Redcliffe hit back in style against Capras

The start couldn’t have been any sweeter for the Capras, earning a penalty from their first touch, and from there, they dominated field position in the opening five minutes, allowing rookie fullback Kainoa Gudgeon to score and open the affair.

With 40+ kilometre wind gusts blowing from south-north and intermittent rain starting to fall, Redcliffe settled into the grind for the next 15 minutes, until they added the two points from penalty goal awarded right in front.

Four minutes later, the Dolphins received another penalty right in front and Bryce Donovan locked the game at 4-4.

Local Central Queensland product, but now dynamic Dolphins fullback Trai Fuller, was next to score in the 28th minute, coming out of nowhere to dive on a well-timed Donovan grubber into the in-goal.

More points came moments before halftime from some Hugh Pratt brilliance – the Dolphins rake passing righting at the line to send Sheldon Pitama across to make it 16-4 at the break.

The difference was only 12 points as the second half opening whistle blew, but Adam Mogg’s men were ready to make the trip to Central Queensland worthwhile, blowing the underdone Capras off the park in the opening 20 minutes.

Five unanswered four-pointers were added in that period; with Fuller bagging his second in the 43rd minute, Jamil Hopoate contributing in the 47th minute, Pitama again adding more points in the 53rd minute, Josh Beehag chalking up his first in the 57th minute and Tom Geraghty crossing in the following set, cruelling the Capras to a 46-6 deficit.

Despite defensive leaks in the middle of the field and poor fifth-tackle options, Elijah Anderson was able to add a consolation try for the Capras, but that was quickly erased by Jedidiah Simbiken, who added the cherries on top to the already secured two competition points with five minutes remaining.

With the heavy loss being the ninth in a row for the Capras, coach David Faiumu believes the key to success is playing the full 80 minutes.

“We put good five to 10 minute periods, but then we go off the boil, but then we go again and do the same thing,” the disappointed coach said post-match.

“If you try and play that style of footy against quality teams like Redcliffe today, they’re going to punish you because they can read when a team’s momentum is starting to fall away and they captialise.”

Faiumu believes his roster is strong, but says more work must be done at training to piece together their good periods of play.

“How do we put an 80 minute effort together … well we’ve just got to keep working hard at training and putting ourselves in those situations at training because that’s the only way we’re going to better ourselves with that and the only opportunity we get to put ourselves under pressure except for the actual games," he said.

"Our roster is strong, we've just got to keep working hard at training.

"I know that's a throwaway line, but that's just what we need to do right now."

The tough start to the season doesn’t get any easier for the Capras when they travel to Burleigh next Saturday to take on the second-placed Bears.

For Redcliffe, they travel north again, this time facing the Mackay Cutters.