The Kaiviti Silktails rugby league team are already back home in Fiji, after their season was ended early for a second straight year because of Covid-19.
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The Cutters are standing by a bold selection move ahead of the Wynnum clash on Saturday, with captain Ross Bella to start on the bench.
Bella has come off the bench the past two rounds in the Intrust Super Cup and despite playing well he has not been brought back into Mackay’s starting line-up.
Cutters coach Michael Crawley said Bella’s last two weeks had been his best for the season.
“The couple of games that Ross has had off the bench have been his best games of the year, and I think it’s working for him at the moment,” Crawley said.
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The CQ Capras under-18s can lay claim to a proud boast, becoming the first team in the clubâs history to finish on top of a QRL statewide competition ladder at the end of the regular season.
Coach Kane Hardy said it was the resilience and hard work of the players that had been instrumental in their march to the Mal Meninga Cup semi-finals.
The Capras were unbeaten in their six games in Pool B, piling on 244 points and conceding just 50 to finish on top of the ladder in the 15-team competition.
They will take on the winners of Pool A, the Townsville Blackhawks, in what promises to be an epic semi showdown at 3.30pm Saturday in Brisbane.
QRL Managing Director Robert Moore said the round was shaping up to be one of the highlights of the season.
“We’re grateful to the Queensland Government for its sponsorship and support of this initiative, as they share our passion for the game in rural and regional Queensland,” Mr Moore said.
“In my travels I’ve witnessed the excitement this event brings to regional communities, as well as our players and coaches who embrace the opportunity to travel far and wide to showcase their skills and engage with local fans.
“One of the best things about the round is the opportunity it provides for people to engage with game development officers, former rugby league greats and QRL directors and staff.”