Pirates steady their ship
1 September 2008
Noosa showed they can play attractive attacking rugby league without their captain-coach Noel Goldthorpe in downing Maroochydore at Pirate Park yesterday 34-22.
But it took 40 minutes of fumbling around, trying to find their way through the Swans defence, before they looked like a side that could challenge minor premiers Caboolture next week at the Snakes’ home ground.
Goldthorpe was a shock withdrawal after he injured a calf muscle in the Pirates warm-up session forcing Brendan Williams off the bench and into the playmaker’s role.
As an understudy, it looked like he had not been learning Goldthorpe’s lines as the Pirates kicking and passing options were anything but slick.
Having said that, the Pirates, in front of a large home crowd, managed to stay in the game to be trailing 12-10 at the break.
This was courtesy of some nice ball movement from one side to the other with winger Aaron Fuller diving over just before the siren.
The Swans had enjoyed successive penalties and applied constant pressure on the line to open the account with centre Murray Goldsworthy crossing.
Winger Anthony Eden was fed a nice pass by five-eighth Matty Lapworth in the 22nd minute to take the score to 12-0 before the Pirates’ Matt McCook struck back with a converted try.
At halftime Goldthorpe told the Pirates they had to take on Maroochydore on the edges of the ruck.
That was how the way the pattern of football unfolded with Williams growing in stature in setting up runners.
But it was centre Matt Achilles who did a “Goldy” by kicking over the top straight after the break for the ball to find the hands of fullback Brad McCarthy for the perfect resumption at 16-12.
The Swans struck back, retaking the lead with a converted try by fullback Daniel McGlynn with the see-saw tipping 18-16.
Pirate Dale Gilbert’s kicking game also fired up when he shifted to five-eighth: he scored one off his own high bomb.
The Pirates skipped clear 26-18, before a clever show-and-go close to the Pirates line by Swans backrower Nick Schmidt brought it back to 26-22 with 23 left on the clock.
The Pirates handled the pressure better from there on in to close out an entertaining match, although the gallant Swans never stopped coming at the Pirates line.
“We ran at their seven and six and that’s where we opened them up,” Goldthorpe said.
“The boys done it without me today and I thought they did it pretty comfortable in the second half,” Goldthorpe said.
Goldthorpe praised the effort of prop Trent Heathwood.
who made one inspirational 30m charge up the middle in the first half to lift his side.
“He’s been one of best players all year,” he said.
Goldthorpe said it would be tough next week down at the “Snake Pit” but he declared himself a certain starter.
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