NORMANTON Stingers kept their place at the top of the Lewie Fire Premiership with a convincing win over Blackstars at Alex Inch Oval on Saturday.
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The win keeps them level on points with Townies though the Stingers have the better points difference.
Normanton stormed out of the blocks with two tries in the first 12 minutes to Travis Fraser and Aaron Sewter.
But Blackstars showed they were up for the fight early on replying with two tries of their own from Herbie Walden and Tyrone Ah One before 20 minutes were up.
At 12-10 this looked like it could be anyone’s game before Normanton stepped up a few gears.
It wasn’t long before they carved out another opening with Tibau Stephens’ first of two tries for the day.
They added a fourth on 27 minutes and a fifth on 34 minutes to stretch the lead out to 30-12.
Credit to Blackstars however who pushed over for the final try of the half to leave matters at Normanton 30, Blackstars 16.
But they could not build on that momentum and the Stingers were quickest off the mark after they came back from the sheds with a set of exhilarating tries on 44, 48, 57 and 60 minutes giving them an unassailable 48-16 lead with 20 minutes to go.
Still they kept coming selling a beautiful dummy to come up with a tenth try of the game on 65 minutes.
A disheartened Blackstars conceded another on 65 minutes to make it 54-16 but they held their heads high enough to grab two consolation tries though Normanton grabbed two more of their own and not surprisingly had the last word.
The final score was Normanton 64, Blackstars 26.
Still they (Normanton) kept coming selling a beautiful dummy to come up with a tenth try of the game on 65 minutes.
In the other games Town beat Brothers and Cloncurry beat Wanderers.
NORMANTON 64 (Tries: Travis Fraser (2), Aaron Sewter, Tibau Stephens (2), Miron Toby (2), Glendon Connolly, Corwynn Owens, Shannon Aplin, Cyril McPherson (2). Goals: Glendon Connolly, Sorren Owens (7) def BLACKSTARS 26 (Herbie Walden, Tyrone Ah One, Milton George, Kael Morrissey. Goals: Herbie Walden (2), Milton George.
CLONCURRY 34 (Tries: Lesley Gallagher (2), Corey Turner, Tim Wrigley, Josh Booth, Allan Aitkens (2). Goals: James Baira (3) def WANDERERS 32 (Tries: Corey Carlson, Brenton Stonier (2), Matthew McNamara, Daniel Faro, Isaac McIlwain. Goals: Sonny Kumeroa (4)
TOWNIES 62 (Tries: Tyrone Turaga, Tyler Donald, Ronald Juhel, Ronald Francis (2), Nathan Giles (2), Nicholas Cooke, Rohan Schulz, Simon Duke, Patrick McDonald (2). Goals: Marty Paulson (7) def BROTHERS 4 (Try: Alan Tokawa)
The Lewie Fire Premiership ladder after Round 9 with six games to go
Normanton: 14 (+214)
Townies: 14 (+196)
Cloncurry: 12 (+59)
Wanderers: 6 (-82)
Brothers: 4 (-286)
Blackstars: 2 (-337)
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
