Round 5
Ipswich Jets 22 d. Wynnum Manly Seagulls 16

2007 Wizard Queensland Cup Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Australia > Queensland > State/Metropolitan Level Competition: Wizard Queensland Cup

Jets poke noses in front
Mon April 16, 2007
Source: www.qrl.com.au

Inspirational skipper Danny Coburn typified the spirit of Ipswich on Sunday, taking the field just days after an operation on his badly smashed nose, helping the Jets to a 22-16 defeat of Wynnum Manly.

Clinging on to win its second match of the year, Ipswich jumped up the ladder two places to eighth, overtaking the Seagulls in the process.

In a much-needed victory on home soil, the Jets delivered their faithful the club's first Wizard Cup win at The Terrace since last July.

High-profile recruits Jason Bulgarelli and Michael Ryan also notched their first State League tries in the green, white and gold, both notching doubles to spark celebrations.

The Jets zoomed to an 18-4 lead at halftime, but had to hang on for dear life as the resurgent Seagulls attacked them mercilessly in the second stanza.

Having struggled just to breath throughout the week, 191-game veteran Coburn was front and centre as the defence held strong.

"It was unbelievable. He copped a whack right on his nose, came off for a while, but then went back and played the entire second half," noted Ipswich chief Brad Wolens.

"We didn't name him in our squad initially, but he came to us and said 'No way in the world is a broken nose keeping me from this'. It was very gutsy on his behalf."

The fortitude shown by Coburn came to have extra meaning as the game progressed. Smith Samau, arguably the Jets' best so far this season, tore his hamstring just five minutes into the game. A clash of heads soon after depleted the Ipswich numbers even further, leaving just two men on the bench.

As if taking a lead from his captain, prop Isaak Ah Mau also put on a brave face to battle through to fulltime, having rolled his ankle in the warm-up.

"I thought we really knuckled down today and showed some resolve," Wolens said.

"It was 22-16 for that last 15 minutes there and Wynnum Manly had quite a few cracks at us. They kept hammering away, but we kept them out."

While hooker Ryan was named Players' Player, up front Scott Alo was a standout. After a rollercoaster career which has included a Wizard Cup grand final and then stints back in the local Ipswich league, the 27-year-old is back playing at his best.

His relentless charges were more often than not followed by another from teammate Trevor Exton, also submitting a sterling performance.

Wynnum Manly began the game on the front foot, skipping out to a 4-0 lead through winger Simon Phillips. However the Seagulls then conceded three tries before going into halftime.

The Seagulls host Central at BMD Kougari Oval next Sunday at 3pm, while Ipswich enjoys the bye.

IPSWICH 22 (Jason Bulgarelli 2, Michael Ryan 2 tries; Geoff Chalk 3 goals) d WYNNUM MANLY 16 (Simon Phillips 2, Chris Currie tries; Denny Lambert 2 goals) at North Ipswich Reserve.

News sent by: www.qrl.com.au

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