ATHERTON PROVES TOO STRONG FOR THE STORM
ATHERTON were too good as they claimed the two points over Edmonton yesterday, but, more importantly, the Roosters managed to get through the game unscathed.
Coach Graham Clark Sr lauded the efforts of the club’s reserve grade and under-18s players who had to stand up while the A-grade squad battles a hefty injury toll.
“We’re missing a fair few players,” Clark Sr said.
“We’ve got about six players out at the moment, so we knew we had to match them hard.
“Luke La Rosa and James Clark are out for the season with ACL injuries, while Willem Foster is finished for the year as well. He’s a massive loss in the centres.”
The Roosters’ 34-16 win over the Storm yesterday secures them a top-five finish and a spot in the finals.
“It was what we expected, we expected Edmonton to come out tough and we needed that going forward,” he said.
“They (Edmonton) are a better side than what their position on the table tells.” Taking a 24-6 lead into the shed, Clark Sr opted to rest some of his troops in the second 40 minutes.
“Like I said, we’ve got a lot of injuries at the moment, so we need to get players back,” he said.
Edmonton Storm Anthony Satrick said he was pleased with his side’s efforts, but they just couldn’t work their way into the game.
“The penalty count didn’t go our way and when a side has 20-something more possessions than you, it’s a tough day out,” he said.
“Obviously, our discipline wasn’t there today and the score probably reflected that in the end.
“What was good was that we actually turned up in the second half.”
The game also saw the return of Northern Pride hooker Denzel King, who played 80 minutes for the Storm in his first game back from a fractured forearm injury.
“He’s been out for something like 14 weeks,” Satrick said.
“He showed the class he has and had a field day out there playing that eyes-up footy – I just think some of our boys didn’t anticipate through the middle.”
Atherton will take on Innisfail next weekend in a match that could have implications on the upcoming finals series.
Edmonton will travel to Vico Oval to take on a struggling Kangaroos side.