NQ Young Guns v Central Comets (Rnd 20)

[Granty]

http://www.qrl.com.au/display.php?pg_id=3215

CENTRAL v NORTH QUEENSLAND

Browne Park, Saturday August 3, 7.30pm

Referee: Justin EASTWOOD

THE northern derby has a smell of the old Fibros v Silvertails about it, despite the sister club arrangement between the two clubs. High flyer North Queensland heads to the likely wooden spooners with a side containing seven NRL players and two former CQ players in Mark Henry and Nathan Barraclough. For the second week in a row State of Origin flyer Ty Williams has been named for the Young Guns. This is a big week for Central Queensland rugby league, with both the finals in the Rockhampton and Gladstone leagues commencing and St Brendan’s Yeppoon preparing for Wednesday’s North Queensland final of the Arrive Alive Cup against Mackay State High.


http://www.qrl.com.au/queensland_cup/display_game_qcup.php?game_id=116&comp_id=1&round_number=20&comp_name=Qld%20Wizard%20Cup&home_team_id=9&away_team_id=7

Qld Wizard Cup Round: 20

Venue: Browne Park
Date: Sat 4 Aug 2007
Game Time: 7:30pm

Referee: Justin EASTWOOD
Touch Judges: Steve KANOWSKI and Jason McMANUS
Interchange Official: Housh FALLAH


Home Team

Central Comets

1. Cody GRAY
2. Ray GARRETT
3. Tyron HAYNES
4. James MUNNS
5. Junior AURU
6. Nat BOWMAN
7. Marc FICKLING
13. Mick ESDALE
12. John BIDGOOD
11. Guy WILLIAMS
10. Todd TITMUS
9. Kam WILKINSON
8. Wayne BARNETT c

Interchange

14. Steve FARRELLY
15. Brent WILLIAMS
16. Ben BROMLEY
17. Mark SINIULA

Coach: Steve ANDERSON


Away Team

North Qld Young Guns

1. Sam BOWIE
2. Ty WILLIAMS
3. Mark HENRY
4. Jamie FRIZZO
5. Neil SWEENEY
6. Jackson NICOLAU
7. Shane MUSPRATT
13. Keiron LANDER
12. Daniel BACKO
11. Jimmy ANDERSEN
10. John FRITH
9. Scott SMITH
8. Ben VAEAU

Interchange

14. Col WILKIE
15. Nathan BARRACLOUGH
16. Greg BYRNES
17. Ryan BARTLETT

Coach: Matt PARISH

[Granty]

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2007/08/04/5277_cowboys.html

Guns in dogfight

ADAM WATKIN

04Aug07

WITH the possibility of claiming the minor premiership on the line, North Queensland Young Guns coach Matt Parish says his team is primed for their clash against the Central Comets.

The second-placed Young Guns (13 wins, five losses) take on the last-placed Comets at Browne Park tonight in their penultimate game before a two-point bye and an important final-round match against the first-placed Redcliffe Dolphins on August 18. If North Queensland win both of their remaining matches they will finish on 34 competition points but if Redcliffe win their last three they will finish on 36.

Parish said the situation meant North Queensland faced a must-win game in front of a likely hostile crowd in Rockhampton.

"We need the win and that is for certain," he said. "But we also need the win because it is important for us to put together good back-to-back performances in the lead up to the finals."

Last week the Young Guns put together a tremendous defensive effort to defeat the third-placed Ipswich Jets 30-12.

Parish said it was vital his side showed the same level of commitment and focus in their defence tonight.

"Even though we scored 30 points last week it was our defence that won us the game," he said. "Which is why we need to continue to be switched on and we need to stay positive and tough in that area."

The last time North Queensland and Central met at Browne Park, the Young Guns toughed out a 22-4 victory in round 17 last year.

"The Comets have always gone well against the Young Guns at Browne Park which is why I really think they are going to be up for a big game tomorrow night," Parish said. North Queensland will need to be wary of former Townsville Sharks United player Nathaniel Bowman who has been a shining light in a disappointing year for the Comets.

Bowman is the fifth leading try scorer in the Queensland Cup competition with 11 tries and has scored 112 points this season.

"He is a very good player for them and he has been a real handful for teams this season whenever he has the ball in his hands," Parish said.

[Granty]

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2007/08/04/5216_cowboys.html

Bartlett steps up

JOSH ALSTON

04Aug07

GRAND final glory is firmly on Young Guns forward and Cairns native Ryan Bartlett's mind.

The versatile prop or second-rower left the Cairns rugby league system in November to try his hand in the Queensland Cup this season.

And with the Young Guns riding high in second position Bartlett is eyeing off a grand final in just his first season as a professional footballer.

"All the boys are keen as, we talked about it a bit a while ago and the goal was to try to win the grand final," Bartlettt said.

"We're just trying to play each week by week and try to win every game to get to the grand final.

"It would be awesome, a dream come true to play a grand final for the Young Guns."

Bartlett said the transition from the Cairns District Rugby League competition to regular Queensland Cup had been difficult due to the increased workload.

"Just the training, waking up every day and training your backside off everyday is probably the hardest thing – going from two days a week to training five days a week," he said.

And Bartlett was placed in the unique situation of gaining selection in Townsville's Foley Shield side this year – just 12 months after he helped lead Cairns to victory.

"It was weird ... when I played for them against Cairns it was real weird playing my old teammates but it was good to represent Townsville," he said.

Bartlett was forced to miss the Foley Shield grand final due to Young Guns commitments – not that he has any regrets about missing it to play in the Queensland Cup.

"I'm pretty happy in the Young Guns, I would have liked a bit more game time, but I am happy," he said.

"The games so fast compared with the Cairns competition."

And with the Cairns-based Northern Pride likely to replace the Young Guns in the Queensland Cup next year, Bartlett has an eye on returning home to continue his rugby league career.

"I will be playing for the Cairns side for sure, I'll be back," he said.

[Granty]

http://www.qrl.com.au/queensland_cup/display_game_qcup.php?game_id=116&comp_id=1&round_number=20&comp_name=Qld%20Wizard%20Cup&home_team_id=9&away_team_id=7


Central Comets 18

Tries: Cody Gray 2, Nat Bowman

Goals: Nat Bowman 2, Kam Wilkinson

Field Goals:


North Qld Young Guns 40

Tries: Brenton Bowen 3, Ty Williams, Jackson Nicolau, Keiron Lander, Col Wilkie

Goals: Jackson Nicolau 4, Brenton Bowen 2

Field Goals:

[Granty]

http://www.qrl.com.au/display.php?pg_id=3220

Guns to Cheer Country Cousins Home

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.

[Granty]

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2007/08/06/5314_cowboys.html

Guns shoot to top

ADAM WATKIN
06Aug07

NORTH Queensland have reclaimed first position on the Queensland Cup ladder following a comfortable 40-18 victory over the Central Comets in Rockhampton on Saturday night.

Despite missing their inspirational captain Shane Muspratt, the Young Guns looked lethal as they caused havoc on Central's edges to post a 24-6 lead at halftime.

North Queensland five-eighth Jackson Nicolau was the chief destroyer as he fed off a good platform set by his forwards.

Nicolau's creativity and leadership in attack saw him named man of the match.

"Jackson Nicolau played really well and I was happy to see him play that well without Mussy (Muspratt)," North Queensland Young Guns coach Matt Parish said.

"I also thought our forwards were good and we were able to roll down the park all game which helped us a lot."

Despite the Comets possessing the largest forward pack in the competition, North Queensland weren't intimidated and held the ascendancy in the ruck throughout the first half.

However Central capitalised on North Queensland's unforced errors early in the second half and fought back to trail 24-18.

"We made a few mistakes in the second half but generally I was pretty happy because the opposition played well," Parish said.

"Overall I thought the Comets were a pretty committed team that certainly lifted in front of a big crowd at home."

Leading Young Guns pointscorer Brenton Bowen finished the match with a hat-trick and took his total of Queensland Cup tries to 71. Winger Ty Williams also looked impressive whenever he touched the ball in a faultless backline.

The only blemish to come out of the match for North Queensland was a suspected fractured eye socket to hooker Scott Smith.

Smith will undergo further tests in Townsville today after the 22-year-old was given medical advice not to fly and instead had to travel overnight by train.

After Redcliffe's disappointing 32-18 loss to the Ipswich Jets, North Queensland sit on top of the ladder due to their superior for-and-against record.

[nq_gurl]

perhaps .... ty back to first grade .... mussy and jacko up and rest jt .... considering jt is not attempting conversions he can not be comfortably fit.