Norths captain Kierran Moseley warned against over-reacting to yesterday’s thumping Hostplus Cup win over premiers Brisbane Tigers on a Mothers’ Day clash that ended one hoodoo and brought a favourite son back to Bishop Park.
The Devils’ 62-16 win over the Tigers established the club’s largest winning margin since 2019 when Herbie Farnworth scored 34 points in a 62-14 demolition of Northern Pride in Cairns.
The result was unexpected because the Tigers and Devils have traded one of the strangest statistics in the competition’s history.
The home team hasn’t won a clash between the teams since 2012 when Norths were too good at Bishop Park.
But the curse was cooked at halftime yesterday when the Devils, wearing special road safety awareness jerseys for valued sponsor Altus Traffic, led 46-0 after eight tries that enabled coach Dave Elliott to not spend an interchange before the break.
The highlights kept coming for Devils fans when two-time premiership captain Jack Ahearn returned from retirement, taking the field from the interchange bench in the 58th minute to huge applause.
Moseley praised the cohesion that drove the Devils’ attack but highlighted a second-half period when the Tigers scored three tries in 13 minutes.
“That was a good win but we still have to recognise that there were patches when we weren’t as good as we would have liked,” Moseley said.
“But that was the first time this season we have won consecutive games. It’s good to do that and now we have to get ready for next week.”
Moseley was as dangerous as always, driving the Devils pack down field for a points onslaught that included try-scoring doubles to Oryn Keeley, Cooper Jenkins and Manase Kaho.
Julian Christian opened the scoring in the third minute while five-eighth Gerome Burns summed up the Tigers’ day when he blunted their attacking raid with a 90-metre intercept try in the 29th minute. Burns finished the match with 22 points.
The Devils scored the last two tries of the match including Eddie Blacker’s storming charge to the line to cross in the tackle of three defenders.
Two of the tries came from pinpoint kicks – halfback Jack Wright’s grubber that bounced perfectly for Jordan Lipp and backrower Jeremiah Simbiken’s excellent kick for Kaho’s second try.
Coach Elliott singled out his team’s defence after the match which pushed Norths into third place on the ladder with the best defensive record in the league.
“We really want to keep focusing on our defence and we did that well despite a little stumble in the second half,” Elliott said.
“The Tigers are a very good team and they’re the premiers so they have earned that title.
“We have another important game next weekend so we’ll start to focus on that.”
Ahearn was excited to return to the Devils, earning an immediate recall after training with the squad for two weeks.
“It was just a lot of fun to be back out there and playing footy for Norths again,” Ahearn said.
“There are some new players from when I last played [last season] and it’s exciting to play with them and to see the level they’re bringing to the squad.”
The Devils are at home again on Saturday, taking on Townsville Blackhawks at Bishop Park at 4pm.
NORTHS DEVILS 62 (Cooper Jenkins 2, Oryn Keeley 2, Manase Kaho 2, Julian Christian, Blake Paskins, Gerome Burns, Jordan Lipp, Eddie Blacker tries, Burns 9 goals) bt BRISBANE TIGERS 16 (Max Lehmann 2, Tom McGrath tries, Jack Miers goal, Tristan Hope goal) at Bishop Park.
Photo by Alan Drinnen
