It was a great weekend for the South’s Logan Magpies as both the Intrust Super Cup squad and the Hastings Deering Colts walked away with wins in week one of the finals series. With the Southern Magpies having taken over the Logan Scorpions in 2003, the Magpies represent the highest level of Rugby League in the City Of Logan.
It has been a long time since home games were played in Logan, the last in 2009 at Meakin Park, so the local fans have been hanging out for some footy and boy did the Maggies deliver.
The main game was played at Marsden State High where Rugby League is the course du jour. A beautiful local oval with a top of the range digital scoreboard and the Cameron Smith Grand Stand. But first the early action was the Hastings Deering Colts competition which too place at Bishop Park, where the young Magpies would take on the Seagulls from the Tweed. In this battle of the birds, it was one way traffic for the boys from Logan with a dominant 78 – 6 victory over their southern opposition. In an attacking display for the ages, the Magpies ran in 14 tries with 11 of those 14 being converted. The Magpies walking through to the second round of finals football where they will take on the Townsville Blackhawks.
Speaking of the Blackhawks, it was their turn to take on the mighty Maggies in the Intrust Super Cup later in the afternoon. The sun was beaming down on the oval and the combination of the breeze in their face and a slight incline to the field caused difficulties for the Magpies in the first half. Going into the sheds trailing 22 – 10 at the break. However the second half would prove to be a different story. With the wind at their backs and the cheers of the fans in their ears the Magpies came out firing.
Young Star Ezra Mam crossed just 4 minutes after the resumption of play before Isaiah Tass added a try of his own mere minutes later resulting in a tie game just 10 minutes into the second half. Broncos fullback Jamayne Isaako wasted little time putting the Magpies ahead with a field goal in the 57th minute however a Townsville penalty goal would see the Blackhawks back in front with 16 minutes left to play in the game.
The Magpies held their nerve though as Tass came away with the ball after a towering bomb was misplayed by the Blackhawks. Tass’s second try of the night giving the Magpies the lead with just over 10 minutes to play. Isaako iced the game with his second field goal and the clock ran down as the Magpies booked their spot in round 2 with a 30 – 24 win.
The Scoreboard tells the story at Marsden State High (Photo Credit – Jon Raven Deputy Mayor of Logan)
The Souths Logan Magpies will take on the Burleigh Bears at Pizzey Park on the Gold Coast this Sunday, September 26th at 3 pm.
