History repeats as Eagles soar

Roger Eliu scores for Goodna, giving them the lead over Brothers at Brother Seery Park yesterday.

Rob Williams

IT MIGHT be a new season, but nothing much seems to have changed in the Ipswich Rugby League.

Wind the clock back 12 months and it was exactly the same – Goodna comfortable winners in the season opener, a grand final rematch against Brothers at Brother Seery Park.

That Goodna won 30-6 yesterday will please Eagles supporters but history warns us not to read too much into the result.

Brothers lost playmaking five-eighth Fili Notoa on the morning of the game to an ankle injury, leaving them short of attacking firepower and it showed.

“We started like that last time I was here,” Brothers captain Matt Cameron said.

“We were rusty. There’s plenty to work on but they were good.”

Cameron acknowledged his team was on the back foot after conceding too many early penalties, including three in two minutes following the kick-off.

“Discipline to start with then they got a roll on and that was it,” he said of the difference between the teams. “And then we got caught in the niggle too.”

There is always niggle between the two teams but Eagles forward Sione Piutau may find himself with something more to answer for.

With 10 minutes remaining, Piutau rushed out of the defensive line and tackled Brothers forward Matt Hamill, even though he was nowhere near the ball.

Hamill objected and Piutau responded with a flurry of punches.

Despite the loss, Cameron was impressed with the performance of lock Beau Yates and knows Brothers will be stronger when the likes of front rowers Tyrone Day (injured) and Thomas Ufi (Reserve grade) and Notoa are back to full fitness.

Goodna five-eighth Andrew Walker looked immediately at home in his first game in the IRL.

Even at halftime, with Goodna ahead 12-6, the former Australia representative was confident the game was in the bag.

“If we just rolled our sleeves up and completed the sets, I knew we’d come home the victors,” he said. So it proved.

With Goodna’s forwards asserting their dominance, it allowed Walker time and space to put runners away.

“When the forwards are going forward you can take it to the line,” he said. “We’ve got to work on a lot of things.

“But I think we’ll be really dangerous.”

The first half was close with Goodna’s lead coming from tries to hooker Damon Viellaris, following a Corey Kirk break, and Roger Eliu out of dummy half.

Brothers were kept in the contest with Clint Hennelly’s try, which came from a remarkable flick pass out of a tackle by centre Brook Alofipo.

However, the second half was virtually no contest from the moment Piutau scored two minutes in.

Further tries to Andrew Petaia, Eliu and Max Seumanutafa made it a rout.

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