Roosters Crash Back to Earth in A-Grade

It was compared to going from Old Gold chocolates to boiled lollies — the Burdekin Roosters went from a convincing win last week to a 64–10 thrashing at the hands of unbeaten Souths in Ayr on Sunday.

The Roosters were outclassed from the opening whistle, struggling to match Souths’ intensity and committing far too many errors to build any pressure. Poor execution and a lack of urgency cost them dearly, with Souths dominating field position and capitalising on every mistake.

Coach Steve Lansley said his side “never looked up for the challenge,” with a poor kicking game, defensive lapses, and little resistance in the middle compounding their problems.

Despite the result, a few players stood out. Tate Brombal worked hard in both attack and defence, while Colby Thompson toiled tirelessly in the middle, making strong carries and trying to inspire a turnaround. Their efforts, however, weren’t enough to stop the blowout.

With a tough clash against Brothers coming up this Saturday, Lansley says composure, urgency, and discipline will be key areas to address. Ball-handling and defensive errors also remain a major concern.

Meanwhile, Souths continue their unbeaten run and are shaping up as serious premiership contenders, while the Roosters are left searching for answers.

Tries: Lachlan Shepherd, Cohen Dittman
Goal: Joel Mason

RESERVES BATTLE TO BRAVE DRAW AGAINST SOUTHS

In an exciting reserve grade match, the Roosters and Souths fought out a 22-all draw in Ayr.

Despite a lopsided penalty count that saw the locals on the back foot — at one point trailing by 12 points — the young Roosters side, led by veterans Dylan Doak, John Zaro, and Caleb Noah, refused to back down.

They were forced to dig even deeper in the final 12 minutes when Caleb Noah was sent off for a high shot, followed shortly after by big forward Llama Ghee, who was sin-binned with under 10 minutes remaining.

Coach Peter Horan praised the team’s composure under pressure. “They were upset with some of the calls and the tactics by the opposition, but to a big extent kept their cool,” he said.

Horan said Caleb Noah was outstanding as a leader, supported strongly by Doak and Zaro. Younger players like Joey Southwell, Jack Rushton, and Kane Batchelor all took heavy hits but stood up to the challenge.

Keon Noah was voted Players’ Player for his solid effort.

Tries: Dylan Doak, Bokeem Reid, Joey Southwell, Caleb Noah
Goals: Dylan Doak (3)

BURDEKIN RIVER LADIES CONTINUE WINNING RUN

The Burdekin River women’s team recorded another strong win on Saturday, defeating Charters Towers 20–4 in Ingham.

Despite some wayward goal-kicking, the team scored four tries and converted two. Injured hooker Abby King praised the powerful trio of Martina Monday, Toni Daisy, and joint captain Paige Horvat, saying they caused plenty of problems for the Lady Miners’ defence.

Martina Monday was again named Players’ Player for her standout performance.

“It’s great to see the players from two different towns combining so well,” Abby added.

Tries: Joleen O’Neill (2), Toni Daisy, Paige Horvat
Goals: Rebeccah Pace, Martina Monday

WEEKEND RESULTS - TDRL ROUND-UP

A Grade:
Herbert River def Charters Towers 16–14
Souths def Burdekin 64–10
Brothers def Centrals 28–16
Western Lions def Norths 28–16

Reserve Grade:
Herbert River def Charters Towers 36–10
Burdekin drew with Souths 22–22
Western Lions def Norths 54–22
Brothers def Bowen 52–18
Centrals – Bye

Women’s Grade:
Burdekin River def Charters Towers 20–4
Brothers def Bowen 44–0
This Weekend – Round Preview

This Saturday in Ayr, the Roosters will host Brothers in both A Grade and Reserves.

Elsewhere:
Herbert River will host Centrals
Souths travel to Charters Towers
Western Lions and Norths have byes in A Grade
In Reserve Grade, Bowen will be visited by Norths

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