Burdekin shake off Centrals challenge
BURDEKIN moved six points clear of second place in the Rugby League Townsville & Districts women’s competition with a 24-16 win over finals contenders Centrals at Townsville Sports Reserve on Saturday.
In a bruising encounter Burdekin, the league’s top attacking (294 points in 11 games) and defensive side (74 points conceded), held strong to thwart the Tigers’ ambush.
Herbert River’s bye round has kept the Roosters’ advantage on the ladder to two wins with four rounds remaining in the regular season.
Brothers elected to forfeit their trip to Charters Towers while Western Lions, powered by the front row grunt of Queensland S c h o o l g i r l s prop Theophelia MosbyNona, crushed Norths 52-6. Mosby-nona triumphed with Queensland 30-6 over a combined NSW/ACT schoolgirls side at Suncorp Stadium in an Origin curtain-raiser.
She backed up in Sunday’s win over Norths, scoring two tries in her return to football in Townsville.
In the Men’s A Grade competition, Centrals edged ahead of Burdekin 22-18 through a double to backrower James Pere, the younger brother of Cowboys and Blackhawks prop Emry.
Pere has scored five tries in his last three games with the Tigers, including back-to-back doubles.
Brothers’ coach Michael Parker-walshe’s prediction that his side would prevail over Charters Towers came true, but by a tighter margin than his pumped-up side would have preferred, 20-12.
Brothers centre John Cullen ended his four-match tryscoring drought with a breakthrough try, his first since May 29, having crossed the line six times in the opening four games.
In the final men’s game of the weekend Norths bombed a brilliant start as Western Lions surged back from a three-try deficit early in the second half to win 24-22.