Sport
10 April, 2024
Yowies, Stags can’t be split as season kicks off
Honours were shared at Hopetoun Sports Fields last Saturday, as the Kilcoy Yowies and Mary Valley Stags had a 16-all draw in round one of the Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League (SCGRL) C grade season.
The Yowies recognised life members Pat and Denis Bleakley before play began.
The game never reached any great heights as there were numerous penalties and handling errors, while the scoreline remained tight.
Luke Carseldine and Ratu Ravai produced some brilliant tackles for Kilcoy while stand-in captain Steele Hanton led from the front.
Suepasi Pelesa, Marika Tamanidrove and Ross Delaiverata also had some good moments.
Tamanidrove set up the first try as he broke through a gap and sent Hanton running to the tryline.
Pelesa converted the try, before Mary Valley’s Dan Burnett scored an unconverted try.
The Yowies led 12-4 after Keverieli Waqa scurried away for a long range try, before a penalty goal to the Stags narrowed the margin to six points at half-time. Kilcoy’s No. 9 was unluckily sent to the sin bin just before half-time, and then Mary Valley levelled the score in the second half.
The Yowies were again a player short as their No. 6 was sent to the sin bin, and then the Stags hit the lead with a try to Tom Wheeler.
The tide turned as Mary Valley’s No. 6 was sin-binned, and then Kilcoy’s Sekove Serevi levelled the score with a try.
There was no change to the score in the final 14 minutes.
A field goal attempt from the Yowies went astray in the late stages, but there had been many other decisive moments.
“I think if we could’ve held the ball a bit (better), there was more points in us,” Hanton said.
“But (there were) a few silly errors, you know, losing the ball in the tackle and handing it over to them.”
Hanton said the Yowies had a platform to build on after a strong finish last year, despite missing the play-off s.
“We’ve just got to get a few little things right,” he said. Earlier, Yandina beat Beachmere 18-4 after an injured player left in an ambulance.
This Saturday, the Yowies trek to Beachmere to contest Palmwoods which is coming off a loss.
