Central Comets v North Qld Young Guns

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

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

North Queensland 40 def Central 18
Sun August 5, 2007
Source: www.qrl.com.au

The North Queensland Young Guns will switch from antagonising the Central Comets to cheering on the Capricornians following a 40-18 win at Browne Park on Saturday.

Victory over the Comets handed back North Queensland top spot with two rounds remaining, after previous leader Redcliffe fell 32-18 to Ipswich on the same day.

Though equal on competition points, North Queensland (+199) has a huge for-and-against advantage over Redcliffe (+132) in the race for the minor premiership.

Further to that, North Queensland receives a guaranteed two points with the bye in Round 21, while Redcliffe shapes up to Central at Dolphin Oval.

If the Comets can upset the Dolphins, the minor premiership and top seeding through the finals will rest safely in the hands of North Queensland.

Central is set to finish dead last, however the Rockhampton-based club lost just 22-18 to Redcliffe earlier in the season and has pushed the reigning premiers in a number of recent battles.

On the other side of the ledger, a Redcliffe win will mean the minor premiership goes on the line in the final round of the year, when the Dolphins and Young Guns go head-to-head at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday, August 18.

One player in doubt for that match is Young Guns hooker Scott Smith, who has a suspected fractured eye socket after the hit-out against the Comets.

Smith will undergo further tests in Townsville on Monday after leaving Rockhampton behind the rest of the team.

The gritty dummy-half was given medical advice not to fly and instead was an overnight passenger on the Sunlander train.

His injury was a dampener on an otherwise encouraging display by the Young Guns, who played with 17-year-old Ray Thompson at halfback instead of Queensland Residents skipper Shane Muspratt.

Named in the programme, Muspratt was elevated to the North Queensland Cowboys as they beat Canberra 28-22.

The Young Guns led 24-6 at halftime against Central, with the latter missing Tyron Haynes and Marc Fickling. Luke Fatnowna and Jeremy Halls were the replacements.

Winger Brenton Bowen further etched his name into Wizard Cup history by posting a hat-trick, taking him to 71 tries in the competition for the one club.

With the Young Guns set to disband in 2007, Bowen will easily finish as the team's leading all-time player in games, tries and points.

His feats are best demonstrated by the gap back to the club's second highest try-scorer, Jason Barsley, who has 44 fewer tries next to his name.

While North Queensland recuperates and revives in Round 21 with the bye, Central's clash against Redcliffe at Dolphin Oval is set to kick off at 3pm Sunday.

NORTH QUEENSLAND 40 (Brenton Bowen 3, Ty Williams, Jackson Nicolau, Keiron Lander, Col Wilkie tries; Jackson Nicolau 4, Brenton Bowen 2 goals) d CENTRAL 18 (Cody Gray 2, Nat Bowman tries; Nat Bowman 2, Kam Wilkinson goals) at Browne Park.

Report sent by: www.qrl.com.au

Advanced Search