TAIPANS’ DEFENCE
THE Orange Army has mobilised to send a clear message to George St, Brisbane: keep our Taipans in Cairns.
Fears for the club’s immediate future in the NBL were stoked as another delay to the $176 million upgrade of the Cairns Convention Centre could leave the Taipans homeless for the 2020-21 season.
NBL owner Larry Kestelman said it would be a disaster if the Snakes didn’t play in
Cairns, with Taipans management pushing for a shift to the work timeline to allow for the club to play on its home court.
Now, the club’s passionate fanbase has mobilised.
Long-term fan Coleen Lander launched a petition on
Friday to call on the State Government to ensure the Taipans could play out of their home court this season. Last night, more than 1200 had signed.
“I’ve been to every stadium except Wollongong, and the Taipans have one of the best atmospheres in the league,” Lander said. “The idea of playing in Townsville or elsewhere, it just wouldn’t work.”
Retired Taipans legend Alex Loughton said a solution must be found.
THE footwork, the slick ball movement, and the effortless way in which Hamiso TabuaiFidow looks as if he’s gliding across the field has finally been put on show in the NRL.
Cairns rugby league fans had a front-row seat to the skills teenage Tabuai-Fidow had at his disposal during his time with the Northern Pride’s Mal Meninga Cup side and Cairns Brothers’ colts team in 2018.
Highlight packages featuring hat-tricks for the Pride and an epic five-try haul for Brothers against his junior club Kangaroos were circulated en masse before and after he made his official debut for the Cowboys in their 37-26 loss to the Warriors on Friday.
He finished the game at fullback after Valentine Holmes suffered an ankle injury, and jagged two try assists in the loss at Central Coast Stadium.
Holmes is under an injury cloud heading into this week’s clash with Wests Tigers, though a former coach said Tabuai-Fidow looked more than ready to cover the fullback position in the superstar’s absence.
Tye Ingebrigtsen coached the flyer, who in 2018 ran 100m in 11.04 seconds, in the Pride’s Mal Meninga Cup team that year, and said Tabuai-Fidow had all the tools to succeed in the NRL.
“I’ve seen a lot of players over the years but the things he could do, I’ve not seen before,” Ingebrigtsen said. “(If Holmes is injured), this could be a really good opportunity for him to show what he can do.
“Apart from the Nines, he hasn’t played Queensland Cup, and he hasn’t played much footy against men, but he was outstanding on Friday night.”
A season at Townsville last year had the 18-year-old learning directly from Cowboys legend Matty Bowen, and he announced his arrival to the rugby league world when North Queensland won the NRL Nines title in Perth earlier this year.
He replaced fellow Far North product Ben Hampton on the wing for his debut, but Holmes’ injury meant Tabuai-Fidow moved to the position he’s played for most of his junior career.
Tabuai-Fidow finished with two try assists, though missed the read on a kick which led to a Warriors try.
“He got caught out on one of those kick tries but generally speaking he did a pretty good job,” Green said.