Dolphins hoist trophy
Big team performance resists Blackhawks fightback
Redcliffe was the 2024 Connell Cup premier after a rousing 24-10 win over the Townsville Blackhawks.
The Dolphins turned for home at halftime leading 16nil, then withstood a spirited Blackhawks recovery before coming to rest 14 point winners.
Redcliffe forwards, take a bow.
It was on the back of the squad’s absorbing first half, middle third performance that Saturday’s grand final was won and lost.
The Dolphins won 24-10, with captain Brian Pouniu triumphantly hoisting the cup skyward.
Every member of the Redcliffe pack involved in that first half surge was entitled to handle the premiership cup first, because their fingerprints were all over Redcliffe’s premiership win.
Down 16-nil at the break, the Blackhawks came back hard.
We always knew they would because they were too good a side to not to.
Initially the Blackhawks raised the tempo in defence, and off the back of that the side seemed to get more energy around the rallying efforts of hooker Cooper Cox.
An intercept try by Townsville Blackhawks centre Cohen Dittmann 18 minutes from full-time then set the scene for an edge of your seat finish, and for a seven or eight minute period the Blackhawks looked likely to draw level.
It was a nervous time for Redcliffe as the Blackhawks produced their best of the grand final for the second half.
Importantly, a Bond Bradley penalty goal six minutes from full-time gave Redcliffe a buffer, and then an angled run by No.13 Charlie Dickson found the line and the Dolphins were safe leading 20-10.
It was a grand team performance to establish that crucial 16-nil bumper, all started by the middle forwards.
Redcliffe halves Noah Fien and Carter Welfare have been the perfect foil for each other all season, with the first try coming when Welfare found his running mate, No.7 Fien.
Redcliffe’s forwards continued to rumble away, and it was their one, two, three punch which generated momentum that saw hooker Amare Wynyard scamper over following a brilliant solo run.
At times Redcliffe forward Nate Berrigan resembled Cowboys champion Reuben Cotter with his dynamic, quick runs. It was Berrigan’s hard running and agility that also helped him score his team’s third try.
But the Blackhawks were not dead. One of Blackhawks’ potent attacking weapons has been its left side raids toward Taakoi Benioni, and it was one such raid that got the Blackhawks on the board early in the second half.
On the other side of the field Redcliffe captain Brian Pouniu also had a great running battle with Blackhawks’ right edge battleship, Eneliko Savelio.
Then came the Blackhawks’ second half recovery fuelled by Dittmann’s intercept try.
Dittmann, who seemed to get faster the further he went, ran 95m after Redcliffe was building for a try at the other end of the field. That try made it 16-10.