CYCLONES TO KEEP UP FIGHT

TOWNSVILLE’S gridiron juggernaut Cyclones will tackle the upcoming North Queensland Gridiron League season from an unfamiliar position in 2022-23.

With a number of key veterans retiring as Reef Bowl champions last season, a host of Cyclones backups will fight to avoid being reclassified a subtropical low.

Team captain Kyle Reynolds has stepped into a player-coaching role and has backed the Cyclones’ next generation to step into the cleats of their forebears.

“We lost a lot of dudes to retirement and moving away,” Reynolds said. “A lot of blokes who lost the Reef Bowl wanted to run it back one last time to get themselves a ring, so it was mission accomplished for those dudes (offensive linemen Andrew Peate and Jack Kerr, defensive lineman Isaak Lilo and linebacker Billy Mills), but we’re missing quite a few that made up a championship team.”

Reynolds doesn’t shy away from the dreaded ‘r’ word, rebuilding, and acknowledged the pressure was on quarterback Aaron Davies, running back Kurt Newberry and himself as a

Swiss Army knife receiver to ignite the Cyclones offence as the team chases back-to-back titles.

“This is definitely the biggest test our young guys have faced in their careers, and they know that,” Reynolds said. “It’s not like this is a hidden secret. We know we’re going to be in for a tough fight this season … we’re not going to be winning games like we did last year, where we put the foot down and put 50-point games up consistently. We are going to be in some absolute battles. We are going to need our playmakers in positions to make plays, but I think that we’re still competitive enough in this league and I welcome that competition.”

The ace up the new coach’s sleeve is a simplified playbook that will lean on the strengths of elite running back Newberry and strong depth at the position behind him.

It will be ground-and-pound football built on the ‘KISS’ principle.

“Keep It Simple, Stupid,” Reynolds said. “We’ve got dudes who can average 10-20 yards per carry. I’m confident that we can ground and pound with the best of them.” The Cyclones open the season at Bindal Sports Ground against Cairns-based Mulgrave Vikings at 7pm Saturday.