The Central Queensland Capras faced a difficult road trip to Mackay over the weekend, taking on two strong Cutters squads in back-to-back fixtures at BB Print Stadium. Despite patches of strong effort and moments of grit, both the BMD Premiership and Hostplus Cup sides were unable to overcome well-drilled Mackay lineups who executed with precision and took control of both contests.
BMD Premiership: Cutters 30 def. Capras 4
The day opened with the Capras BMD Premiership squad up against the reigning premiers — Mackay Cutters. The Cutters struck early, crossing in the third minute through Jaccoa Keyssecker to set the tone. Despite determined defensive efforts from the Capras in the middle part of the first half, Mackay extended their lead with tries to Jakaia Collett (21’) and Emily Bella (36’), heading to the break up 10-0.
The second half saw the Cutters continue to apply pressure. Kayla Shepherd (43’) and a second for Emily Bella (47’) pushed the game beyond reach, before Mersades Lawson sealed it with a 64th-minute try.
The Capras refused to finish without a fight. In the 68th minute, Tasmyn Boody found space to cross for CQ’s only try of the match, ensuring the side got on the board against a formidable opponent. While the 30–4 result was not in their favour, the Capras’ second-half resilience showed glimpses of the effort this young group continues to bring to every game.
Hostplus Cup: Cutters 32 def. Capras 12
In the main game, the Hostplus Cup squad went toe-to-toe with a Mackay side that had the advantage of form and momentum on their home turf. The Cutters opened scoring in the 20th minute through Jimmy Ngutlik, quickly followed by Julius Kapeli in the 31st. A successful conversion pushed the margin to 10–0.
The Capras found their spark late in the first half. Peyton Jenkins burst through in the 38th minute for CQ’s first try, converting his own effort to close the gap to 10–6 at halftime — right in the fight.
Shortly after the break, Nixon Putt added more firepower, crossing in the 49th minute with Jenkins again adding the extras. The Capras were suddenly ahead with momentum swinging.
But Mackay responded sharply. A try to Brenton Baira (56’) put the Cutters back in control, and from there, the hosts finished strongly. Tries to Ngutlik (66’), Ryan Rivett (69’), and Braydon Guyan (72’) put the game out of reach, with Rivett adding three conversions in the final 10 minutes to secure a 32–12 win.
Looking Ahead
It was a challenging afternoon for both Capras squads in Mackay — facing reigning champions in the BMD and a Cutters Hostplus outfit that found their rhythm in key moments. Despite the results, both squads showed periods of composed play, defensive resilience, and the ability to apply pressure — particularly when closing the gap early in the second half of the Hostplus clash.
The focus now shifts to regrouping on home turf. With valuable lessons from this road trip, the Capras will turn their attention to tightening execution, reducing costly errors, and preparing for the next challenge back in front of their home crowd.
