By Grace Knight
The senior men built on the QFA competition’s healthiest percentage with a resounding 74-point win over the Ballina Bombers on Saturday.
Despite playing on their opponent’s home turf the Bull Sharks dominated the game, finishing with an impressive score of 110-36.
How it unfolded
The Bull Sharks looked sharp from the first bounce with Matthew Smith kicking the first goal early in the game.
Ballina eventually managed to find their footing and scored their first goal towards the end of the first quarter but with a quarter-time score of 32-9, they would spend the rest of the game playing catch-up.
Ballina scored two quick goals in the second quarter but the Bull Sharks quickly extinguished any hope of a revival with their unstoppable goal kicking.
The Bull Sharks entered the third quarter with a 33-point lead and built on that, keeping the hosts scoreless while extending the score to 70-22 at the end of the quarter.
In the final quarter Ballina managed to score two early goals before the Bull Sharks swiftly regrouped to hammer home an additional six goals before the final siren.
Who’s hot
While Saturday’s win was an exceptional team effort, several players stood out.
Jaiden Pengelly and Oliver Burrows-Cheng’s performances and influence in the midfield were telling.
Additionally, Wyatt Bacon’s contribution from defence was crucial in thwarting Ballina’s opportunities.
Axel Moore played another strong game in the ruck, providing the Bull Sharks with advantages in critical moments.
Hamish Furphy’s return to the Bull Sharks’ forward line also provided another layer of strength.
What they said
Head coach Luke Mansbridge expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, emphasizing the significance of their hard work throughout the week.
“It was a really good win for us. We’ve concentrated on a few things throughout the week and the boys were really good at executing that,” he said.
“We wanted to focus on going back through the middle and hitting the 45s and they did it a lot.
“We still got a bit crazy there at times when we were too excited but when we calmed down and composure kicked in, they moved the ball really well.”
What it means
While Carrara’s winning streak continues to create a barrier for Bond in gaining second position on the ladder, the Bull Sharks are putting some distance between themselves in third place and Coolangatta in fourth.
Although Carrara are one position above the Bull Sharks on the ladder, Bond hold the highest percentage calculation in the competition, meaning if Bond can beat Carrara in their round 9 clash next week, the Bull Sharks will jump into second place.
In other games
It was success all round on Saturday as the men’s reserves also took a commanding 143-12 win against Ballina.
In what started out as a low-scoring game, the senior women turned things around in the second half to take a critical win against Maroochydore 38-19.
The women’s reserves also won 67-34.