Young gun feels the heat

Northern Pride coach Ty Williams will manage the workload of young five-eighth Dantoray Lui after being battered and left bruised through his first few weeks in the Hostplus Cup.

Lui has impressed since he made his Hostplus Cup against PNG Hunters in round five, the Yam Island product crossing for two tries in an unforgettable evening at Barlow Park.

He has been solid since, and while he is yet to cross for another try he came up with an 80th minute try-saver which sealed the Pride’s 16-12 win against Mackay Cutters on Saturday night.

While that play was huge, he has been asked to do plenty of work on the defensive side, with Lui making 25 tackles.

A week earlier against Norths, he made 15, as the Devils sent Norths second-rower Brendan Piakura straight at the Pride young gun.

And Williams expects that trend to continue, when the Pride travel to Toowoomba to take on the Clydesdales.

“We looked at the Norths game, Piakura works him over pretty hard, (and) as soon as we got out there (against Mackay) we could see they were going to work him,” Williams said.

“I spoke to D-Ray after the game just about getting used to it.

“He’s a 19-year-old, they’re going to run at him.”

Lui has taken his Hostplus Cup opportunity with both hands but is still a work in progress for Williams, as the Brothers junior eyes a big campaign to help him return to an NRL systems.

Part of that will be in how Williams manages the playmaker, and the former Cowboys and Origin star has promised to put his playmaker’s health first as he navigates his first season in the Hostplus Cup.

“I didn’t like the start to the game, we spoke at halftime and he adjusted,” Williams said. “He’s coming along nicely. “That’s the thing for him, understanding that workload will come his way.

“In the second half, despite having to do so much defence he was held up two or three times, taking them on. He has to make sure he looks after himself, keeps working hard.

“He will be sore – when we need to rest him, we will, but we’ll keep him progressing.”

The Pride’s four-point win against Mackay has them sitting eighth on 10 points ahead of a clash with the 12th-placed Clydesdales in Toowoomba.

The Clydesdales, who are captained by Cooktown product and former Pride forward Darryn Schonig, fell 50-18 to Tweed Seagulls on Saturday.