Round 10 - Reserve Grade – Whites woes continue with Royals thrashing
by Brodie Campbell
The Queanbeyan Whites have received a brutal reality check in the fight to keep their season alive, sliding down to 5th on the ladder after they went down in a devastating 40-7 loss against Canberra Royals at Phillip Oval.
The Whites came into the contest feeling fresh and confident after enjoying their bye in round 9, intent on continuing their purple patch of form against a Royals side who the Whites had managed to knock off in an earlier showdown back in round 7 (31-24).
Right from outset however, it was clear that Royals were out for revenge, as they went over to score their first try within the first six minutes of the game through Ben Johnston to take an early lead.
From there the floodgates were opened as the Whites defence was unable to keep up with Royals blistering attack, as they proceeded to run in an unanswered 26 points in the first half to take a commanding lead going into the half time break.
The Whites attack looked flat in the first half, with errors aplenty robbing them of any potential scoring opportunities, which was especially frustrating given the Whites also had a one-man advantage for the final ten minutes after a yellow card was given to a Royals player.Any chances of a second half resurgence were quickly dashed as Royals went in to score another try just a minute into the second half, before they went in again in the 59th minute to take extend their lead to 40-0.
Many of the same problems emerged for the Whites in the second half, with a barrage of errors wrecking any momentum in attacking territory, with the only points posted being a penalty try awarded in the final minute. It was small consolation for the Whites players and fans in what was a very disappointing performance all around. To add insult to injury, the loss also saw the Whites drop from 3rd to 5th on the Spence Cup ladder, making the finals hunt for the Queanbeyan boys more difficult.
The key motivation for the side this week will be redemption, and they will get their chance to make a statement when they go up against the Western District Lions at Jamison Oval this Saturday.
With the Lions currently sitting on the bottom of the ladder with zero wins for the season so far, the Whites have been provided the perfect opportunity to bounce back, and fans will be hoping for a strong performance.
Photo: Second rower Evan Nelson, supported by prop Luke Tudulu: Jerome Freestone Photography.