Sport
20 April, 2022
Wattles thump Lions in mid week clash
It was all one-way traffic at Drayton’s sports hub, the Jack Martin Memorial Centre on Wednesday evening of last week with the Wattles Warriors rolling over the Newtown Lions to the tune of 72 to 4.
The match was a replay after the lighting failed the previous Saturday night just prior to the top-grade game getting underway.
Wattles’ flying centre Austin Jennings underlined his recent Toowoomba Clydesdales training squad selection, crossing for six of the thirteen touchdowns the Warriors ran in against their luckless opponents.
Jennings’ blistering pace had yielded five tries in a game earlier in his career, and now the 22-year-old has taken his touchdown tally to another level.
Wattles raced to a 34–0 advantage by the 25 minute mark before leading 52–0 at halftime.
Newtown rallied a little second stanza composure to cause some minor disruption to the Warriors onslaught, and with ten minutes remaining on the ground clock trailed 60–4, having claimed a single try by hooker Jacob Lingwoodock.
While his line-up was anything but tested, Warriors’ captain-coach Travis Burns was happy with the one-sided result, while feeling for the Lions who appear to have a long season ahead.
Wattles second recently announced Toowoomba Clydesdale train on squad front-rower Jordan Crocker was in superb form in a very dominant team performance, centre Nick Van Der Poel and back-rower Les Hartvigsen also shining under the Jack Martin Centre lights that managed to stay illuminated for the eighty minutes.
Burns filled the Number 6 jersey for just 25 minutes before shunting young Under 19 star Matt Wilson into the pivot role.
The coach was particularly impressed with how the youngster handled the responsibility, deservedly rewarded with a four-pointer.
Wattles’ half-back Matt Duggan played the initial forty minutes, before handing over to his classy nephew Kai Williamson-Duggan who claimed a brace of tries.
A highlight of the game was the near 100 metre dash by ruthless front-rower Michael Pearson, dreadlocks trailing in the breeze, only to be halted with the try line beckoning.
Wattles were certainly a class above their opponents, with coach Burns of the opinion his side was too fast all over the paddock.
Wattles 72 (Austin Jennings 6, Kai Williamson-Duggan 2, Nick Van Der Poel, Mitchell Duff, Matthew Wilson, Aaron Hooper, Jackson Green tries; Matt Duggan 8, Aaron Hooper, Michael Pearson goals) defeated Newtown 4 (Jacob Lingwoodock try).
Wattles teams regrouping for training on Tuesday night in preparation for the Warwick Cowboys clash this Sunday (24th April) in an ANZAC commemoration program.
Austin Jennings and Jordan Crocker are members of the Toowoomba Clydesdales train-on squad currently in training, with the final 19 man squad to contest the QRL Central Division 47th Battalion Carnival in Gladstone in May to be finalised on April 26th.
- Glyn Rees
