Five key takeaways from TRL round one
With the TRL Premiership officially under-way for another season, the opening round did not disappoint.
Warwick got the better of rivals Wattles, Dalby sent out a statement and Goondiwindi picked up a big win.
Here are the five takeaways from round one of the TRL.
WARWICK’S PACK ANSWERS QUESTIONS
With Garry Ellery and Darren Pttiford not returning in 2019, the Cowboys forward pack needed to step up in their absence, and they certainly did that against Wattles.
If there was any doubt about Michael Bloomfield’s position as one of the premier backrowers in the competition, that was put to bed in a man of the match performance.
IS IT TOO EARLY TO CALL THE BOARS THE REAL DEAL?
You obviously don’t make the finals in round one, but boy can you make a lasting impression.
Goondiwindi did just that at Gilbert Oval on Sunday, sweeping Gatton across four grades, and the A-grade side grinding out an eight-point victory.
They’ve made big waves in the off-season with recruitment, and this result shows they are on the right direction.
Their game against Oakey on Sunday is huge heading into the bye.
WITH DENZEL ON BOARD, CAN VALLEYS BE STOPPED?
As if the Valleys roster wasn’t impressive enough as they look to defend their title, they have since added Denzel Burns to the mix.
A returning junior, Burns has come through the Mustangs system, and is currently co-signed with the Ipswich Jets in the Intrust Super Cup.
He adds pace and electricity to an already strong backline, as evidenced by his hat-trick on Saturday night.
SOUTHERN SUBURBS MORE THAN JUST TALK
There’s been plenty of noise coming out of Clive Berghofer Stadium about the Tigers and their resurgence in 2019, and they delivered at the weekend.
While they didn’t come away with the spoils, they put themselves in a position to win deep in the contest, against an Oakey side that itself is on the incline.
They can take plenty of positives out of the way they played yesterday, and will fancy their chances in breaking through for their first win since August, 2017.
BLAKE MARA IS WHAT DALBY NEEDS
Jason Wardrop is a big loss, but the Diehards might just be okay with the replacement they’ve been able to find.
Blake Mara played with the Melbourne Storm’s Holden Cup side in 2016 alongside Toowoomba’s Brodie Croft.
He was ultra impressive in his first up showing against Pittsworth, scoring a hat-trick, and he looks like he will be a key part of their forward pack.