Monaro Colts: Week Five Wrap
The Monaro Colts went two from three on Sunday, with the Men's Country Championships side opening their season with a hard-fought win.
Three Monaro teams took the field at NSWRL HQ Bruce, as the Andrew Johns Cup and Laurie Daley Cup squads played their final round matches, while the Men's side kicked off their campaign.
The Andrew Johns Cup side fell just short in a 24-18 loss, while the Laurie Daley Cup squad dominated 48-10.
In a thrilling contest, the Men's team edged out a 36-30 victory to advance in the knockout competition.
Both the U16s and U18s finished third in their pool with identical two wins and three loss records, missing out on finals.
Meanwhile, the Men's squad moves on to their next do-or-die clash.
Andrew Johns Cup
Illawarra South-Coast Dragons 24 defeated Monaro Colts 18
The Monaro Colts have fallen just short against the Illawarra South Coast Dragons, going down by one try in their final Andrew Johns Cup match of the season.
In a tightly contested battle, the Dragons found ways to keep extending their lead, while Monaro fought to stay in the game.
Illawarra started fast, jumping to a 12-point lead before the Colts responded.
A late first-half try to Jack Ryan, who found space off a Drew Kemp cut-out ball, and an early second-half four-pointer from Nate Stokes after a slick right-side shift brought the scores level.
The Dragons wrestled back momentum with two quick tries to restore their 12-point buffer.
Monaro hit back in the 55th minute through Charlie Sasse, who finished another well-worked right-side shift in the corner, but the Dragons held firm to close out the win.
Finishing third in their pool with two wins from five, the Colts fall short of finals qualification.
Laurie Daley Cup
Monaro Colts 48 defeated Illawarra South-Coast 10
The Monaro Colts have capped off their Laurie Daley Cup campaign in style, securing back-to-back wins with a dominant performance against the Illawarra South Coast Dragons.
With the match in the balance at 12-4 at halftime, Monaro shifted gears in the second half, putting on a show for their home supporters at NSWRL HQ.
Colts halfback Troy Codey was at his brilliant best, bagging a second half hat-trick and orchestrating multiple tries with his pinpoint kicking game.
Illawarra struggled under the high ball as Kruger Roache claimed two tries from Codey’s bombs, while Codey himself pounced on a dropped high ball to score. Levi Woods also found the line off a well-placed grubber from Codey.
Jack Milne, Thomas Handsaker, and Benjamin Kami also crossed in a well-rounded team performance to close out an up-and-down season.
The win follows a dominant 58-6 victory over Riverina in round four, showing Monaro’s late-season surge in form.
Despite their strong finish, the Colts’ finals hopes were dashed as they placed third, while the Dragons, despite the heavy loss, advanced after winning their first three games.
Men's Country Championships
Monaro Colts 36 defeated Illawarra South-Coast Dragons 30
The Monaro Colts have kicked off their Men's Country Championships campaign with a gritty six-point victory.
Monaro dominated the first half, racing to a 24-6 lead, but the Dragons caught fire in the second, scoring five tries to Monaro’s two and nearly pulling off a stunning comeback.
Colts halfback Connor Williams was electric in the opening half, bagging a hat-trick with smart support play and sharp footy instincts.
Tomasi Bikaca made an immediate impact after switching from Union to League, scoring two second-half tries in his first hit out of the season.
With Monaro clinging to a 30-26 lead late, Bikaca broke the line off early ball and sprinted 60 metres to score, giving the Colts a crucial 10-point buffer with six minutes left.
Despite both teams crossing for six tries, Lucas Thompson’s flawless goal-kicking proved decisive, converting all six attempts while the Dragons managed just three.
Zac Patch also got on the scoresheet early in a match where every point counted.
The Colts now turn their focus to next week’s round three clash.
