Wynnum Manly proved too strong on the day, but the story behind the scoreboard tells a deeper tale for the Capras.
Fielding a side missing both co-captains – Tyler Szepanowski awaiting the arrival of his first child, and Blake Moore sidelined for the past month with injury – the Capras entered the clash without 7 of their usual starting 17. That gap in experience showed against a seasoned Seagulls outfit.
With four 19-year-olds and two 21-year-olds in the mix, most with fewer than ten Hostplus Cup games under their belt, the Capras fielded a gutsy but green lineup. Ben Condon, the only player with NRL experience, led a youthful group packed with talent and passion—but facing a well-drilled Wynnum Manly side on their home turf was always going to be a mountain to climb.
The Seagulls controlled possession and territory, capitalising on errors and ill-discipline to steadily build a lead. Tries in the 27th and 35th minutes opened the scoring before Wynnum pulled away in the second half, running in three more tries to seal the 28–0 result.
Despite the scoreline, the young Capras refused to roll over. They’ll take the hard lessons from this outing and use them as fuel as they continue to build experience, cohesion, and confidence heading into the next round.
