Easts Tigers d Northern Pride 40-22
After three months on the sidelines, Scott Drinkwater made a triumphant return to the Intrust Super Cup on Saturday, helping Easts Tigers to a win over Northern Pride at Suzuki Stadium.
Having slipped down the ladder after three consecutive losses, the Tigers side was bolstered by both Drinkwater and Albie Vete, returning from a torn pec (12 weeks) and shoulder injury (four weeks) respectively.
The first 70 minutes of the game was a seesawing contest, with the lead changing hands several times.
Easts capitalised on a tired Pride defence in the final 10 minutes of the match - scoring three tries to seal the win.
Tigers coach Scott Sipple rated Vete as one of his standout players on Saturday.
Not only was he punishing in defence all day, his sheer determination in attack came to fruition in the 24th minute.
Somehow, with Pride defenders surrounding him, Vete pushed through and managed to get himself low enough to ground the ball for the Tigers’ second try.
Drinky returned to his usual form and was involved in everything.
He made an impressive break to put five-eighth Josh Ralph over the try line and later directed play on the edge to allow winger Matt Cooper to score and put the game out of Pride’s reach.
The young gun will no doubt continue to push for first grade selection.
Easts face Burleigh Bears on Sunday.
Sunshine Coast Falcons d Burleigh Bears 32-16
Sunshine Coast Falcons continued their incredible start to the season, beating the previously second-placed Burleigh Bears 32-16 for their 12th straight victory.
In a brutally physical game, the clinical execution of the Falcons came to the fore as they ran in five tries against a Bears team who had the competition’s best defensive numbers coming into the contest.
Harry Grant took advantage of his forwards' good work to produce a masterclass at dummy half.
The Bears started nervously with an error in their first possession and Sunshine Coast made them pay - Nicho Hynes strolled over from dummy half in the third minute to score the opening try.
The game settled into an arm wrestle from there, with both sets of forwards producing ferocious defence.
Shortly after the break the home side took the lead out to 20-0, with Tino Faasuamaleaui going over near the posts from close range.
Any hope the Bears had for a miracle comeback was snuffed out by a Falcons team intent on making a statement, as Daniel Dole went over off a lovely short ball by Cooper Johns in the 64th minute.
A trick shot banana kick by Johns rolled around in the in-goal before being put down by Murphy in the 75th minute, while the Bears grabbed a consolation try in the final 60 seconds of the match.
The Falcons will face Tweed Seagulls on Sunday.
