Pride shell-shocked in nightmare finish

RUGBY LEAGUE reality of the task ahead for the Northern Pride to match it with the top sides in 2018 has been hammered home in a nightmare finish to the Intrust Super Cup season.

After the home side put in one of their best first-half efforts of the season to lead 16-12, Redcliffe powered home to win 40-16, including three tries in the last six minutes of the match.

The loss was the Pride’s worst defeat at Barlow Park this season and captain Ryan Ghietti said they didn’t deserve for the season to end like that.

“All the other top-six sides we’ve played this year we’ve really stuck them to the sword and they’ve got away with it by two, four or six points, but that was our first blowout of the year,” he said.

“We’re very disappointed with the scoreline but it’s not an indication of how much of a better side they are.

“They’re not a 24-point better side than us, but they got the points and they showed their class.

“You give a side like that – a top-three side – ball in your own half, they’re going to score points, simple as that.”

The Pride forced several errors as they muscled up for the first half, but Ghietti said they were made to pay for their own mistakes and it snowballed as the Dolphins lifted their game in the second.

“First half we dropped ball too. We just defended better in the first half,” he said.

“We weren’t actually that good first half but it took its toll in the second half and we kept defending and you’re always going to crack when you put yourself under that much pressure.”

Ghietti said the squad, many of whom have stepped up from under-20s and CDRL to the Pride this season, just had to learn to “stay in the moment”, which came with experience.

“All them boys didn’t think they were going to play as much ISC as they did this year so they’re all going to be a lot better for it next year when they come in for preseason, they’re going to be a lot more familiar with our systems and they’ll learn from this year,” he said.

Redcliffe Dolphins coach Adam Mogg said he felt the scoreline was a fair reflection of the match, although he conceded the Pride were a better side in the first half.

The win allowed the Dolphins to secure second place, giving them a week off before a trip to PNG for a grand final qualifier against the Hunters.