U14s Dolphins vs Caloundra
The U14s had their first game against top-of-the-table Caloundra in Caloundra on Saturday.
Unfortunately, they were convincingly defeated by a well-drilled, dominant Caloundra team.
On home soil, Caloundra showed why they are at the top of the competition so far, with several tries to nil. However, only one try was scored through the middle; the rest were runaway tries, a testament to the good defense and team effort from the U14s. Once the ball reached Caloundra’s speedy players, it was challenging to run them down.
The Dolphins dominated in the scrum and showcased highlights of some great play, but with many players away and no substitutes, they unfortunately didn’t capitalize on the opportunities available. Domino’s Player of the Match went to Mac for his outstanding work ethic, with special mentions to Oscar for his tackling and defense, and Luke for grit and determination.
U12s Dolphins (51) vs Gympie (0)
Right from the kick-off, the U12 Dolphins were firing against Gympie on the weekend. Evan soared to take a high catch from five metres out, followed by Edie’s cool conversion to get the scoreboard ticking. A slick offload from the back line set Edie flying down the wing from 40 metres out to score again. Taylor took a quick tap and powered through six defenders for a classic forward’s try, before Benny’s offload to Emmerson saw the speedster cross untouched.
The second half saw no let-up.
Man of the Match went to Hunter, who has really stepped up this season with strong hit-ups and capped off the game with a smooth run down the sideline on full-time. Special mention also to Zac, who impressed with some tough carries and great runs.
U10s Dolphins vs Caloundra
A delightful morning at Caloundra, saw the home team kick off and despite some great defence from Noosa, score a couple of early tries with conversions in the first half. The Dolphins showed great resilience and impressive teamwork: Ramsay crossed the line for our first try. Caloundra answered with a third and may have scored more, were it not for Noosa’s great defence.
The boys turned it around in the second half, with everyone working hard to make ground. There was particularly impressive running from Theo, Maximillien, Saul, Duke and James, but it was Toby who got over the line next. The boys worked really hard in scrums and James got over for another try. At the end of the game, Caloundra worked very hard to get back over the line, but solid Noosa defence kept them out.
Everyone played with tremendous heart this weekend, and Maximillien was recognised as Domino’s Player of the Match, Theo for having star vision, and Eddie for working really hard.
U9s Dolphins vs Saints.
Always a favourite, the local derby against Saints saw the boys focused on teamwork. Dolphins started strong from the opening whistle. The forwards dominated with direct running of the ball by Hugo, Markus and Fion. Archie competed for every ruck play; cleaning out, stealing the ball and chiming in with runaway tries. Alfie thrust into the front row, showing size doesn’t matter with his driving tackles putting Saints on the backfoot.
The Dolphins held Saints out with team tackling and a strong defensive line. Attack was setup via a great platform from Jeandre and Flynn. Finn and Koa had carving runs and strong defence. Hardie showed a strong palm on his truck up runs.
Domino’s Player of the Match was Owen: his consistent involvement in every play from stealing the ball, tackling, running and team play is exceptional.
U8s Dolphins vs Caloundra
Playing Caloundra at Caloundra, this was a tough game against a formidable opponent. The boys kept their cool under pressure and played to the ref. Hudson displayed stand out tackling again with plenty of opportunity to hone his skills. Buster, Hemi and Hudson dotted down this week as a result of great running and teamwork. Huge game from Gus in hot pursuit; he used his special powers to force a fumble and save a try right on the line. Archer got amongst the action, finding his voice. Alfie was powerful in running off the loose ball. Owen consistently directed the front row, ensuring line outs and scrums ran to plan. Jackson and Gus shared the Dominos Player of the Match this week: Jackson for a great game with strong defence and team player attitude and Gus for his grit and determination.
