Norths will emerge from their mid-season hibernation at the top of the Hostplus Cup ladder but with a determination to improve on the first half of their season.
The Devils have been allocated two consecutive byes, meaning they haven’t played since their 50-16 win over the Jets at Ipswich on May 26.
That was the Devils’ fourth consecutive win and left them with the best defensive record in the competition and three points shy of the best attacking record.
The points differential has enabled the Devils to sit atop a tight table – Norths, Northern Pride and Wynnum Manly are on 20 points ahead of Burleigh on 18.
Tweed Seagulls sit in eighth place on 14 points ahead of their visit to Bishop Park next Sunday 16 June for the resumption of the Devils’ season.
The Devils gave their players a short break over the last fortnight after an opposed session against the Maroons before the State of Origin series opener.
“That session came at a good time for us because we were trying to work our way through a break of two weekends without football midway through the season,” Devils coach Dave Elliott said.
“We’ve had a chance to refresh and we go into our next game knowing that we don’t have any byes for the rest of the season. But we’re ready to go and we’re looking forward to it.”
The Devils have hit halfway with a team that looks very different to 2023.
Elliott has handed Norths debuts to 15 players this season while two-time premiership captain Jack Ahearn returned from retirement for the last three matches before the break.
Ahearn was back in the starting team at Ipswich when his halves partner Gerome Burns extended his lead in the Queensland Rugby League’s Petero Civoniceva Medal count with a dominant haul of 26 points from three tries and seven conversions.
Burns also leads the points-scoring race in the Hostplus Cup.
The Devils crossed nine times in an even team showing jolted by Ipswich’s two tries in three minutes midway through the second half.
Backrower Sam Elliott steadied the Devils with a determined try a few minutes later, charging over from short range to enable the visitors to move clear.
The Devils had two tries on the board in the first nine minutes of the match through lock Mason Teague’s excellent line off captain Kierran Moseley’s dummy-half pass.
Jordan Lipp keeps scoring tries – he leads the competition with 11 – and he found the line again when he snatched Ahearn’s cut-out pass and touched down amid Jets defenders.
Manase Kaho is one try behind Lipp on the tally this season and his try late in the first half off the back of Campbell Duffy and Julian Christian’s work showcased his skill.
The second half included two tries from winger Blake Paskins and two from Burns to finish the game.
The Devils face Tweed at home next Sunday on a day that will feature affiliate club Wests playing the curtain-raiser in their Brisbane Rugby League clash with Bulimba.
The Devils then hit the road to meet Souths Logan and Townsville in consecutive weeks before consecutive Sunday afternoon home games against PNG Hunters and Redcliffe Dolphins.
Six of the Devils’ last nine matches are against teams currently in the top eight.
