Newbies beat champs
THE North Queensland Gridiron season has been thrown wide open, with new club Mackay knocking over the Townsville Cyclones in their first game. The Cyclones claimed the 2017 title but fell to the newcomers over the weekend 17-14 in Mackay. Mackay played their first ever NQ Gridiron game on a highly rated home ground, and entered the competition thanks in part to the Cyclones, who helped them train and recruit players. Cairns Falcons coach David Tibbetts said the result was a positive for the growth of the game in North Queensland. “It is great that we now have three teams who play to a strong level and it will prove to be a tough competition in 2018,” Tibbetts said. The Falcons had the week two bye before Cairns host Mackay this coming Saturday at home.
Athletes hone skills
FAR North AFLW products tuned up for the upcoming second season with preseason matches at the weekend. Mossman junior Tiarna Ernst was named among the Western Bulldogs’ best players as Carlton prevailed by 16 points 8.8 (56) to 6.4 (40) in an AFLW practice match at Mars Stadium on Saturday night. In Sydney, Leah Kasler and Breanna Koenen, with their Brisbane Lions teammates, went down to a strong GWS Giants outfit at WestConnex Centre 7.3 (45) to 4.2 (26). Elsewhere, former Parramatta State School student Ruth Wallace kicked a goal in Adelaide’s loss to Fremantle. “Ruth Wallace looked really dangerous around goals,” Crows coach Bec Goddard said.
Patriots face threat
DEFENDING NFL champion New England’s quest for a third Super Bowl title in four seasons is only two wins from completion, but the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t going down quietly. Today’s winner will face the National Conference champion, either the Minnesota Vikings or Philadelphia Eagles, in Super Bowl 52 on February 4 at Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Patriots bid for their eighth trip to the championship spectacle in 17 seasons at home against the Jaguars, who upset Pittsburgh last weekend and already have dreams of taking home the title next month. “We’re going to the Super Bowl and we’re going to win,” Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey told a fan rally in Florida last weekend.