The Central Queensland Capras and the Easts Tigers Under 16s sides are each going into Round 7 with unwavering drive, hoping to finish their final game of the season in this year’s Cyril Connell Cup with a win.
Although neither team has been able to secure a victory thus far in the season, it’s clear that determination is at the forefront of their campaigns in their upcoming matches which will see the Capras take on the Northern Pride while the Tigers battle will it out with the Gold Coast White.
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After a close two-point loss to the Pride back in Round 3, Capras coach Rob Carraway said his team were working hard ahead of this weekend’s match.
“We’ve revisited our last game against the Northern Pride and examined not only where our weaknesses are, but where our opponent’s weaknesses lie,” he said.
“We’re strengthening all our skills going into the next match”.
Last weekend’s round saw the Capras take on an honourable defeat in their 24-20 loss against the Mackay Cutters at Browne Park.
Prop Ben Condon was not only named his coach’s Man of the Match for Round 6, he has also been flagged as ‘one to watch’ in the future of league.
“He’s definitely a standout for me. The workload he takes on, the yards he makes with the ball and the tackles he gets in – he should be getting a call from the scouts very soon, in my opinion,” Carraway said.
In the southeast, Round 6 saw the Tigers face Gold Coast Green, finishing on the wrong end of a tight 20-18 scoreline at Langlands Park on Sunday.
However, coach Sione Faumuina said he couldn’t have asked for anything more from his team on the day.
“The game went right down to the wire with the Gold Coast scoring in the dying seconds to take the win,” he said.
“Both teams displayed a lot of heart and it was evident throughout the entire match.
“Overall, we put in a valiant effort and that is something I am extremely proud of.”
Halfback Jumon Siulai was praised for his “outstanding courage in defence and vision in attack”, while notable mentions went to hooker Bailey Butler and lock and team captain Jared Chambers, who have consistently lead the way in defence for the Tigers this season.
While Faumuina said he’d witnessed amazing growth in all his players over the past few months; centre Ezraa Coulston impressed his coach with his incredible work ethic.
“His overall attitude to training and preparation, and his ability – at such a young age, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Faumuina said.
“Off the field, he is such a humble and respectful young man. He’s got a very bright future ahead of him.”
In other Cyril Connell Cup results last weekend, the Sunshine Coast Falcons defeated the Central Crows 28-22 in their Pool B match, while the Norths Devils took on Victoria to secure a 28-16 win.
The Toowoomba Clydesdales took out the Ipswich Diggers in a 56-10 match, whilst the Souths Logan Magpies had a 32-16 win over the Gold Coast White, placing both winning teams at the top of their pools.
*This weekend’s Round 7 matches will be the final regular season matches for the competition – with quarter finals matches kicking off on April 23. Keep an eye on QRL.com.au for more details as they come to hand. Find out more about the finals series make-up here.
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