Two weeks ago the Carnarvon Grizzlies left Carrara Stadium with their season in tatters. At the wrong end of a 40-12 scoreline, the Grizzlies looked like they’d be missing the finals. But a minor miracle, brought about by a 36-14 thrashing of Parramatta, has them in a unique position. They’ve got a chance to pay back the Crusade, and move into the semi finals. And all they’ve got to do is somehow hold out the best attacking team in ASRL history, and somehow crack the side whose line has been hardest to cross all year. Sounds impossible. But with the likes of Iestyn Harris, cool-headed Jason Taylor, and junior freak- Graham Luana- anything can be done.
Gold Coast Crusade Carnarvon Grizzlies
1 Dennis Moran 1 Luke Patten
2 Tommy O'Reilly 2 Wendell Sailor
3 Matthew Gidley 3 Tevita Vaikona
4 Ryan Girdler 4 Tonie Carroll
5 Billy Slater 5 Iestyn Harris
6 Jonny Wilkinson 6 Matt Orford
7 Andrew Johns © 7 Jason Taylor ©
8 Luke Davico 8 Stuart Fielden
9 Danny Buderus 9 Brad Drew
10 Josh Perry 10 John Stankevich
11 Steve Simpson 11 Ian Hindmarsh
12 Tony Puletua 12 Hunter Tylerson
13 George Smith 13 Graham Luana
++Interchange
14 Phil Bailey 14 Jason King
15 Craig Gower 15 Damian Driscoll
16 Daniel Abraham 16 Danny Williams
17 Scott Sattler 17 Brenton Bowen
A capacity crowd roared as Andrew Johns got things underway, and only moments later they had something bigger to chear- Iestyn Harris taken over the sideline by the combined efforts of Ryan Girdler and Billy Slater. But the Grizzlies rallied on their line, repelling some intense pressure. No one could question Carnarvon’s intensity, their first set making sixty metres, and their next set in defence equally impressive. Fiery prop, Stuart Fielden, was penalised in the 3rd for his tiff with Josh Perry- the two youngsters exchanging blows in the middle of the field. Again Carnarvon proved able to hold their line.
The first try took only 7 minute, Luke Patten collecting a Johns bomb and embarking on a weaving run upfield. The resulting set of six had Carnarvon in great field position, and it was fitting that Graham Luana scored the opener. He converted his own effort, and the Grizzlies were doing everything right to lead 6-0 early. The kick-off proved equally dangerous for Gold Coast, Hunter Tylerson cutting through a feeble Moran tackle and rushing upfield. He tossed it out wide for former Crusader, Tevita Vaikona, who lost it in a classic covering tackle from Tony Puletua.
Then it was Carnarvon’s turn to handle some pressure. An eighty metre set was followed up with a pin-point grubber, which was fielded by Luke Patten. The Crusade defence came up in numbers, and the fullback was forced to ground it in goal. It was more of the same from the next set, Patten forced to bat a bomb over the dead in goal line for another set. Carnarvon put another question to Carnarvon, Tony Puletua rampaging over, only to be forced back by Vaikona. Three sets of six on their line, and Carnarvon were still defending grimly.
The pressure had to tell eventually, and when Patten turned from hero to villain after dropping the ball in his own end- it was routine for the Crusade. Dummy half darts from Buderus and Johns made easy metres, before Matthew Gidley embarked on one of his characteristic runs down the sideline. Sailor stayed out, expecting a flick-pass, but Gidley off-loaded inside instead- and Luke Davico crossed virtually untouched to score Gold Coast’s opener. Joey converted, and things were all tied up at 6 apiece in the 13th.
The next set of six could prove crucial, and Carnarvon came up with the right answer, Graham Luana meeting Andrew Johns, his player of the year comrade, and carrying the Aussie halfback into touch on the second tackle. The Grizzlies were fired up, but when Danny Buderus pulled a swift one to win the scrum against the feed, all of Luana’s good work was undone. Billy Slater caught a long Johns pass which had him in the clear, and managed to draw Patten before firing it out wide for Andrew Johns. The captain converted his own effort, and suddenly the Grizzlies were on the back foot, down 12-6.
It got worse. A lot worse. An attempted short kick-off had the undesired effect of putting Gold Coast right on the attack, and the tired Grizzlies weren’t able to provide any answers. The same dummy half running ploy had them running for cover, Ryan Girdler making an incisive run before grubbering ahead for himself. Patten should have had it covered, but tried to kick it dead instead of diving on it, and his miss allowed Girdler a gift try. Johns again converted, and in the 17th it was 18-6. Eighteen points had been scored in four minutes- and Carnarvon’s season was on life support.
Jason Taylor, in what could have been his last game, put a fire-cracker under his side under the posts, and their set of six from the kick-off was full of intensity. Stuart Fielden, off to Central if his side lost, was particularly fiery- almost knocking Luke Davico out of the park with a huge hit. The enthusiasm lead to a penalty for offside, and the Crusade were back on the attack. Another penalty came, and Johns waved away the chance for goal, instead taking a tap. The Grizzlies had all the answers in defence, even when Danny Buderus dived over he was forced back by gritty defence. Running it on the last, Ryan Girdler got outside his man, and found Steve Simpson calling for it. With only Iestyn Harris on him, the Kangaroo crashed over. Johns made Carnarvon’s night worse by converting the difficult kick, and it was 24-6.
The 26th minute gave Carnarvon an ideal chance, nay, an unmissable opportunity to get some more points on the board. Welsh freak, Iestyn Harris, was the catalyst- cutting through some lazy defence and putting some real pressure on Gold Coast’s line. Three tackles right there had the Crusade relying on sheer desperation, and they somehow repelled a dangerous assault.
The Crusade were their own worst enemies in the next few sets, trying to play enterprising football and only succeeding in turning the ball over. Where they messed up in offense, they made up in offense, each set in defence both stinging and clinical. When Matt Orford left the field with a nasty concussion courtesy of Craig Gower, the Grizzlies’ season was as good as gone- their lead play-maker now out of the match.
The 34th provided another window for Carnarvon, an intense set of six defensively on Gold Coast’s line not only forced the minor premiers to lose ground- but Matt Gidley dropped it cold. Six tackles only five out proved telling, and Hunter Tylerson crashed over for Carnarvon’s second. Justin Hoy took it up to the video ref to check the grounding, and it was revealed the American sensation had lost it in Moran’s tackle. Half-time came shortly after, Gold Coast in a commanding position at 24-6 up.
HALFTIME: Gold Coast 24 lead Carnarvon 6
Coach Walker-Bush was clearly not happy with an eighteen point lead at the break, firing his side up at halftime and making sure they came out ready to not only play, but to murder a side. It took only five minutes of the second half for the Crusade to deliver another blow. Mid-field maestro, Andrew Johns, was again given a gift try- this time by the natural flair and speed of Girdler- who was blossoming against his former club. Johns had the foresight to follow Girdler on another of his many breaks, and was rewarded with a short ball that put him around Sailor. 30-6.
Carnarvon’s season was over save for Gold Coast making an enormous mistake. And although the Crusade were guilty of some stupid handling errors- they didn’t rest on their laurels. A penalty had them fifteen out and in familiar territory, and this time it was young Billy Slater scoring, showing plenty of speed and skill to get around Jason Taylor and score a scintillating solo try. Johns again converted, and it was looking embarassing at 36-6 in favour of the home side.
Carnarvon proved their own worst enemies, conceding stupid penalties through their young forwards, or knocking it on in good field position. Even the usually faultless Jason Taylor was guilty of some stupid errors, dropping it cold after Carroll had done all the hard work of putting him into a half gap.
Luke Davico was robbed of a second try in the 61st, the video referee calling a shepherd against George Smith in what looked like a legitimate piece of decoy running. Steve Simpson avenged his forward comrade only a minute lately, running onto a Buderus pass at speed and monstering his way across the line. Johns was again faultless with the boot, and the Crusade were up 42-6. They had equalled Wellington’s thrashing of Manly in last year’s semi finals- and one more point would give them the new record for the biggest win in finals history.
The record finally came when Stuart Fielden’s day ended with his sin-binning for a lifting tackle on Jonny Wilkinson. The penalty again had the Crusade on the line, and Daniel Abraham strolled over past some wanting defence to make it 46-6. Johns put the final nail on Carnarvon’s coffin, and the 48-6 win was etched into the record books.
It was fitting that Carnarvon finished the game ended with another blown chance by the Grizzlies. Tylerson ended his Carnarvon career with a promising break, and it was ended with a Vaikona error- the big Kiwi dropping it cold after stepping around Slater.
FULLTIME
Gold Coast 48
Ryan Girdler
Billy Slater
Andrew Johns 2
Steve Simpson 2
Luke Davico
Daniel Abraham
Johns 8/8
def.
Carnarvon
Graham Luana
Luana 1/1
PoM Points
Ryan Girdler 3
Andrew Johns 2
Matthew Gidley 1
Bloody hell.
After the way Vaikona played today, I'm glad he's leaving.
