FLEDGLING club Brothers appeared a genuine chance to score its first victory of the year on Saturday – but in the blinking of an eye it turned into a 22-point defeat.
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Brothers took a 22-20 half-time lead against Black Stars and remained within reach with 10 minutes to play at Alec Inch Oval.
But defensive lapses late in the game meant Brothers are still searching for their first win since returning to the Lewie Fire Mount Isa Rugby League competition in 2015.
Cadence Malene led the way with three tries for Brothers, but the cellar dwellers will be lamenting the final minutes of the clash as they let their opponents rack up a series of easy tries to blow the deficit out to 22 points (50-28).
Black Stars had eight individual try-scorers, including two to Newman Ambia.
In the second game, Wanderers put on a clinical display to remarkably score an unanswered 54 points in their second half against Cloncurry.
An inexperienced and undermanned Cloncurry side battled bravely in the opening half to be within touch of the ladder leaders at the half-time break (20-8).
But the floodgates opened up for Wanderers in the second half as they streaked away for a 74-8 victory.
The Normanton Stingers were unable to make the trek to Mount Isa and forfeited their clash with Town.
Wanderers and Town are now likely to finish in the top-two of the competition and will fight out the minor premiership in the lead-up to finals.
– Pictures, story: BRAD THOMPSON
