The Story So Far…
The Crown Casino Risk is fast becoming the ASRL’s most lucrative tournament, this year overtaking the Bob Fulton Cup in the amount of prize money awards and the amount of publicity it generates. Eight sides, all desperate for points and cash, battle it out in sudden death football over two days at a sold-out Telstra Stadium.
In 2002, the inaugural Risk was played, with Tamworth City winning a surprise final against Eastwood. That year the favourites were North Melbourne (who eventually went on to win the premiership) and Adelaide, neither survived round one.
In 2002/2003, eventual Division Two winners, Central Coast, shocked Wellington in a thrilling final. The Risk has a habit of shattering the supposed dominance of Premier League sides. It has a tradition of upset results creating thrilling finals. And this year looked to be no different.
Three Premier League sides, including both of last year’s Grand Finalists, and five Division Two sides- including big guns Brisbane and Hawkesbury- who only last year relegated after substandard seasons in Premier League.
Quarter Finals
Kicking off at 11am, the first game of the tournament saw Brisbane take on Canberra in a battle of two sides who last year relegated. The Bulls showed they’ve got what it takes to win big games, defending tenaciously to record a 12-0 win. Canberra would go home, whilst Brisbane would face the winner of Central vs. Auckland.
Canberra: None.
Brisbane: John Hopoate and Willie Talau. Campbell 2/2
PoM Points: Adam Mogg 3, Wayne Bartrim 2, and Preston Campbell.
Central clashed with Auckland straight after Brisbane’s game ended, with the Phoenix desperate for points after a woeful Premier League season so far. The desperation showed, with Central bashing their way to a 22-8 win over the Marlins. It was a spiteful encounter, highlighted by the forward clashes.
Central: David Shayne, George Gregan, and Harley Autitia 2. Shayne 3/6
Auckland: Matthew Petersen. Fields 2/2
PoM Points: Harley Autitia 3, George Gregan 2, and Adrian Morley 1.
Wellington and Christchurch took the field for the afternoon match, with both sides Premier League- but on different ends of the table. The difference showed, as last year’s runners up put together a scintillating and terrifying display to record a 54-6 win over the hapless Carnage. The win was the biggest in Risk history, and saw Wellington go through to meet the clash between Hawkesbury and Ipswich.
Wellington: Ruben Wiki, Brad Flemming, Trent Barret 2, Kylie Leulai, Mike Forshaw, Paul Stringer, Kevin Sinfield, Jeremy Paul, and Clinton Toopi. Forshaw 9/11
Christchurch: Corey Pearson. Paul 1/1
PoM Points: Kevin Sinfield 3, Trent Barret 2, and Paul Stringer 1.
The final clash of the afternoon session saw Hawkesbury clash with the ‘worst team in the ASRL’, Division Two’s spoon guarantees, Ipswich. The Mavericks, fielding a side which saw Maleky O’Connor play five eighth, had little trouble progressing to a semi-final clash with Wellington, winning 34-6.
Hawkesbury: Brett Hodgson, Marc Stcherbina, Wise Kativerata, Darren Treacy, and Inoke Ratudina 2. Hodgson 6/6
Ipswich: Florian Chaubet. Burrow 1/1
PoM Points: Inoke Ratudina 3, Maleky O’Connor 2, and Mick Van Der Wall 1.
Semi Finals
Here it was, a Saturday night set to be highlighted by some intense clashes. The emerging powers of Division Two clashing with last year’s Grand Finalists. Could Hawkesbury achieve the impossible and send Wellington into a third place play-off? Was it possible for Preston Campbell to lift Brisbane to a win over Central and progress to a final? As the first game kicked off, the big crowd knew they’d get some answers.
The clash between Brisbane and Central was probably the finest of the tournament, Brisbane leading 8-0 at the break before Central rallied to take a 16-8 lead as the game wound down. But the tenacity of the Bulls surprised Central, and two tries in five minutes shortly before full-time saw Brisbane sneak into the final as 20-16 winners.
Brisbane: Scott Prince, David Westley, and Adam Mogg. Campbell 4/4
Central: Brad Fittler, Harley Autitia, and Gorden Tallis. Shayne 2/5
PoM Points: Willie Talau 3, Preston Campbell 2, and Gorden Tallis 1.
The next game show-cased why Wellington went into the tournament as favourites, the Cougars never looking troubled by the Mavericks in a 24-10 hammering of the Division Two title contenders. The game was all but over when Wellington lead 14-4 at halftime, before extending the lead to 24-4 in the early exchanges of the second half.
Wellington: Brad Flemming, Brent Sherwin, Jeremy Paul, and John Sitizien. Sinfield 5/5
Hawkesbury: Brett Hodgson and Wise Kativerata. Hodgson 1/1
PoM Points: Clinton Toopi 3, Kevin Sinfield 2, and Jeremy Paul 1.
Third Place Play-Off
It may be true that no one ever remembers the winner of the third place play-off, but Central and Hawkesbury saw this game as a must win if they wanted to earn back any of their losses for entering the tournament. One competition point and a wad of cash would await the winner, whilst the loser would have surrendered two points and $75,000 for nought.
The clash was tight fought across the board, and set the mood for the final to follow. Although Hawkesbury scored two tries to one, their ill-discipline and a return to kicking form from David Shayne saw Central emerge winners 12-10 in a thrilling clash.
Central: Scott Donald. Shayne 4/5
Hawkesbury: Darren Treacy and Inoke Ratudina. Hodgson 1/2
PoM Points: Mick Van Der Wall 3, Inoke Ratudina 2, and Adrian Morley 1.
The Final
It has come down to this. The favourites, reigning premiers, and last year’s runners up against Brisbane. The Bulls, who only two years ago pushed Gold Coast to the limit in a Grand Final qualifier, and who now seek to ascend back into the hallowed halls of Premier League.
The game kicked off to a massive roar from the crowd present, who, if it were possible, seemed to have swelled in size since yesterday’s qualifiers. The Bulls were outstanding in the first half, and lead 18-0 on the back of a Shannon Hegarty double and some Wellington complacency. The second half was more tightly fought, but the Cougars again fell short in the big game, humbled 24-8 by the Brisbane Bulls.
It was the second time in as many years that a Division Two side has beaten Wellington in the final, and as the Brisbane players and coach Grant Johnston celebrated- Wellington coach Nathan Hoy was shaking his head in surprise and disgust at another magnificent choke by his side.
Brisbane: Shannon Hegarty 2, John Hopoate, and Scott Prince. Campbell 4/5
Wellington: Mike Forshaw and Brad Flemming. Sinfield 0/2
PoM Points: Wayne Bartrim 3, Preston Campbell 2, and David Westley 1.
Tournament Awards
Top Try Scorer (All Three):
- Inoke Ratudina (Hawkesbury)
- Mike Forshaw (Wellington)
- Brad Flemming (Wellington)
- Harley Autitia (Central)
Top Goal Scorer: Kevin Sinfield (Wellington) – 14/18
Player of the Tournament (Joint):
- Preston Campbell (Brisbane)
- Wayne Bartrim (Brisbane)
Team of the Tournament
1: Maleky O’Connor (Hawkesbury)
2: Brad Flemming (Wellington)
3: Adam Mogg (Brisbane)
4: Clinton Toopi (Wellington)
5: Willie Talau (Brisbane)
6: Mick Van Der Wall (Hawkesbury)
7: Preston Campbell (Brisbane)
8: Paul Stringer (Wellington)
9: Harley Autitia (Central)
10: David Westley (Brisbane)
11: Adrian Morley (Central)
12: Kevin Sinfield (Wellington)
13: Wayne Bartrim (Brisbane)
HEAD COUNT
Hawkesbury: 2
Wellington: 4
Brisbane: 5
Central: 2
