‘Strongest player on the field’ bags five tries in CDRL return

SCORING five tries in a game of rugby league is a feat usually reserved for wingers, but try telling that to Kangaroos second-rower Tyson Phineasa.

The Northern Pride under-21s wrecking ball returned to his junior CDRL club during the Hastings Deering Colts mid-season break and proved to be the difference in Sunday’s 56-26 victory over

Yarrabah, in one of the most dominant individual performances in recent seasons.

Kangaroos coach Jared Allen confirmed the “5” scribbled next to his name on the scoresheet was no typo.

“He got five tries,” he said. “He’s just big and strong. If you get him one-on-one with anyone on the line, he’s going to score every time.

“That was sort of the game plan, get him the ball near the line, and he scored some good tries in the end. He scored one from about 30 metres out, ran over the fullback. He was pretty happy and I don’t think he’ll forget about it.”

Allen said it was a testament to Phineasa’s commitment off the field.

“He’s been working really hard this year,” Allen said. “I know he’s doing some stuff with the Pride at TAFE (Cairns Academy of Sport Northern

Pride Program) and he’s training during the day a lot, and you can see it on the field.

“Every time he walks on to the field, he’s probably the strongest on it. When he realises that, he could be anything.

“He’s been playing mainly Pride the last few weeks, which is good to see, but we were happy to get him back for the week.”

Allen, who spent six seasons with the Northern Pride’s Intrust

Super Cup side before an ongoing knee injury forced him to retire in 2019, took on the coaching role at his junior club for the first time this year.

With Kangaroos battling a heavy injury toll to their playmakers, that has turned into a player-coach role in recent weeks.

“We had a few injuries there for a stretch, so I decided I’d help out,” he said.

“Just try to help us get as many wins as we can to finish the year and try to get back into finals contention.”

Kangaroos are seventh on the CDRL ladder, two wins outside the top five with just six rounds left.

“We’ve just got to win games, that’s all we’ve got to do,” Allen said.

“It’s all about ourselves and it’s the old cliché of one week at a time, just trying to work our way up the table.”