WENLOCK RIVER WINS CARNIVAL
JAYDEN Hodges’ Mackay Stallions team may have gone down in the Queensland Murri Carnival final in Townsville yesterday, but he hopes it won’t be the last time the event heads north.
After several years in southeast Queensland the Bindal Sharks All Blacks Carnival was a huge success with more than 50 teams in under-12, under-15, women and men’s divisions taking part.
The Wenlock River Stallions proved too strong in yesterday’s decider 26-6, absorbing early pressure from Mackay before running away with the result in the second half.
Mackay had a number of chances early but Wenlock River’s on-line defence held them at bay.
They were rewarded with two tries in the first half of the 60-minute clash to take an 8-0 lead at the break.
Mackay scored first in the second half to bridge the gap to 8-6, but three quick tries to Wenlock River put the match result beyond any doubt at all.
“It means a lot. On the first day we got hammered and we only scraped in (to the finals). To do this is a miracle,” Wenlock River captain Maipele Morseu said.
“We have boys from all around Queensland and all the way down to New South Wales. All of us came together and did it. I’ve gone back to back, but last year was with a different team.
“We didn’t make it easy on ourselves (early) defending repeat sets, but we turned up. That laid the platform for us to win the final.”
Mackay simply had no gas left after a torrid semi-final where they came from behind to beat North Coast Dolphins 22-18 in golden point.