Despite stunning most of the Hospital Cup competition by claiming a 33-all draw against Brothers on Saturday, Norths coach Dan Ritchie said he was disappointed that his side didn’t claim maximum points against the defending premiers and competition favourites. 

Norths sat last on the Hospital Cup ladder heading into their round 17 clash against competition leaders Brothers, but led the match 14-0 early in the second half and 26 -19 later in the match before settling for a 33-all draw. 

“Brothers have been the benchmark of the competition for a number of years now and we have a lot of respect for them but we still missed an opportunity to win that game,” Ritchie told Rugby News. 

“We had a number of chances to win the game and we didn’t. 

“But in the bigger scheme of things, it’s a growth moment for our group and it’s more proof that we can match it with the top sides of the competition”

Brothers scored two tries in five minutes midway through the second half to claim a 33-26 lead and looked on track to claim their 12th victory of the season. 

But Dan Ritchie’s side had other ideas and hit back again with a try from a driving maul to level the score in the 73rd minute. 

While Norths wanted more from their second last match of the season, Ritchie admitted the weekend was evidence that things are building at Hugh Courtney Oval. 

“Our Colts 1 side also had a big win over Brothers on the weekend so there are lots of positives around the club at the moment,” Ritchie explained. 

“I think most of our supporters understand that we’ve got a long term vision and although it’s not all going to happen overnight, the weekend was proof that we’re on the right track. 

“Brothers are a fantastic side and they are really hard to beat at this time of the year. 

“If you compare it to clashes we’ve had against them at this time of the season in previous years, the scores have been pretty lopsided, so it’s a huge step forward for our program.”

Norths leapfrogged Sunnybank into eighth following Saturday’s result and will finish the season in seventh spot if they can beat Easts at Easts this weekend. 

“We spoke after the game on Saturday about making sure that wasn’t our grand final,” Ritchie said. 

“We’ve still got one game to play and we want to finish the year strong. 

“We beat Easts last time we played them but they have improved a lot since that game. 

“In some respects, it is a mini grand final for both sides this weekend and we want to make sure we back up and produce another good performance.”

In the rounds other matches, UQ beat Sunnybank 50-33, Souths defeated Bond 57-21 and Wests were too good for Easts 27-17. 

Brothers have locked up the minor premiership with one round remaining and will face UQ, Wests or Souths in the major semi final depending on this weekend’s results.