Central Queensland Capras defeated Sunshine Coast Falcons 30-20 at Sunshine Coast Stadium in Round 16 of the Hostplus Cup, using a sharp second-half surge to turn a tight contest into a strong road win.
The match was locked 6-6 at half-time after both sides traded tries late in the opening half. Central Queensland struck first in the 29th minute when Malachi Dumas crossed, before Trey Brown converted to give the Capras a 6-0 lead.
Sunshine Coast responded four minutes later through Kane Jackson, with Zion Johnson adding the conversion to level the match. That left the contest evenly placed at the break, with neither side able to build a clear advantage through the opening 40 minutes.
The Falcons landed the first blow after half-time when Josh Billing scored in the 42nd minute. Johnson converted to push the home side ahead 12-6, leaving Central Queensland needing a response.
It came quickly, and it changed the match.
Rodrick Tai crossed in the 48th minute and Brown converted to bring the scores level at 12-12. Six minutes later, Khaiya Waiembi scored to put the Capras back in front, with Brown again adding the extras to make it 18-12.
Central Queensland then hit again in the 58th minute through Zev John. Brown’s conversion stretched the margin to 24-12, completing a decisive 18-point run in 10 minutes and giving the Capras control of the scoreboard.
Sunshine Coast stayed in the contest when Johnson scored in the 63rd minute, but his missed conversion left the Falcons trailing 24-16. That eight-point gap remained important heading into the closing stages, with the Falcons still more than a converted try behind.
Dumas delivered the sealing moment in the 76th minute, crossing for his second try of the match. Brown converted once more to push Central Queensland out to 30-16 and leave Sunshine Coast with too much to do. Jackson added a late second try for the Falcons in the 79th minute, but the missed conversion left the final margin at 10 points.
The Capras finished with five tries to four and Brown’s goal-kicking proved decisive, with the hooker landing five conversions from five attempts. Central Queensland also had 54 per cent possession, completed at 76 per cent, ran for 1,414 metres, produced 12 offloads and forced three line dropouts. Tai led the Capras with 201 run metres, while Brown finished with a team-high 34 tackles to go with his perfect return from the tee.
The result gave Central Queensland a 30-20 Round 16 win on the road, built on a second-half spell that turned a six-point deficit into a match-winning lead.
