Sport
13 July, 2022
U/43 Carnival drought breakers
Local junior rugby league history was made over the past week in Cunnamulla with the Peter Cavanagh coached Central Downs representative team emerging undefeated from the 2022 Zone 5 Under 43 kg/12-year Carnival.
The coach of many decades rated the team as one of the best line-ups he has taken to a Zone 5 Carnival prior to heading west to John Kerr Park and his judgement was certainly on the mark.
His team set the bench mark across the week, breaking a 21-year drought to win championship honours for the first time since 2001.
“It’s great to have a win,” according to Mr Cavanagh, “but in my opinion we win just attending the Carnivals.”
Having first coached a Central Downs Zone 5 team in 1969, as a mentor of over five decades he can draw on an amazing period of junior rugby league history in the region.
“In 1969 the Carnival was hosted in Allora and Clifton, in 1970 we won the Carnival hosted in Chinchilla with Allora local Tony Gibson Player of the Carnival, and in 1985 when we also won, another Allora local in Jason Denny was Player of the Carnival,” Mr Cavanagh said.
“Jason’s son Hugh Denny was in action in Cunnamulla last week.”
It was the 56th occasion that the Zone 5 Under 43 kg Carnival has been held, upholding a tradition that has existed since 1966.
Central Downs team also brought home the Carnival athletics shield and for the first time since 1971.
Central Downs has earned Carnival champion silverware in 1970, 1971, 1985, 1994, 2001 (draw with Western Downs & Wynnum), with the most recent best performance being runner-up to winners Wynnum in 2008 at Lightning Ridge.
In a magnificent defensive effort, the team only let in two tries across the week, an extraordinary effort where they banked 184 points for and just eight points against.
Central Downs player Jack Burton was named Best Forward for the Zone 5 Carnival.
Hugh Denny collected the Central Downs Best Forward award, James Saddlier Best Back and Darcy Sutton was Most Improved Player.
Adding to the Central Downs team accolades Jonte May, Jack Burton, Hugh Denny and James Saddlier made the East side that played against West in the traditional Carnival concluding highlight.
The Central Downs combination won all seven of their Carnival fixtures over Western Downs, Cunnamulla, McIntyre, Warwick, Wynnum, Balonne/Barwon & South Burnett.
Man of the Match awards were won by: Game 1 Hugh Denny; Game 2 Kye Kemp; Game 3 Aaron Bayliss; Game 4: James Saddlier; Game 5 Darcy Sutton/James Saddlier; Game 6 James Saddlier; Game 7 Jake Burns/Cooper Zadow.
The Central Downs area contributed match officials for the week with Piper Brady, Reagan McMillan, Rylan Saville and Clayton Brady excelling in the middle refereeing matches or running lines.
Sponsors play a significant role in junior sport and the Zone 5 Junior Rugby League benefit greatly from local supporters according to group Secretary Stacey Burton.
Special thanks are issued to local businesses Darwalla Group; R&F Steel, Warwick; Ray Bunch Machinery; Stockyard Industries and FoodWorks, Clifton for their tremendous support.
The tradition continues in 2023 with the Zone 5 Under 35 kg/10 Year and Under 43 kg Carnivals hosted at Wynnum’s Kitchener Park.
- Glyn Rees
