Round 11
Aspley Broncos 40 d. Central Comets 16

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

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

Green leading Aspley forward
Mon May 28, 2007
Source: www.qrl.com.au

ASPLEY continues to get the job done in the midst of the representative season, racking up a 40-16 victory over the Central Comets at Suncorp Stadium.

Similar to Toowoomba in season 2006, the Broncos have responded from a slow start to the year to catch the competition leaders, sitting third after an unbeaten run of five matches.

The purple patch comes despite the distractions of the State of Origin and junior representative calendar, which has seen the Aspley line-up jumbled from week to week.

A major factor has been the much-improved performances of playmaker Ben Green, largely overlooked by the media in discussions about Brisbane's NRL halfback options.

"I guess Ben's efforts earlier in the season were not good enough to warrant people putting his name out there," coach Mark Gee noted.

"But he has continued to show real good form these last few weeks. He's having a large input to the side and it's coincided with us travelling a lot better."

One positive from the consistent change in personnel has been the added confidence several players have gained from mixing it in the national competition. Denan Kemp and Nick Kenny were two shining examples of this on Sunday, leading the way in their return to the Wizard Cup.

Filling the role recently vacated by Tame Tupou, winger Gideon Mzembe was another worthy of special mention.

Central has also struggled to carry the same team on a weekly basis for a variety of reasons, but unfortunately for supporters the Comets have endured markedly different results.

Their latest setback came after trailing by the slim margin of 18-12 at halftime, then conceding four tries to one in the second stanza.

A send-off for Peter Penaia is unlikely to help matters in coming weeks, with the monster forward on report for two high shots and already boasting an extensive history at the judiciary.

His dismissal inside the final 10 minutes rubbed salt into the wound on a day when Central recorded a club record 11th loss in a row, stretching back to the final round of last season.

On the receiving end of Penaia's treatment was Blackwater's own David Taylor, who finished the game with mild concussion after a strong second half showing. Bronco teammate John Te Reo suffered an ankle injury early in the contest but played out the game.

Next week Aspley travels to Dairy Farmers Stadium to play North Queensland at 5.30pm on Saturday, while Central hosts Souths Logan at Browne Park at 7.30pm on Saturday.

ASPLEY 40 (Denan Kemp, Jamie Simpson, Gideon Mzembe, Michael Green, Nick Kenny, Dave Taylor, Brynjar Ragnarsson tries; Ben Green 6 goals) d CENTRAL 16 (Steve Farrelly, Wayne Barnett, Luke Fatnowna tries; Nat Bowman 2 goals) at Suncorp Stadium.

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