COAST NOT SO SUNNY FOR PRIDE
PLANNING for Mad Monday could come sooner than hoped for Northern Pride players unless they use the next fortnight to find some inspiration for the rest of the season after a fourth consecutive loss.
A trip to the Sunshine Coast proved fruitless yet again for the struggling Pride yesterday, going down 37-16 after coming out firing after halftime to pull it back to 18-16 with 20 minutes to play.
The Falcons made a mockery of the visitors’ right edge defence in the first half, twice finding holes to jump out to a 14-0 lead.
The hosts did their best to allow Ty Williams’ men back in the contest, giving away a truckload of penalties, but the Pride were unable to capitalise on them.
After being held up twice, Bradley Stephen finally broke through to score his side’s first try in the 35th minute, but the Falcons hit back moments before halftime to make it 18-6 at the break.
Tries to Khan Ahwang and Gideon Gela-Mosby made it a two-point game after 58 minutes but from there it was all Sunshine Coast, who killed the contest with two tries in the ensuing 13 minutes, before adding another try and a field goal in the dying stages.
Northern Pride coach Ty Williams was once again left frustrated at poor handling in attack, poor edge defence and a failure to play the full 80 minutes, which ultimately cost them a winnable game.
“I reckon even with 12 to go, only down by eight, it put us right there at the death but we just fell off it,” he said.
Williams lamented individual efforts which led to two early long-distance tries to Guy Hamilton and hinted changes would be made in response after the bye.
“Obviously they were long distance tries and it was through individual effort where they got us, just one-onone misses down the edge,” he said.
“From 50m out we need to be better than that.
“We’ll sit down and assess the situation and no doubt there will be changes for the PNG game and that’s through poor performance.”
Javid Bowen and Bradley Stephen were standouts, constantly threatening the Falcons line, but it was the forwards who struggled after Graham Clark left the field after 25 minutes with a gash above the eye, while Joel Riethmuller ruptured a bicep.
Williams urged his players to do some serious soulsearching over the bye and find the belief he has in the possibility of a finals charge.
“I still definitely believe,” he said. “I said to the boys after the game I believe in them that much, I still believe we’re in with a chance for finals. But now it’s up the them.”