Sport
1 February, 2023
Yowies reach quarter-finals at 9PL
The Kilcoy Yowies put their best foot forward as they reached the finals series in the inaugural Nines Premier League (9PL) tournament at Robina last Saturday.
With the Yowies not having played rugby league at all for a few years, the new-look team had a three-point win over hosts the Raptors and followed up with a six-point win over the Rochedale Tigers, before going down to the Port City Breakers.
These results enabled the Yowies to finish fifth out of the 12 teams, before they bowed out with a loss to the fourth- placed Mix and Match.
Kilcoy came from behind to beat the Raptors, before achieving back-to-back wins despite having two tries disallowed against Rochedale.
Yowies coach Anthony Longbottom later said the result against Port City could have been different had Kilcoy not had a couple of player withdrawals, but he said the Yowies still had enough opportunities.
Longbottom also said the result against Mix and Match could have gone either way.
“A few little things didn’t go our way,” he said.
Longbottom was not at all disappointed in any case as he said “it was an awesome hit- out” and that “the crowd got behind us”.
“I was particularly proud of their achievement,” he said.
“I said to expect the unexpected, and that’s what we got.”
Longbottom said the Yowies played backyard football and scored some memorable tries just like he anticipated, and that “we had some massive hits out there”.
“It’s a credit to the Yowies and the community that we’ve got a team like what we’ve got,” he said.
Logan Manwaring was named most valuable player (MVP) for the Yowies, while Steele Hanton also earned ample credit from his coach, considering Hanton had never played before.
“He excelled, particularly with the way he tackled,” Longbottom said of Hanton.
“It was like he’d played for years.”
Longbottom said the Yowies would “always go down fighting, no matter what” and that they had a lot of belief and team spirit.
Although the 9PL matches contained only nine-minute halves and nine players per team, Longbottom said he thought the Yowies could give the competition “a hell of a shake” in the season proper when they compete in the Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League (SCGRL).
Longbottom indicated the Yowies would have a trial match or two in the lead-up to the SCGRL season proper.
For the record, the Southern Sharks beat Port City in the 9PL competition decider while the other clubs that took part on the day were Kilcoy, Robina Raptors, Rochedale Tigers, Mix and Match, Srama RLR, 9ER Clique, Aim All Stars, Currumbin Barbarians, Lynkz Panthers, and Highfields Eagles.
