Central Queensland Capras were edged 20-16 by the Redcliffe Dolphins at Kayo Stadium in Finals Week 1 of the Hostplus Cup, after a strong first half gave the Capras a 12-point advantage before Redcliffe fought back after the break.
Central Queensland made an ideal start, opening the scoring through Melino Fineanganofo in the fifth minute. Trey Brown converted to give the Capras a 6-0 lead.
Connor Guley extended the advantage in the 12th minute, crossing for Central Queensland’s second try. Brown was unable to add the conversion, but the Capras had established a 10-0 lead inside the opening quarter.
Redcliffe found its first points through Steven Numambo in the 23rd minute, with Joshua James missing the conversion to leave Central Queensland six points clear.
The Capras responded before the break, with Fineanganofo crossing for his second try in the 32nd minute. Brown converted to stretch the lead to 16-4, giving Central Queensland a strong position heading into half-time.
Redcliffe’s response came early in the second half.
Capras fullback Banjo Walker was sent to the sin bin in the 52nd minute, and the Dolphins capitalised soon after through Jude Saldanha. James converted to reduce Central Queensland’s advantage to 16-10.
The Capras continued to hold the lead as the match moved into the final quarter, but Redcliffe found another breakthrough in the 63rd minute when Brent Woolf crossed. James converted to bring the Dolphins level at 16-all.
With neither side able to separate itself heading into the closing stages, the next points became crucial.
They came through Dolphins fullback Trai Fuller in the 76th minute, with his try putting Redcliffe ahead for the first time at 20-16. James missed the conversion, leaving the Capras within four points with the final minutes remaining.
Central Queensland pushed for a late response, but Redcliffe held on to complete the second-half comeback and secure the four-point result.
The turnaround came after the Capras had done much of the early work, scoring three first-half tries and taking a 16-4 advantage into the sheds. Redcliffe responded with three unanswered tries after half-time, while Central Queensland was unable to add to its first-half tally.
Fineanganofo finished with two tries for the Capras, with Guley adding their other four-pointer and Brown kicking two conversions. Detailed tackle and running statistics were not available in the supplied match data, so further individual statistical leaders cannot be confirmed.
It was a narrow result for Central Queensland after building a strong first-half platform, with Redcliffe’s second-half response ultimately proving the difference at Kayo Stadium.
