Williams heaps praise on charges after losing centre pairing Pride is intact despite defeat
GIVING up is not in the Northern Pride’s vocabulary despite no reward for a valiant effort against PNG Hunters leaving their Intrust Super Cup season on a knife-edge.
The best 80 minutes of 2017 took the home side all the way at Barlow Park on Saturday night despite losing centres Justin Castellaro and Javid Bowen as those players left on the field kept turning up for each other in what Ty Williams expects to be the minimum standard for his troops on the run home.
Five consecutive incomplete sets turned the tide of momentum towards the visitors in the second half, and as you would expect of the No. 1 side in the competition, they played with patience to eventually strike the killer blow with seven minutes remaining.
Northern Pride coach Williams said he was “very proud” and hoped his players realised they could go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the competition.
“It’s not about just putting the cue in the rack and saying our season could be done, we need to be playing like that every week now,” he said.
“That’s the minimum standard we need to be at against the No. 1 team.
“It’s not just the Hunters. Easts we weren’t far off, Blackhawks we had them on the ropes as well and that’s probably a reflection of where we’re at.
“But as I said I’m very proud of the boys, they gave it a go to- night, started the game well, put them on notice.
“That’s a standard we haven’t had all year, or we haven’t had for a while, and it’s good to see.
“Obviously we didn’t get the two points we were chasing but we’ve taken a massive step forward in the right direction to have a red-hot crack as the season roll through.
“We showed a little bit of flair as well earlier in the game, a couple of chances went begging but that’s football and we need to take those opportunities and that’s probably the difference between us and where we’re sitting and PNG. They’re No. 1 at the moment and they take their chances.”
Williams will have to dig deeper into his squad and potentially look to the future after likely losing Castellaro (collarbone) and Bowen (shoulder) for the rest of the season.
Tully’s Matthew Musumeci could return to the backline as a replacement, while Mossman’s Shawn Bowen has impressed in recent weeks, or the coach could opt for Kienan Grogan-Hayes, who scored a double for Mareeba against Yarrabah on Saturday night.
Williams said he didn’t expect to rely on his younger brigade so much in 2017 and defended their efforts “learning on the run”.
Next week will be a big one as the club celebrates its 10th anniversary with a game against Mackay Cutters.
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TEAM TACKLE: Pride's Javid Bowen throws a wild pass as he is pushed over the sideline by two PNG Hunters defenders. touch within sight of the line. HALF-TIME: Pride 12 Hunters 4. 47th minute: Biondi-Odo extends the lead with a penalty goal. 14-4. 61st minute: HUNTERS TRY. Bland Abavu scores in the lefthand corner. Ase Boas converts. 14-10. 73rd minute: HUNTERS TRY. After the Pride hold out wave after wave of Hunters attack, Israel Eliab slices through to score. Converted. 14-16. 77th minute: Ase Boas converts a penalty goal from 30m out directly in front. 14-18. FULL-TIME: Hunters 18 d Pride 14 PNG HUNTERS 18 (Wartovo Puara, Bland Abavu, Israel Eliab tries; Ase Boas 3 goals) d NORTHERN PRIDE 14 (Connor Jones, Sheldon Powe-Hobbs tries; Jordan Biondi-Odo 3 goals) at Barlow Park. SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS 30 (Joe Stimson, Alexander Copelin, Samuel Wright, Justin Olam tries; Guy Hamilton 7 goals) d WYNNUM MANLY SEAGULLS 12 (John Te Reo, Jack Goodsell tries; Mathew Seamark 2 goals) at BMD Kougari Oval. EASTS TIGERS 34 (Linc Port 2, Billy Walters 2, David Murphy, Steven Thorpe, Gerard McCallum tries; Adam Crear 3 goals) d CQ CAPRAS 26 (Nathan Bassani 2, Vic Halfpenny, Krys Freeman, Tony Tumusa tries; Tony Tumusa 3 goals) at Browne Park. BURLEIGH BEARS 44 (Jake Carl 3, Daniel Vidot 2, Dylan Kelly, Harrison Siejka, Christopher Law tries; Connor Broadhurst 6 goals) d IPSWICH JETS 0 at Pizzey Park. REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS 19 (Jonus Pearson, Curtis Johnston, Sam Anderson tries; Tyson Gamble 3 goals; Jack Ahearn field goal) d SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES 12 (Simione Fatafehi, Jaydn Su’a tries; Jamayne Isaako 2 goals) at Davies Park. TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS 50 (Jonathon Reuben 4, Jordan Drew 2, Carlin Anderson, Davin Crampton, Ty Carucci, Blake Leary tries; Carlin Anderson 5 goals) d TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 8 (Michael Burgess try; Lindon McGrady 2 goals) at Piggabeen Sports Complex. MACKAY CUTTERS 52 (Johnny Faletagoa’i 3, Jack Joass 2, Nicho Hynes 2, Cooper Bambling, Jordan Pereira, Braden Uele tries; Jack Joass 4, Nicho Hynes, Cooper Bambling goals) d NORTHS DEVILS 4 (Delouise Hoeter try) at Bishop Park.