Queanbeyan Blues Claim Inaugural Ian Baker Memorial Shield
The Queanbeyan Blues claim a dominant 48-20 win against the Queanbeyan Kangaroos and take home the inaugural Ian Baker Memorial Shield.
Although the Roos looked strong early to start the game, the Blues proved to be too powerful to give them their second consecutive win against their archrivals.
An early error from the Blues gave the Roos a chance to try to crack the Blues' defensive line.
Harlem Cooper attempted to put the Roos on the board in the first five minutes but lost the ball over the line after spinning through multiple defenders.
A bomb on the last tackle from the Blues' halfback Dylan McLachlan landed into the hands of Kaine Pagura, but a spillage saw it rebound to Allan Wratten, who powered his way over to score within the first ten minutes, giving the Blues a 6-0 lead.
An error from the Roos allowed the Blues another opportunity to attack the Roos' line, but some desperate defence again from the Roos kept them out for the third consecutive time.
An error from the Blues inside their half allowed the Roos to level the score, and that they did with Sam Williams showing and going to score the Roos' first try and level the scores at 6 apiece.
With just ten minutes remaining in the first half, the Blues put the ball down again, and some quick hands from the Roos' right-hand side saw Rob Sheffield go over in the corner to give a 10-6 lead to the Roos.
Some razzle-dazzle footy from Connor Williams, who broke through multiple tackles and split the Roos' defence and then drew in the fullback and passed off to Jack Anderson, levelled the score for the Blues. A conversion from Jamie Mazzarol-Kotz puts the Blues 12-10 ahead.
An error from the kick-off saw the Roos all offside, which gave the Blues an opportunity just minutes before the half.
The Blues took the opportunity with firm hands and a fantastic short ball from Jacob John, saw Cyprian Ale charge through the middle and score on halftime to give the Blues an 18-10 lead going into the break.
Coming out of the half, it was the Blues who opened the scoring with a short ball from Anderson, who found a rampaging Daetyn Tanuvasa, giving the Blues a healthy 24-10 lead.
It was all the Blues at the start of the half with Kotz darting out of dummy half and blitzing down the sideline to run away and score the Blues' fifth try. Kotz converts to give the Blues a 30-10 lead.
A 40/20 kick from McLachlan gave the Blues more mounts of possession on the Roos' line.
Off the back of the 40/20 kick, it was James Hickey who proved to be too strong close to the line, extending the Blues' lead out to 36-10.
The Roos had to respond quickly, and they did with just 24 minutes remaining Lachlan Ingram gave a short ball to a flying Joshua Ayers to give the Roos some hope of a comeback, putting the deficit at 36-16.
Some spectacular eyes up footy from George Morseu as he chiped the ball over the Roos defence, regathered before finding Connor Williams to end the Roos' hopes of a comeback, putting the scores at 42-16.
An error from the Blues on the kick-off gives the Roos a much-needed attacking chance.
The Roos took their chance and pounced on it with a spread to the left and some quick hands to Jono Maloney, who goes over in the corner to make the score 42-20 with just 15 minutes left in the half.
The Blues marched down into the Roos' half, and it was Jack Anderson with a short ball to a fired-up Connor Williams who put the nail in the coffin and marched out to a 48-20 lead.
A stoppage with six minutes left in the half saw a push and shove out in the middle with Bayley Hitchcock and JJ Clarkson heading into the sheds early after being sin-binned for foul play.
A dropout from the Roos gave the Blues an opportunity to put the half century on the scoreboard, but the full-time siren blew, giving the Blues a dominant 48-20 win in the inaugural Ian Baker Memorial Shield.
