QCup Rd 17 Redcliffe 22 Sunshine Coast 8

by NRL

Dolphins kept their minor premiership aspirations alive on Sunday, escaping a sodden Yowie Park with a 22-8 victory over the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles.

Playing in front of a big crowd in Kilcoy as part of Country Week, the Dolphins scored 10 points in the final four minutes to seal their 14th win of the season.

The Dolphins got off to a superb start, with Delroy Berryman finishing a Joe Bond grubber to open the scoring in just the fifth minute. Liam Georgetown defied the breeze, sneaking his conversion over the crossbar for a 6-0 lead.

Sunshine Coast hit back five minutes later, when centre Mitch Buckett used his size and strength to overpower three defenders to score.

Dolphins' halfback Luke Capewell came off second best attempting to stop the try, leaving the field moments later and not returning.

Redcliffe continued the scoring in the 16th minute, when second-rower Derrick Watkins capitalised on a great short ball from Tom Murphy to score. Georgetown added the extras to give his side a 12-4 lead, which it would remain well into the second half.

The intensity lifted throughout the game, with both sides coming up with several bone-rattling hits.

Unfortunately, the error rate lifted as well, with both sides finding it difficult to hold the football in the slippery conditions.

It took until the 71st minute for any team to cross, with quick hands across the Sea Eagles attack finding fullback Hughie Stanley, who grubbered ahead for Buckett to grab his second.

Redcliffe sealed it five minutes later, after receiving a penalty for the Sea Eagles defence being offside. The Dolphins attack found them short, with Berryman grabbing his second.

They rubbed salt into the wounds as the siren sounded, when Berryman went straight through the defensive line and found Georgetown who scored under the posts.

His successful conversion made the score 22-8, and moved him within 46 points of the season point-scoring record.

Redcliffe will be sweating on Capewell's fitness for next week's blockbuster against Wynnum, the Dolphins struggling in their attack after he left the field.

Buckett and Jake Meninga Short were the standouts for the losing side, the two centres proving an absolute handful for the Dolphins defence. Sunshine Coast will host the Northern Pride next Saturday.

REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS 22 (Delroy Berryman 2, Liam Georgetown, Derrick Watkins tries; Liam Georgetown 3 goals) def SUNSHINE COAST SEA EAGLES 8 (Mitchell Buckett 2 tries) at Yowie Park, Kilcoy.

Your thoughts?