Round 2 Sunday wrap: Grand final rematch can't be split

Redcliffe skipper Sheldon Pitama said he was proud of his side’s effort to come back, but there were a lot of hard lessons from the Dolphins’ Round 2 showing.

“It wasn’t a great performance,” he said.

“We showed resilience ... It is pleasing that we dug deep like that.

“It was very up and down from us. It was too hot to be giving away the amount of penalties that we gave to them.

“Once they’re a team that starts, they’re a very hard team to stop. If we got to do it again, there’s definitely a few things we’d clean up there.”

Norths captain Jack Ahearn was equally frustrated with the end result.

He said the Devils knew the Dolphins would be up for a fight in the second half, but still couldn’t stop what was thrown their way.

The battle through the middle was outstanding from both sides, but once Redcliffe got going, their star backs in Valynce Te Whare and Trai Fuller took advantage.

“It’s a little frustrating,” Ahearn said.

“We did well in the first half, let in a try just before halftime, but other than that we were pretty clean. Then Reddy got momentum in the second half and carried on and were able to draw it up.

“They were always going to keep coming. We knew they were going to be physical too.

“We just have to be more like the first half in an 80 minute performance. The first 40 was good then we made some silly errors, they kept coming and got a roll on.”

Norths will next turn their attention to Tweed Seagulls as they continue to hunt their first win of the season, while Redcliffe will meet Burleigh in Round 3.

Elsewhere on Sunday, the Central Queensland Capras notched up their second consecutive win, overcoming the Townsville Blackhawks 30-22.

Wingers Brandon Roberts and Tom Farr bagged a double each, with Dolphins NRL prop Jarrod Wallace also earning a four-pointer in his first game for the club.

And in another title battle to wrap up Round 2 of the Hostplus Cup, the clash between Wynnum Manly Seagulls and Brisbane Tigers went down to the wire at Totally Workwear Stadium.

It was a penalty goal to Josh Rogers that was the difference for the Seagulls, who claimed the 28-26 victory, with both teams scoring five tries apiece.

For a wrap of the Saturday matches from Round 2, click here.