Mark SHIPWAY [
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Sat September 16, 2006
by QRL Media
Source: QRLREDCLIFFE has secured its fifth QLD Wizard Cup premiership in 11 seasons, defying the odds to beat a star-studded Toowoomba side 27-6 at Suncorp Stadium.
In a masterful display, the ageing Dolphins showed the young Clydesdales the benefits of experience, recovering from a 56-22 hammering in the major semi to wreak revenge in the game that mattered most.
Everyone wrote us off a few weeks ago, Redcliffe coach Anthony Griffin said.
Have a look at that (Toowoomba) side and its chock full of stars. But that gets you nothing in grand finals sometimes.
Toowoombas line-up featured 11 NRL players, including the likes of Greg Eastwood, Joel Moon and David Taylor, expected to become the future face of the Brisbane Broncos.
Yet Redcliffe had an amazing statistic in its favour, boasting 23 games worth of grand final experience to Toowoombas none. Dolphins captain Troy Lindsay, a warhorse almost twice the age of rival Taylor, went into the match with six State League finals under his belt alone
That appeared to count for little just three minutes into the match when Toowoomba prop Ben Vaeau monstered his way across from short range.
The commentators summation was it was all too easy and there was an unspoken expectation that Redcliffe could be in for a pasting, just as they were a fortnight earlier.
Listed by bookies at long odds for victory, the Dolphins only had self belief to rely on and six minutes later they defied expectation to turn the tables.
Exposing frailties in the Clydesdales own defence, Michael Roberts shot out of dummy-half and fired a great second-man pass to Marty Turner. Turner slipped through an innocuous tackle and touched down straight under the posts.
With Greg Bourke converting it was 6-all and the stage was set for another thriller between two hostile combatants.
The next 30 minutes was a pure rip-and-tear affair, with swarming defence, body-slams and the odd smattering of argy bargy.
It featured three decisions that went to the video referee, the anticipation of the crowd amplifying an already fever-pitch atmosphere.
First Ryan Cullen was ruled to have knocked-on when he flew through the air to ground a grubber just short of the dead-ball line.
Then Jamie Simpson crossed at the other end of the paddock, twisting through three defenders, but ruled to have been held up by video adjudicator Tony Maksoud.
Maksoud was forced into a double-take moments later when Rory Bromley slid over from a great Nick Emmett pass, he too having his try disallowed due to insufficient control.
It took right up until the halftime siren for either team to crack.
With precision timing, elusive fullback Ryan Cullen dived over right on the hooter, following brilliant lead-up work by Roberts and halfback Marty Turner.
After battling a hamstring injury throughout the week, valiant Turner was a standout as the Dolphins took a 12-6 advantage.
The second stanza was played in much the same gritty style as the preceding 40 minutes, with neither team able to penetrate the rugged fence.
Two instances that best explained Redcliffes victory had nothing to do with tries scored.
Like the irrepressible Duracell Bunny, Dolphins custodian Cullen was amongst everything and his energy flowed through to his teammates. When he pulled off a last ditch cover tackle on Simpson in the 54th minute, it was certain try-saver, even though Simpson still had 80m to run.
Had Cullen hung off for a second longer or banked on teammates to cover for him, the quicksilver Simpson would have scorched them untouched over the distance.
The second instance of desperation and hunger came in the 65th minute when a loose ball fell close to the feet of two Toowoomba defenders. They hesitated for a fraction and Redcliffe backrower Danny Burke pounced, sliding in to win possession.
It was no coincidence that two minutes later Redcliffe found itself in good enough field position for Roberts to add a field goal and move the margin to 13-6.
Toowoomba needed to score twice in just over 10 minutes, but it never happened.
Announced as the prestigious QANTAS Player of the Year at halftime, Roberts took full control of the game as it headed into the final stretch.
First he hoisted a bomb for former Australian Rules player Emmett, who caught and passed for outside man Bromley to score, making it 17-6.
Then, when Toowoomba had the faintest hint of a comeback through a storming effort by Chris Muckert, Roberts latched on to the bulky backrower and punched the ball free over the line.
His try-saver demoralised the Clydesdales and they allowed two more tries before the game was brought to a halt.
Emmett hauled in another cross-field kick and set up Bromley again in the 75th minute, while Mark Shipway crossed from an angled run in the 78th minute.
Shipway, 30, finally found some recompense for the 1996 grand final, where he also scored a try, but was on a Redcliffe side which lost 8-6 to Toowoomba in perhaps the competitions best-ever decider.
After touring the globe with NRL and Super League teams, he had only this season returned to the Dolphins from English club Salford.
There was also a nice symmetry for teammate Adam Starr, taking the final hit-up of the game as he reached retirement with a perfect four-from-four in grand finals for the Dolphins.
REDCLIFFE 27 (Rory Bromley 2, Marty Turner, Ryan Cullen, Mark Shipway tries; Greg Bourke 3 goals; Michael Roberts field goal)
d TOOWOOMBA 6 (Ben Vaeau try; Nick Parfitt goal) at Suncorp Stadium.
Halftime: Redcliffe 12-6.
Referee: Brett Suttor.
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 2007 Queensland Cup
Redcliffe Dolphins
6 games; 2 tries, 8 points.
[View] Round 2 [24 Mar 07] W 22-12 v Aspley Broncos (H). [LK]
[View] Round 3 [01 Apr 07] W 34-14 v Souths Logan (A). [LK] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 4 [08 Apr 07] W 16-14 v Burleigh (H). [LK]
[View] Round 5 [14 Apr 07] L 18-22 v Easts Tigers (A). [LK]
[View] Round 6 [22 Apr 07] W 38-22 v Norths Devils (H). [LK] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 10 [19 May 07] W 22-18 v Central Comets (A). [BE]
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2006 Queensland Cup
Redcliffe Dolphins
3 tries, 12 points.
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2005 English Super League
Salford City Reds
18 games; 2 tries, 8 points.
[View] Round 2 [18 Feb 05] W 20-16 v London (H). [BE]
[View] Round 3 [26 Feb 05] W 32-6 v Leigh (A). [BE] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 4 [05 Mar 05] L 12-22 v Hull (H). [SR]
[View] Round 9 [08 Apr 05] W 16-14 v Wildcats (H). [BE]
[View] Round 10 [17 Apr 05] W 22-6 v Widnes (A). [BE]
[View] Round 11 [22 Apr 05] W 42-6 v Leigh (H). [BE]
[View] Round 12 [01 May 05] L 6-20 v Hull (A). [BE]
[View] Round 14 [22 May 05] L 18-34 v London (A). [SR]
[View] Round 15 [30 May 05] L 20-34 v Wigan (H). [SR]
[View] Round 16 [05 Jun 05] L 24-36 v Wildcats (A). [SR]
[View] Round 17 [10 Jun 05] L 22-33 v St Helens (H). [SR]
[View] Round 18 [19 Jun 05] L 14-48 v Warrington (A). [SR] 4 Pts; 1t
[View] Round 19 [02 Jul 05] W 24-16 v Huddersfield (H). [SR]
[View] Round 20 [08 Jul 05] W 34-16 v Widnes (H). [SR]
[View] Round 21 [15 Jul 05] L 14-54 v Rhinos (A). [SR]
[View] Round 22 [22 Jul 05] L 18-24 v Bulls (H). [SR]
[View] Round 23 [05 Aug 05] L 12-40 v Wigan (A). [SR]
[View] Round 28 [16 Sep 05] W 20-14 v Leigh (A). [SR]
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Shipway, Mark
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