A horror six-week stretch with five games against teams in the FNQRL A-grade top six will determine Tully’s future.
The Tigers travel to Stan Williams Park on Sunday afternoon to face third-placed Brothers (watch it live here) in the first of five tough clashes over six rounds, with games against Kangaroos (1st), Mossman-Port Douglas (2nd), Ivanhoes (5th) and Innisfail (4th) to come.
The other game, against a rapidly improving Edmonton, won’t be a gimme either with both clubs keen to make an impact on the top six.
Tully’s Baptiste Fabre in the FNQRL A-grade match against Innisfail. Picture: Brendan Radke
Tigers co-coach Cameron Miller hit the nail on the head, but there was no backing down from the challenge.
“The next five weeks will determine the season for us,” said Miller, who co-coaches alongside Col Wilkie.
“You have to beat the teams in front of you if you want to play finals.
“The challenge is there for us, it’s going to be tough.”
Tully snapped a two-game slide with a 62-26 win against Southern Suburbs.
Their attack fired against the Cockatoos as they ran in 12 tries, with doubles for Baptiste Fabre, Daley Rata-Makene and Cohen Emmi, but Miller was concerned about their consistency without the footy after Suburbs scored six tries of their own.
Phil Nona runs the ball for the Tigers. Picture: Brendan Radke
“We had a good win but there’s questions about our defensive consistency,” he said.
“We’re looking all right for this weekend, there’s some injury clouds on a few players but we’re excited for the game.
“We see them as the benchmark of the league, they have a big pack so we need to start well.
“Jordan (Biondi-Odo) is class at halfback, they’ve got some great forwards with George Burgess and Joey (Ratuvakacereivalu).”
Kangaroos will be without Eddie Daniel and Tui Lowah for the trip to Innisfail for a massive clash with finals contenders Innisfail.
Kangaroos fell to Yarrabah 37-36, and coach Jared Allen is keen to see his side bounce back.
“We had a tough loss last week so the boys are keen to get out there,” Allen said.
“Innisfail is a tough team so it’s a good challenge for us.
“We didn’t play with a lot of energy until the back end of the game … we were able to come back but couldn’t do enough in the end, just gave them too many points early.”
Huirama making No.9 jersey his own
Innisfail v Kangaroos at Callendar Park
Innisfail hooker Tamati Huirama is making the Leprechauns’ No. 9 jersey his own in the club’s first campaign since the retirement of a legend.
Robert Haren was the Leprechauns’ long-serving rake until his decision to hang up the boots at the end of last season, with Huirama the man Innisfail turned to to succeed the legend.
It’s an unenviable task stepping into the shoes of a man who was among the first picked on Innisfail teamsheets for the best part of a decade, but Huirama is starting to make his mark on the Leprechauns.
Huirama’s growing confidence at the position, plus the blossoming halves partnership between representative utility Aaron Jolley and Michael Morton, another long-term Leprechun, has made life for Innisfail coach Leon Hallie a tad easier as they overcame a slow start to the 2023 campaign to march to fourth on the A-grade competition ladder.
Tamati Huirama is tackled by the Yarrabah Seahawks during the 2021 Cairns District Rugby League grand final. Picture: Emily Barker
Huirama worked closely with Haren in recent years, and Hallie said he was now making his mark as the Leprechauns found their groove.
“He’s starting to find his place there at the nine,” Hallie said. “But he’s a different player to Rob.
“He was his understudy for years so he learned a lot from him, but Rob wasn’t as quick out of dummy half and was a very good organiser.
“T’s taken a little while to find his place. He’s a different style of player – he’s got a bit of everything.
“He’s strong defender, which probably goes unnoticed a lot of the time, and has a really good running game, especially close to the line.”
Retired Innisfail hooker Rod Haren. Picture: Brendan R<span id=”U721699274091roH”>adke</span>
Huirama has crossed for three tries this season, and Kangaroos’ goal line defence will have to be at their best to ensure he doesn’t add to that tally when they meet at Callendar Park on Saturday night.
Kangaroos are coming off a dramatic 37-36 loss to Yarrabah at Vico Oval, and while they maintained their spot atop the table after Mareeba’s shock win against Mossman-Port Douglas, they are now the head of a three-way tie.
But they will need to produce their best against a rested Innisfail team coming off the bye and a good win the week prior against Atherton.
Innisfail’s Tomasi Skelton in theFNQRL A-grade match between the Innisfail Leprechauns and the Tully Tigers, held at Callendar Park, Innisfail. Picture: Brendan Radke
Not only is Huirama the primary dummy half of a tremendously powerful forward pack spearheaded by the likes of Tomasi Skelton, Graham and James Clark, young gun Jason Hallie and captain Johann Turner, but they are being steered around the park by the increasingly confident duo of Jolley and Morton.
Jolley has long been a dynamic ballplayer with speed, vision and a solid kicking game.
Morton’s goalkicking has been enormous too, with the halfback leading the league with 86 points – all of which came from his trusty right boot.
“They’re going good, they’re getting better with every week as they develop their roles and work with each other,” Hallie said. “They are among the most committed players in our squad, they both will do anything for the team.”
Kick-off is at 6pm.
Edmonton Storm v Southern Suburbs at Petersen Park, Edmonton.
The Storm will welcome Southern Suburbs to Petersen Park in the FNQRL’s south Cairns derby on Saturday as they strive to keep touch with the top six.
Edmonton overcame Atherton 30-24 at Petersen Park last week, with Sterling Addo-Nona scoring two of his side’s six tries.
They host an improving Suburbs side chasing a breakthrough win, and must be at their best to repel a strengthening Cockatoos outfit.
SUNDAY
Yarrabah Seahawks v Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks at Jilara Oval.
They are wounded, and were last week beaten by a side sitting far lower on the FNQRL A-grade ladder, but Mossman-Port Douglas will travel to Yarrabah intent on bouncing back.
The Sharks were shocked by the Gladiators at Davies Park last week, with Mareeba running out shock 38-28 winners in the KommunityTV Match of the Round.
Injured player-coach Davin Crampton, who is still a few weeks from making his return, could only watch as three players suffered game-ending injuries and Mareeba surged to a famous win.
He said his side would take plenty of lessons out of the “learning phase”, a loss which has them now in a three-way tie atop the table.
“It’s one of those things, if you’re not prepared to go toe-to-toe with all of these teams, one of them will make us pay,” Crampton said.
“We don’t call it a loss, it’s a learning phase, so we’ll take this good learning phase and we’ll definitely bounce back against Yarrabah.
“I was waiting for a loss. There’s a lot of lessons that can come with it, and I’m very glad it happened early.
“But it’s a big learning curve.”
Mossman-Port Douglas will make the long trip to Yarrabah on Sunday for what shapes as a mouth-water clash with a Yarrabah side flying high after a dramatic one-point win against Kangaroos.
Yarrabah ran in seven tries, with a double to star hooker Ammiel Harris, while Charles Murgha’s first-half field goal proved the difference.
The Seahawks have won three of their past four, but triumphed just once in front of their home fans at Jilara Oval.
The Brian Murgha-coached side is in a three-way tie for fourth, just one win behind the league-leading trio in one of the tightest mid-season tables in recent history.
Ivanhoes v Mareeba Gladiators at Smithfield Sporting Complex.
Ivanhoes will need to overcome an ethusiastic and confident Mareeba riding a three-game winning run if they are to maintain their spot in the top six.
The Knights have dropped two of their past three games, and will seek a return to form when they host the Gladiators on Sunday.
Mareeba are flying at the minute, with last week’s 38-28 win over Mossman-Port Douglas adding plenty of confidence to the young side.
They face off on Sunday.
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