Mustangs out to clip Falcons
RUGBY LEAGUE: They couldn’t have been more impressive in their opening game, and the Western Mustangs U16s are looking to keep that momentum rolling.
A dominant first up win over the Wide Bay Bulls a fortnight ago has them primed coming into one of the toughest road trips in Queensland rugby league, taking on the Sunshine Coast Falcons.
Coach Matt Jahnke said they aren’t fazed by the challenge at hand this weekend, backing his team to continue their strong Cyril Connell Challenge form.
“We took a training session out to Roma last weekend and the boys worked really hard in that session,” Jahnke said.
“It gave us the chance to iron out a few little errors from last week.
“We trained at game intensity out there and had a good run on Tuesday night in the rain, where they boys were very good in their catching and passing.
“There were a lot of positive signs, and we’re all excited and ready to go this weekend.”
The coach praised their defensive effort to hold the Bulls scoreless in the opening round, and again called on the forward pack to lay the platform for the backs.
“It was an impressive effort (in round one), although in patches we had too many dropped balls and incomplete sets,” he said.
“We set high standards for ourselves in terms of completions, and there were some real positives to come out of that game.
“Our front row was very good, and we’ll look for those boys once again to lay the foundation.
“We’ve got a great set of halves, and pace and skill to burn out wide. It starts in the middle, so if we can control the game speed, get the plays we want and control the ruck, we’ll go well.”
The U18s Mal Meninga Cup side will also make its way to the Sunshine Coast, looking to bounce back from a 34-12 defeat to the Capras.
The Falcons were defeated by Central Queensland in round one to the tune of 50-8.