Northern Pride coach Ty Williams is comfortable with where they sit after 14 rounds of the Hostplus Cup, but conceded they had to be better if they are to compete with the semi final clubs.
The Pride coughed up a 12-0 halftime lead to draw 12-12 with the Capras on Sunday, and while they earned a competition point, they surrendered the chance to grab a crucial, confidence-building win to cement their place in the top eight.
As it stands, they’re sixth, but could slip out of the top half of the league with one loss.
The Pride was resolute in defence as the 15-man Capras peppered the line, but they failed to take advantage of their injury-hit, short-staffed opponents and the opportunities they had to score more points.
Julian Christian puts on a strong run in the Hostplus Cup clash with the Capras at Barlow Park. Picture: Brendan Radke
Williams said his side just had to be better.
“We did a good job to keep it at that I thought,” he said.
“The key thing for us was that when we got opportunities down there, we weren’t patient enough.
“We had to win it on scramble efforts, like Dan Hindmarsh running 80 metres to run a winger down, then coming across to make another tackle.
“Little things like that … it’s not that we’re frustrated with it, but our standards are higher than that, and we won’t accept 12-all because of being impatient.
“We need to be better.”
The Pride had plenty of chances to score points in the first half but converted just two into points, with Evan Child strolling through the line and Jaymon Moore pouncing over from dummy-half to give the home side a 12-0 lead after 26 minutes.
But they didn’t trouble the scorers again, with the Capras striking twice in the six minutes after the main break – costly slip-ups in a crucial period.
Will Partridge runs the ball. Picture: Brendan Radke
“The first 15 minutes after halftime were so important to us,” Williams said.
“But then, poor kick-off, first tackle they go 25-30 metres already … In one carry, momentum can swing to them because they’re so big.”
The Capras dominated the next few minutes, which included ill discipline, defensive errors and poor defensive reads which triggered Williams.
“I’ve seen it several times and we need to be better,” he said.
“I’ve held the players accountable in regards to what they accept at training.”
With the stalemate, the Pride also let go an opportunity to defeat a top eight side for the first time this year.
They were 0-4 against teams in the top eight, with losses to Capras, Wynnum-Manly, Norths Devils and Souths Logan Magpies, a fact questioned by the QRL’s commentary team.
But Williams said it’s not something he looked at too closely.
“Nah, well I don’t anyway,” Williams said.
“We just have to play, and I scout and coach on the opposition in front of us.
“Our history, we’ve been very good at dropping points to the lower teams but we’ve banked them this year.
“I’m not fazed by what the commentators say, I don’t think they have a clue to be honest.
“That’s their opinion … I don’t really care.”
The Pride will hit the road to Townsville this week as they aim for a sweep of a Blackhawks side who will be desperate to win and get their season on track.
Northern Pride captain Chris Ostwald leads out his team onto Barlow Park in his 100th Queensland Rugby League match. Picture: Brendan Radke
MATCH WRAP
If this was a test of the Northern Pride’s right to be considered a finals threat, there’s still a way for the Cairns club to go.
The Pride coughed up a 12-0 halftime lead to draw 12-12 with the 15-man Capras at Barlow Park, and with it an opportunity to prove without a shadow of a doubt they are a top team in this Hostplus Cup.
The home side was 0-3 against teams in the top eight heading into the weekend, with four of their seven wins coming against the bottom three sides.
The Capras started the season as the team to beat, going through their first seven games unbeaten, but have slid down the ladder after winning just one of their past five.
After leading 12-0 at halftime this shaped as a chance for the Pride to silence the doubters, but they fumbled it in an display coach Ty Williams said was unacceptable at this time of the season.
“I hold the players accountable as to what they accept at training … for us moving forward, it’s important, if we want to compete with these teams,” he said. “They’re a good football team. 12-all today, it probably could’ve been better.”
While displaying tough, resolute defence to hold out a resurgent Capras, they failed to take advantage of the wounded visitors, who lost Oliver Gildart and Samuel Yegip to injuries.
GONE IN 480 SECONDS
The Pride defended like champions to build a 12-0 lead at halftime as they repelled the misfiring Capras throughout the first 40 minutes.
It was gone in under eight minutes.
Regardless of how clunky the Capras were in attack, the Pride had done all the hard work through the first half to put themselves in a strong position to secure a third straight win, only to put themselves back under pressure almost immediately.
LETHAL LEFT
The two leading tryscorers live on the left edge so it’s no wonder that’s where the Pride sought a breakthrough.
Second-rower Ewan Moore has crossed for 10 tries while winger Will Partridge has five tries after missing several games through injury.
Five-eighth Evan Child is part of that edge, but it was under the sticks he grabbed the fourth – and easiest – of the season, strolling through the line and punishing the Capras for not playing to the whistle.
Child had an unlikely chance to win it in the shadow of fulltime, but his 40-plus metre field goal attempt sailed just under the crossbar.
MILESTONE MAN
It might have been his 100th Hostplus Cup game but Chris Ostwald had to cool his jets on the sideline before he made the milestone official.
There were a couple of false starts as Ostwald paced the sideline on occasion, but he finally entered the fray in the 25th minute to a welcome response from the crowd.
Not everything went to plan in his first game since he suffered a MCL tear a month ago, typified by a huge Kurt Donoghue shot on a sideways-running Ostwald dislodging the ball as the Pride threatened to extend the lead.
But that was the worst of it, as Ostwald delivered his trademark leadership, vision and tough defence in an “up-and-down” 40-minute stint.
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