Roosters Wins, Losses And Family Fundraiser

Four points was the difference in the Burdekin Roosters’ chance of a clean sweep over the Herbert River Crushers in Ingham last Saturday.

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The under 19s opened the day strongly, finishing with a dominant second half to record a 44–16 win. The reserves, however, led 22–4 at halftime before falling away in a dramatic 32–28 loss. A Grade closed the day with a composed 26–18 victory, leading from start to finish.

Coach Steve Lansley praised the A Grade side for continuing their strong away form, claiming a third straight win built on disciplined attack and solid defence. The Roosters raced to an early lead, built a 16-point buffer, and held firm under second-half pressure as the Crushers mounted a comeback.

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Standouts included Cooper Fletcher (front row), Jake O’Brien (centre) and Nemia Nawave (second row), who led through work rate and impact. Terry Connors crossed twice, with further tries to Tamu Rupena, Adam Cameron and O’Brien. Jye Olsen added two goals.

Attention now turns to Old Boys Day this weekend, where the Roosters host Brothers in a major clash. A Grade face second-placed Brothers at 6pm after earlier under 19 and reserve grade matches.

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Reserve grade produced a game of two halves. The Roosters led 22–4 at the break after strong attacking football, but conceded early in the second half as momentum swung to the Crushers.

Herbert River eventually took the lead late, before hooker Ron Geia scored to put the Roosters back in front, with Dylan Doak converting. However, the Crushers struck in the final minute to snatch a 32–28 win.

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Coach Peter Horan was disappointed, saying the side “forgot about defence” after halftime. Best players included Ron Geia, Harvey Horan, Kane Dyne, Kurtis Cox and Calem Saxby. Cox scored two tries, Doak two, with one each to Geia and Llama Ghee. Doak kicked two goals.

The under 19s overcame a slow, physical first half to trail 16–10 at the break before completely dominating the second half, running in 34 unanswered points to win 44–16.

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Coach Alf Cantarella urged his side to use width and speed, with centre Kirk Viero exploiting space to score three tries. Hooker Jack Power controlled the ruck and also crossed, while Chad Fraser guided the attack and kicked five goals.

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Other try scorers included Tyreece Trindle (2), Riley Smith, Jack Power and Brody Scrivener, with K.J. Zaro also adding a goal-kicking contribution.

Recently, the Davenport family—Ryan and Holly and their three children—received devastating news regarding the health of their two-year-old son, Rowen.

Ryan has been a Rooster for some 25 years, rising to A Grade captain, while his parents John and Jean have held positions at the club for several seasons, with John a life member. Holly’s family, Rick and Leanne Gudge, have also been part of the Roosters community for many years.

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This Saturday, at the conclusion of the A Grade game, a giant auction will be held featuring a number of jerseys, including every Queensland NRL team jersey and Maroons jerseys, all signed, as well as others such as South Sydney and Parramatta.

The club hopes to raise a significant amount of money to support the Davenport family, as expenses are expected to be substantial.

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Contributed by Brian Carnes

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