For |
Agnst |
Total |
Townsville Blackhawks |
12 |
9 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
396 |
193 |
19 |
Easts Tigers |
11 |
7 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
309 |
228 |
17 |
Burleigh Bears |
12 |
8 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
342 |
288 |
17 |
Redcliffe Dolphins |
11 |
7 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
298 |
184 |
16 |
PNG Hunters |
11 |
7 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
255 |
221 |
16 |
Sunshine Coast Falcons |
11 |
5 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
221 |
222 |
13 |
Northern Pride |
11 |
5 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
263 |
241 |
12 |
Wynnum Manly Seagulls |
11 |
5 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
292 |
295 |
12 |
CQ Capras |
11 |
5 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
244 |
314 |
12 |
Souths Logan Magpies |
12 |
5 |
1 |
6 |
0 |
299 |
316 |
11 |
Norths Devils |
11 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
238 |
316 |
11 |
Tweed Heads Seagulls |
11 |
4 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
221 |
318 |
10 |
Ipswich Jets |
12 |
4 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
280 |
329 |
8 |
Mackay Cutters |
11 |
1 |
0 |
10 |
1 |
216 |
409 |
4 |
NEXT WEEK’S GAMES
Saturday 4 June
Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Sunshine Coast Falcons at BMD Kougari Oval 6:00pm
PNG Hunters v Northern Pride at National Football Stadium, Port Moresby 6:30pm
Sunday 5 June
Townsville Blackhawks v Norths Devils at Jack Manski Oval 1:40pm (Channel 9)
Burleigh Bears v Easts Tigers at Pizzey Park 2:00pm
Tweed Heads Seagulls v Ipswich Jets at Piggabeen Sports 2:00pm
Redcliffe Dolphins v CQ Capras at Dolphin Oval 2:00pm
Souths Logan Magpies v Mackay Cutters at Davies Park 2:05pm
