By Tania Phillips
An acrobatic put-down in the left-hand corner by Warwick Cowboy Jake Speed put the Queensland Country Rugby League side on the road to a 26-16 win over City in the XXXX Queensland City v Country game at Kayo Stadium on Sunday afternoon at Redcliffe on Sunday afternoon.
Warwick Cowboys players, winger Speed, Centre Joseph Vite and coach Col Speed all formed part of the winning Countryside watched by a contingent of Warwick Cowboys players and supporters who made the trip to cheer them on.
Col Speed said the Country win was “good for the game”.
“This concept has wings,” he said.
“There has been talk of it becoming a curtain raiser for the State of Origin.”
Jake Speed scored the opening try of the match in 10th minute putting the ball down in the left-hand corner after a “harbour bridge” pass from teammate Chris Woodbridge.
While Vite, the TRL’s leading representative player, scored the third try of the match in the points scoring in the 23rd minute after a towering kick from halfback from Woodbridge to see the score head to 14-nil.
Their performances earned the praise of country co-captain Woodbridge, from Dalby, who told the QRL after the game that the team had come out firing with the three quick tries before City started to hit back.
“It was a tough grind, the whole game,” Woodbridge said.
“Honestly I reckon our whole team was good but if I had to pick some standouts it would have to be Jack Pattie, our winger Jake Speed and big Joseph Vite had a blinder.
The home Redcliffe Dolphins was the scene for the historic games between the Country and City teams drawn from throughout the State. The men’s and women’s matches, both won by the country teams, were the lead in matches for this year’s QRL Hostplus Queensland Cup grand final which saw the Norths Devils defeat the Redcliffe Dolphins 34-20. The women kicked off Queensland Rugby League Grand Final Day with Country beating City 12-8.
Country and Cowboys mentor Col Speed said it was a big day for the country players particularly with the friends, family and supporters coming from all over the State and into New Zealand to watch them big stage.
“The preparation was really good leading into the game, the Queensland rugby league looked after us unbelievably, so our preparation was fantastic,” he said.
“Our first half we shot out to a really good lead Jake and Joseph scored tries it was really good,” he said.
“It was an ideal start a great start playing some ideal footy but to city’s credit they came back into the grind in the second half – after scoring one in the first half. We got one of our lads sin-binned for taking the kicker out, that probably spurred us on. We scored a try while we had 12 on the paddock and defended back-to-back sets. It was massive and it was a credit to everyone.”
He said it was a big performance from the young Cowboys in particular.
“It was quite interesting,” he chuckled.
“Pre-game we got the opportunity to have a walk on the field and for some of these guys, going from Father Ranger Oval to Kayo Stadium is a massive step up. Jake Speed (no relation) said to me – just joking around, I’m going to score a try in this corner here Col. I laughed and said that’s nice, that’s good and to his bloody credit he turned around and scored in that corner. And really Joseph’s always shown what he could do and there were definitely some Qld Cup Scouts there looking yesterday. What they were looking for was whether Joseph could step up and play that next level. Well he played up another level.
He said Speed has been steadily improving over the past two years and also stepped up again on Sunday.
“I don’t think he’s missed a game all year, he’d have to have played 22-23 games this year which is an unbelievable achievement for a young man,” Speed said praising the young winger.
“He’s still learning, still growing and developing. They both did well, I’m very proud of them.
“But the other thing that really overwhelmed me on Sunday was the Warwick Cowboys support. Steven and Helen Howard and others drove all the way down to support the boys and myself. I got a bit emotional about that.
“I was quite blown away how some of the boys had their parents fly in from New Zealand, we had supporters from North Qld, families came from Goondiwindi and our presentation of the jerseys was an eye-opener there with all the family members there and our special guest Chris Close handing out the jersey’s which was really special. It was a really good week.”
Speed said the match was particular important in showing just what talent there is out in the country.
“We had three country legends come in – Billy Johnstone, Adrian Vowles and Chris Close – the whole concept behind that was to make sure it wasn’t a sense of entitlement to get the Queensland Country jersey, you’ve got to be accountable when you’re wearing it,” he said.
“You’re representing, your family, your state, your community and that was reiterated by everyone during the presentation and obviously the guest speaker Chris Close – by the time he finished his speech I was ready to put on a jersey and run on too.”
He said games like this were important to all young players outside of the capital cities.
“Out success gives every bush kid the belief that they potentially can make it,” he said.
“Jack Pattie got our man of the match, he’s small but he hits like a Mac Truck and he plays at Goondiwindi, he was sensational. That’s the sort of thing you are looking at. When I rang up Billy, Adrian and Chris Close and there was another lady there too – Sammy Bliss – none of them wanted anything and they sacrificed their own time to be there.”
The experience obviously meant a lot to the country players of both genders with many of the women rolling and dancing on the field when they first got to walk on it when they arrived for practice like “country kids enjoying rain for the first time in years”.
