BULL HAS TON TO CELEBRATE
COWBOYS’ DEPTH LEAVES MCGUIRE FEELING THE HEAT
OPENER Bryce Street scored his third century for Queensland as the Bulls continued their chase of Western Australia’s 458 at the Gabba yesterday.
Street made 117, his top first-class score, showing patience and poise to slowly guide Queensland towards first-innings points.
Having faced 335 balls, he was dismissed hooking after more than seven hours at the crease, with Liam Guthrie taking a superb catch at fine leg off the bowling of Cameron Gannon.
It left the Bulls at 4-315, with Matthew Renshaw and Jimmy Peirson at the crease.
Queensland resumed play on day three at 1-183 but soon lost the wicket of Test star Marnus Labuschagne, who fell for 92.
Labuschagne edged a Joel Paris delivery on to his pads, with the ball popping up and being caught by Guthrie at short forward square leg.
The dismissal ended a second-wicket partnership of 142 runs between Labuschagne and Street.
The Bulls progressed to 2-257 at lunch, with Street on 91 and captain Usman Khawaja on 32.
Khawaja was dismissed for 42, tickling a Guthrie ball down the leg side to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis.
WITH yesterday being International Women’s Day, the Townsville Bulletin takes a look at the local star power ready to make a mark this year.
Across a range of sports, women hailing from the North have gone on to reach great heights, however for many this year is set to be their biggest yet in their athletic arenas.
CARA KOENEN – NETBALL
Having recently made her Australian Diamonds debut, and starred a game later, Cara Koenen will return to the Super Netball as one of the competition’s premier players.
The Magnetic Island product has been a force since relocating to the Sunshine Coast Lightning, and she was impressive again in her maiden national tour in the recent Constellation Cup.
While the results did not fall in Australia’s favour, the chance to step on to the world stage was one the 25-year-old said she would never forget, and would look back on during g her career.
Now it was a matter of con- verting that experience to the local scene and using it as a platform for continued success.
“I’ve worked towards this ever since I started playing netball,” she said after her debut.
“It’s obviously a dream of everyone’s to get out and pull on the green and gold and represent their family with the name on the back of the dress.
“It was a pretty unreal moment, it was all a bit of a blur.”
STEPH KERSHAW – HOCKEY
For years she has been the luckless woman of Australian sport, but now Hockeyroo Steph Kershaw is primed to take on the world’s biggest stage.
The 25-year-old midfielder has been cruelled by ACL injuries, rubbing her out of the 2016 Olympics before she broke down again in the buildup to Tokyo.
However the coronavirus pandemic gave her one blessing – the chance to get back.
Kershaw would have missed the showcase in Japan had the 2020 Games gone ahead, but their postponement has given her the chance to realise a childhood dream.
She has been n narrowed down n to the 2021 squad for the Hockeyroos, , with her final al hurdle to be e cracking the de- finitive 16- woman squad which the plane in July. boards
JASMINE PETERS – RUGBY LEAGUE
At just 18, North Queensland Gold Star Jasmine Peters has a high ceiling to reach.
And within her QRLW squad, she will have the perfect mentor to learn from.
The dynamic centre-winger made her debut for the Indigenous All Stars this year, and could be set to follow a similar pathway to that of teammate Shaniah Power.
Last year, Power’s All Stars debut was followed by her first NRLW and Queensland State of Origin jerseys, and Peters said those same goals were firmly in her sights.
“I was so excited and rel lieved. There were a lot of mixed emotions because I’d been working so hard over preseason,” Peters said in the lead-up to her All Stars debut.
“I cut a lot of things out just so I could be in peak performance. Just the little things like soft drink, anything sweet that doesn’t reside in my diet already and the occasional going out with your friends.
“I’m usually not a crier, but I did because I was so excited.”
TOR WEST – ATHLETICS
Determination and optimism – often they are not two characteristics that go handin-hand. Howe v e r T o w n s v i l l e h e p t a t h l e t e Tori West finds a way to do so.
The 25-yearold is gunning to feature in her r first Olympic Games, although she faces a tall order to get there.
Her next competition will not be until April when she takes part in nationals, however should she not achieve the required points to qualify, she will always keep up the fight with a positive attitude.
“I’ve always had long-term goals anyway, so for me 2022 is Commonwealth Games and world champs, 2024 is Olympics.,” West said. “I still want to be an Olympian and wear that green and gold.”
ZITINA AOKUSO – BASKETBALL
In her comeback season from an ACL injury, Zitina Aokuso stood tall for the Townsville Fire last WNBL campaign. Now, should she remain with the grand finalists, is the time she announces herself as an Australian star.
The 22-year-old big regularly took on more experienced rivals such as Liz Cambage, and often won little battles in those contests.
Her breakout competition was rounded out with selection in an Opals camp on the Gold Coast, highlighting her standing under national coach Sandy Brondello as a player to watch in the build-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
DAISY D’ARCY – AUSSIE RULES
She is only 17, and yet Daisy D’arcy has excelled in so many codes she must feel as weary as a veteran.
But based on her early days in Gold Coast Suns colours, that will not be the case any time soon. The Townsville sensation was courted by football, rugby union and cricket before settling on Aussie rules, and she has strung together a series of AFLW appearances since moving to the Glitter Strip. Her tenacity and energy has impressed coaching staff at the club, and went a long way to earning a maiden appearance she will never forget.
“I definitely y had all the emo- tions you could have: excited excited, nervous, but once we got out there it was all good,” D’arcy said. “To be honest just running out on to the field was the biggest highlight; it was a very surreal moment.”
SIANNA GINGER – CRICKET
So young yet so talented, Sianna Ginger is ready to take the cricket world by storm.
The teenage sensation has relocated to Brisbane, lining up for Valley Cricket Club in a bid to take the next step.
The North Queensland Flames representative is gifted with bat and ball, and will now be exposed to the more intense competition experienced in the southeast corner.
ELLE ARMIT – WATER POLO
The Olympics being delayed has not hindered Townsville water polo star Elle Armit from building momentum towards a maiden showcase.
At a recent camp in Coolum, the North Queensland product battled it out with her fellow Stinger squad members, with a final Olympics squad of 13 to be chosen after the Australian Water Polo League in June.
“You can’t prepare for something you don’t know, so at this stage we deal with the knowledge we have and prepare for the Olympics,” Armit said.
COWBOYS enforcer Josh Mcguire has confirmed the impacts of his hamstring injury are now behind him, and he is raring to go for Round 1.
However, it appears his place in the team may not be as easy as it once was, with a host of North Queensland forwards looking to knock him down the pecking order.
The final week of the preseason will be the 31-yearold’s first full week of training with the side, but he is confi
dent he will be ready to hit the ground running against the Penrith Panthers this Saturday.
While Mcguire has typically been an automatic selection in the NRL, with a wealth of State of Origin and international experience behind him, the rise of several Cowboys has clouded his final position in the team.
Francis Molo is coming off arguably his best season, and with a new contract to fight for he has, by all accounts, been the most consistent forward throughout the pre-season.
Injured young gun Tom Gilbert is another who has been punching above his weight and competing with the more established stars, while Wiremu Greig’s 124kg frame has caught the eye of rugby league pundits.
That is not even taking into account fellow regular starters Jason Taumalolo and Jordan Mclean, as well as journeyman recruit Lachlan Burr and Corey Jensen.
With Round 1 teams to be selected today, Mcguire is not fazed at this stage about where he lines up.
If anything, the heightened competition for spots has been a driving force to get back on the training paddock and help launch a rejuvenated North Queensland contingent out of the finals wilderness.
“I don’t like trials to be honest – high risk, low reward those things,” Mcguire laughed.
“I always pride myself on my fitness so I’m ready to rock and roll I think. I just need to get through this week and get ready for Penrith.
“I’m sweet, I think it’s just another age thing – they protect me, I play the pension card. I’m very excited to be back with the group, the staff here have been first class and got me back ready to go.
“I’m just trying to get back to training with the team, (coach) Todd (Payten) will decide what he wants to do with the team.
“It’s just good signs isn’t it that the club has more quality players in our 17 week to week.