Fremantle Roosters 36 – North Beach Sea Eagles 16
By PETER ROWE
Fremantle Roosters took out the Noel Williams Cup on Saturday afternoon with a solid Fuel to Go & Play Premiership victory over North Beach Sea Eagles that keeps them firmly in third spot.
But it wasn’t as easy as the scoreline suggests as early in the game a young Sea Eagles side played their part in an entertaining clash.
“We played well in the first half but dropped off in the second,” Roosters player-coach Duane Butler said.
“I wasn’t happy with that second half and neither were the players really. Beach won that half and pushed us all the way.”
Te Toa Parkinson had opened the scoring after 10 minutes with a try on the left edge before an error on their own 40 saw Wyatt Rogers race 60 metres to level.
Big Centre Joe Pouhila, who was dangerous all afternoon, was next to cross after 18 minutes, weaving his way through a loose defence. And it was Pouhila again in the action nine minutes later, again down their right edge, to set up winger Manson Carmody to score.
Pouhila grabbed his second on the half-hour, powering his way across the line and two minutes before the half-time siren hooker Jahkayis Mabbett pushed the score along, scoring from close range.
The first-half dominance of Fremantle was held in check early in the second half as young halfback Kurtis Everett scored before a Harry Debique penalty made it 30 for the home side.
Everett’s day was not done though and he capped off a great performance adding a second try not long after as the Sea Eagles sensed a comeback.
“He’s electric,” Beach assistant coach Brian Burns said. “And he’s still building, he was our best on field.”
But with time running out and with Fremantle still in search of more points, that recovery lasted only until the final minutes, as Mitch Whalen crossed five minutes from time for the Roosters’ sixth of the day.
Debique’s kick clipped the crossbar but luckily fell the right side and the points and the Noel Williams Cup went to the home side.
But, as Butler said, they need to step up for 80 minutes, not just 40.
“We didn’t come together in the second period, 14 errors, so we have plenty of work to do,” he said.
For Burns it was an incomplete 80 minutes. “We didn’t execute at times,” he said. “But we spoke at half-time and reset. I was proud of their effort.”
With Connor Morris still injured Kallum Gulliver-Brown stepped into the hooker role. “We have many players this year who have had multiple roles,” Burns added.
Everett took the main honour with fullback Te Ra Ahuri just behind him – with some solid but dazzling footwork with ball in hand and captain Bowman Stein in third for leadership and a never-say-die attitude.
