Magpies favourite to take cup

Griffith Thomas | 29th June 2009

Photo: FLI

A SCINTILLATING 20-minute onslaught by the Souths Logan Magpies after half-time, proved why they are favourites to clinch back-to-back Queensland Cup titles this season.

Holding a nervous six-point lead at half-time in their clash against the in-form Easts Tigers on Saturday, the Magpies strung together four tries in quick succession just after the break to put them on the way to a convincing 50-16 victory.

The win was also the perfect result for Magpies robust utility, Phil Dennis, who celebrated his 100th Q Cup game - fittingly against his former club.

Promising Canberra Raiders forwards, Joel Thompson and Shaun Fensom, each tallied three tries, while Josh White, Shea Moylan and Michael Brophy each crossed to complete the nine try to three demolition at Meakin Park.

The win cements the Magpies on top of the table heading into a week-off to make way for the annual City versus Country clash.

Magpies coach, Paul Bramley, said his team was prepared for the busiest part of the season, which starts this Saturday when eight of his men will be in action for City.

The Magpies are also expected to have a healthy contingent selected in the Queensland Residents team when it is named next week.

But Bramley, who will coach the Residents side for the first time, said he 'backs' the Magpies' depth during the challenging time ahead.

“It's a big challenge, it's like in the NRL how Melbourne and the Broncos suffer, we'll suffer through success,” he said.

“But we've got good depth here, our reserve grade side are going really well and our Colts slipped up a bit today, but that's ok because they have been brilliant all season.

“What it probably means is over the next month there is going to be lots of opportunity for someone else to step up which is good.

“The representative period will put some strain on the team. Whether it hurts us down the track I don't know, but I'll back our depth.”

Missing the competition's leading try scorer, Liam Campbell, who was watching on the sidelines because of a calf injury, the Tigers only showed some glimpses of the attacking brilliance that saw them score three straight victories heading into Saturday's encounter.

Magpies' 2008 grand final hero, Alby Talipeau, scored his first try against his former club when he came off the bench for the Tigers at the 15th minute with instant reward.

Talipeau was the benefactor of a lost ball from Moylan to put his team within six points, but that's as close at the visitors would get.

Despite dominating all the stats, including a favourable penalty count and an almost flawless completion success rate, the Magpies deserved to be more than a converted try ahead at the break.

But some desperate last ditch defence from the stubborn Tigers is all that kept the contest close.

Raiders' veteran front rower, Scott Logan, was held up twice over the line in the space of five minutes, while fullback Moylan was denied a four pointer shortly before crossing for his sole try of the match.

But the Magpies wouldn't be denied in the second half as they ran in six tries to one.

Magpies' pint-sized playmaker, Matt Smith marshalled his troops around the park with precision and played a hand in five of the Magpies tries, including supplying the last pass for two of Thompson's tries.

Thompson, a former junior Australian Kangaroo, was invincible out on the left fringe, while out of favour Raiders hooker, Stuart Flanagan, also pushed his claims for an NRL recall with a busy afternoon out of dummy half.

But Magpies replacement, Shaun Fensom, was the star of the match producing a five-star performance in the 34-point annihilation.

Injected into the game midway through the first period, the Raiders national under-20 2008 premiership winning captain equalled Thompson's three try effort and was lucky not have gone one better when he provided the lead up to another four-pointer.

The 20-year-old said the win was one of the team's best performances this season.

“It was one of better performances this year, it just shows what we can do if we hold onto the ball and complete our sets,” said Fensom, who is starting to hit his straps after enduring a interrupted pre-season with an ankle injury he suffered in last year's Toyota Cup grand final.

“We've got the best attacking side in the comp and after half-time we showed we can punish any team and score from anywhere.”

Fensom added that the team wasn't worried about the close score line at half-time, despite dominating the first half.

“We had to be patient,” he said.