Pride keys to success are front and centre
FORWARD strength has proven the blueprint to Northern Pride success and the man that game plan relies on has pledged to go the distance yet again.
The home side convincingly beat Norths Devils 29-10 at Barlow Park on Saturday night in the club’s 250th Intrust Super Cup game, winning through the middle while the likes of Ethan Lowe ripped in on the edge.
Jake Clifford broke his tryscoring drought and workhorses Graham Clark and Will Bugden got on the score sheet in the first half to take the game away from the visitors, while a Gideon Gela-Mosby intercept and length-of-the-field try from Murray Taulagi late brought the crowd to their feet.
But it was yet another solid 80 minutes from hooker Ryan Ghietti, who set up a try in the win, that allowed it to happen and he put his hand up to do it again next week against Souths Logan to keep the Pride’s roll going.
“It’s obviously handy playing 6pm games up here. The 2pm games in Brisbane zap you a little bit more, but I’m happy doing 80. But, like Tybo said, we’ll see what pack we’re coming up against and if he needs me to do 80 I’ll do it,” he said.
“My preparation has been a little bit different knowing I’ve got to do the 80 in the middle.
“Obviously I’m not a very crafty dummy-half, getting out and doing a lot like that. We’ve got a good forward pack and all I’ve got to do is put the ball in front of them and bring them on to the footy and they’ll keep us going forward.”
Ghietti was pleased his side learnt their lessons after a lack of application in their previous match against Tweed, clearly lifting the desperation to shut down last tackle plays where Norths appeared destined to score.
Pride coach Ty Williams was all smiles after beating a Devils side that let them- selves down with errors.
“Defensively I thought we held our own and if not probably got over the top of them through the middle. The big boys were outstanding and … when they’re doing their job it gives a chance for our (outside backs) to have a crack,” he said.
“Over the last three weeks that’s been best for us. We’ve got to try to stem the flow through the middle … early on and fire a shot at them and I think we did that and put them under a lot of pressure.”
The Devils’ loss capped a tough day for the club after news their leading all-time tryscorer Fonda Metassa died age 80.
The man known as “The Golden Greek” was a Brisbane rugby league legend as much for his on-field success in the 1950s and ‘60s as his post-football media work. He once famously leapt from an ambulance at Lang Park to return to the field after being knocked out. editorial@cairnspost.com.au facebook.com/TheCairnsPost www.cairnspost.com.au twitter.com/TheCairnsPost