Sport
10 May, 2024
Pride at top of league ladder
IN a triumphant turn of events, the Northern Pride has launched itself to the top of the ladder after the team’s best match of the season defeating the Ipswich Jets 56-12 last Sunday.
The Northern Pride has established that they’re the team to beat this season, as they continue to make up for two losses in rounds 4 and 5 with a streak of victories that has now placed them at the top of the competition, and their best performance of the competition winning 56-12 against the Jets on their home ground.
The next step for the Pride is a battle against the PNG Hunters in Port Moresby on Saturday from 3pm.
Coach Eric Smith praised the resilience of the defence against the Jets in the first 20 minutes of the match.
“Our victory against the Ipswich Jets consisted of some great individual and team efforts and, as always, a lot of opportunity for improvement,” he said.
“Although we conceded a try early, we defended off a couple of others before we turned our defensive effort into points of our own through Jensen Taumoepeau.
“However, there were also areas where we can improve, and we’ll be focusing on addressing these in the coming week.”
The next match is one that will test the Pride’s continuity and stability as they strive to prove that they can keep their level up in Papua New Guinea against the Hunters.
The team will also play with a full squad to select from this week as there are no injury concerns. Pride chief executive Garreth Smith said the round 8 match presented an opportunity to keep the spirits up.
“This week round 9, we have an exciting opportunity to test our mettle against the PNG Hunters in Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“This away game presents a unique challenge, but it’s one that our team is fully prepared to tackle head-on,” he said.
“As always PNG will be very physical and will be a formidable opponent on their home soil.
“PNG are coming off a very convincing win themselves defeating the Blackhawks 52-16 in Townsville last weekend.
“Looking at our previous form against PNG we came away victors on both occasions last year 2023 both at home and away in PNG.
“As we prepare for this crucial match, keep an eye on some standout players who are sure to make a significant impact on the field like Lachlan West, Evan Child, and Dane Aukafolau.”
