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Sport

9 September, 2019

Roosters hitting their straps at the right time

THE Atherton Roosters AGrade side secured their spot in the Cairns District Rugby League qualifying final after a 32-26 victory over the Yarrabah Seahawks at Barlow Park on Sunday afternoon.

By Rhys Thomas

Roosters hitting their straps at the right time - feature photo

THE Atherton Roosters AGrade side secured their spot in the Cairns District Rugby League qualifying final after a 32-26 victory over the Yarrabah Seahawks at Barlow Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Roosters got off to a great start as they jumped out to an 18-0 lead courtesy of tries to James Coyle, Tyson Burchell and Anthony Curcio.

Their lead wasn’t safe however, as Yarrabah’s ability to score points in bunches at a rapid rate ensured they were dangerous from start to finish, and they were able to hit back with two quick tries to CDRL legend Steve Singleton and Steven Stafford.

The half-time break proved to be a welcome reprieve for the Atherton outfit as it halted Yarrabah’s momentum, and the Roosters made sure they took advantage by scoring two early tries in the second half to set up an almost unassailable lead for the Seahawks.

While Yarrabah did well to get back into the game, their 18 point deficits on two separate occasions proved too difficult to overcome and they eventually went down 32-26.

The Roosters’ win sets up a mouth-watering clash with defending premiers the Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks, who were defeated 32-26 by the Innisfail Leprechauns. Mossman will be a tough game for Atherton, as their speed and skill will surely provide plenty of match-up nightmares for Roosters coach Graham Clark Snr.

Unfortunately for the club the A-Grade side were the only Roosters team to win on the weekend, as Reserve Grade lost another close one to Brothers (32-28), while U18s went down 46-24 to a very strong Brothers outfit.

The A-Grade qualifying final between the Atherton Roosters and the Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks will be at Barlow Park this Sunday.

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