Brahmans Battle Brothers To Mixed Results

Whitsunday Brahmans travelled away to face off against three Mackay Brothers sides last Saturday in their round twelve fixtures.

The Under 20s kicked off first in the match ups, in a game that Coach Trevor Nosworthy said was a “disappointing result overall.”

“A much improved first half defensive effort into the wind kept the scores level at half time,” Nosworthy said.

“Against a 12-man Brothers outfit and with breeze at their backs, the boys attacking option were at times poor in the second half.

“The team now has two byes to finish the season. The side has every opportunity to play deep into the finals. With a strong training presence over the coming weeks and effort to individual pregame preparations it will happen.”

The U20s game finished 16-14 – the closest match of the day.

Reserve Grade were up next and suffered a battering at the hands of a strong Brothers side.

Coach Matt Court said it was a familiar feeling for his undermanned reserve grade team.

Court is echoing the same comments weekly: “the same as usual we can’t compete for the full 80mins,” he said.

“We can match it with any team skill wise in the comp but we always end up self-destructing and going away from doing the simple one percenters.

“When we play good footy, we put points on easy, but then that change in our game which happens every week we start going downhill doing silly decisions and giving away silly penalties and losing our discipline.

“We dig a deep hole for ourselves and by then we can’t get ourselves out and it’s too late - we have lost the game.”

The Reserve Grade finished 66-4.

The A Grade side were the only smiling faces come the end of the Mackay trip.

Coach Ricky Bourke said they built from last game with “grit and determination in defence which set a great platform against the fourth placed Brothers.”

“The ‘next man up’ theme has started to really kick in with eight new players from last week, including four players backing up from 20s,” he said.

“We are also starting to find some real combinations after a mid-year switch of positions and are really set for a late season run with a number of main stay players still to return from injury.”

Man of the Match went to Adam Crear, chalking up his second try of the afternoon – a spectacular effort.

The travelling side won 10-16.

Brahmans are at home for the final match of the season. Both Reserve and A grade will play this weekend against Carltons, starting 4.30pm with Ressies and 6.30pm A grade.

The side will host its Inaugural Bullshit Bingo at the event, with $100 dollar entry per bingo square and whichever square a cow poos on wins the $5 thousand in cash.

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