Warilla-Lake South Gorillas have cemented their spot at the top of the Group Seven first grade ladder after accounting for fellow co-leaders Jamberoo Superoos 36-22 after a late flurry at Cec Glenholmes Oval on Sunday.
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With both sides missing some vital troops due to playing the rescheduled round five game on the Queens Birthday long weekend, it didn't detract from the game as a spectacle, with 11 tries scored, many of which were long-distance efforts, particularly by the home side.
Warilla supporters didn't have long to wait for the first try when, in just the second minute, Darnell Walker was able to scoop up a bouncing kick and dive over out wide.
Just six minutes later they were in again when hooker Lleyton Hughes forced his way over from dummy-half after sustained pressure on the Jamberoo line and Jake Brisbane converted to make it 10-0.
There was further drama in the 15th minute when the Gorilllas had their third after a chip kick and perfect bounce saw youngster Sean Trindall score, which Brisbane then converted to make it 16-0.
The Jamberoo dugout was looking more like a hospital casualty ward with prop James Gilmore and centre Kurt Field both ruled out with leg injuries, however this just seemed to steal the Superoos resolve.
In the 26th minute it was celebration time for rookie Jamberoo prop Jayden Foye as he trailed a break by Jono Dallas to score his first top-grade try.
Paul Asquith converted to close the gap to 10.
Eight minutes later five-eighth Mark Asquith made a break out wide and found centre Dean Watling in support and backed up on the inside to score.
The score now stood at 16-10, with the game back in the balance.
Just when it looked like the scores would remain the same heading into halftime, Justin Jones made a tremendous play.
He fielded a clearing kick near his own line and beat several tiring defenders to race back to halfway, with the speedster racing fifty metres to score. Brisbane converted for a commanding 22-10 halftime lead.
Whatever Superoos coach Jono Dallas said at halftime must have worked, as just two minutes after the break they hit back again when Mark Asquith took on the Gorilla's middle defence and scored a fine individual try, with his brother Paul's conversion closing the gap to six again.
The scores at halftime were tied at 22-all just ten minutes later when it was Dallas himself was able to throw a dummy and shrug off a tackle to dive over.
Asquith's conversion locked the scores up with 25 minutes to play.
However, this was as close as the Superoos would get as the Gorillas applied the blowtorch to a tiring opposition who were operating with just one replacement off the bench.
First it was a good spread to the left that saw Trindall dive over for his second try in the corner before a clever long-range grubber-kick by Brisbane bounced awkwardly for centre Dane Nelson to dive over next to the posts.
The final try was another piece of Jones magic as he showed plenty of speed to send rookie winger Tyran Roberts speeding away.
In a classy Gorillas win Brisbane, Jones, Dane Nelson and veteran Aaron Henry shone, while rookie prop Jayden Foye, Simon Maslanka, Jono Dallas and Ben Bernard were among the Superoos best.
The Gorillas will look to keep the momentum going next round against the Sharks, while the Superoos will look to get back on track against the Knights.