Gordon captain and halfback Terry Preston. Photo: spaimages.com.au

by Brendan Bradford –

Recently installed as coach of the North Harbour Rays, Geoff Townsend is a busy man but is adamant his number one priority is Gordon and the Shute Shield. The Highlanders went down 29-0 to West Harbour in a rare evening game last Saturday, but Townsend said the scoreline didn’t reflect the true nature of the contest.

“We weren’t disappointed with the effort, but more in the execution,” he said.

“We probably created more opportunities than Wests did, especially in the first half, but didn’t take any of them. We dropped the ball over the line, had a try disallowed and for all the work we did around the park to create things, we just couldn’t capitalise. So we need to be more accurate in what we’re doing because we had our opportunities to win that game and the scoreline doesn’t reflect it, but it was a lot closer.”

When things aren’t going your way, you rarely catch a break and Gordon are finding that out this year with injuries ruining the start of the season and the bounce of the ball and refereeing decisions going against them more recently.

Penrith are looking to go back-to-back this weekend. Photo: Penrith Emus.

“For the third time this year we dropped the ball over the line, they scored off a couple of our scrums and I reckon there was one that was pretty offside,” said Townsend.

“When you’re down, you don’t catch a break and we’re not getting many of them at this stage but hopefully it will turn around.”

Against a Penrith side coming off their first win in almost two years, Townsend is hoping things turn sooner rather than later.

“Teki and Ben are doing a good job and they’ve been contesting every game and it’ll be a good contest this weekend,” he said.

“It’ll be very competitive because there’s no easy game in this competition and Penrith have improved a lot this year from what I’ve seen.”

It took two and a half months, but that gradual improvement turned into a win for Penrith last week. Backed by a huge second half defensive effort, the Emus defeated Norths 35-26 at home but coach Teki Tuipulotu isn’t getting carried away just yet.

“It was the belief and defence at the end of the game that won it,” he said.

“We were up 35-19 and Norths scored again but the boys really knuckled down and got the win. We enjoyed it on Saturday night, but the boys know they have a job to do to get back-to-back wins this weekend and turn it into a bit of consistency at the end of the year.”

Penrith had been working towards that first victory every game this year and their last place on the ladder didn’t reflect the attacking prowess across the backline or mongrel up front.

“It’s been two long years of hard work and we’re finally starting to reap some of those rewards,” said Tuipulotu whose side jumps to 11th on the table.

“We have a lot of talent this year and I think a lot of teams are starting to notice that we are scoring points and we are a serious team. I think it was a case of ‘who are we going to win against’ and no one wanted to be that first team, so hopefully now the boys have got a taste for it, we can keep going.”

Tuipulotu has named the same starting side although question marks remain over several players whose fitness will be assessed at training on Thursday ahead of the match against Gordon who, incidentally, were the last side to lose to Penrith before Norths last weekend.

“Without a doubt we’ll be giving Gordon upmost respect because they’re a good team,” said Tuipulotu.

“They’re coming off losses to Norths and West Harbour and they’ll be looking to bounce back. They’re very good around the ruck and we’ll need to improve our overall defence because it wasn’t very tidy in the first half.”

Gordon v Penrith at Chatswood Oval 3:00pm

Gordon: 1. Tobias Gukibau, 2. Ron Hobden, 3. Nick Fraser, 4. Ruiraidh Wilson, 5. Luke Heavey, 6. Jack Maguire, 7. Mitch Greenway, 8. Johnno Broome, 9. Terry Preston (c), 10. Henry Carmichael, 11. Brandon Quinn, 12. Tom Matthews, 13. Matt McDougall, 14. Sione Ala, 15. Xavier McCoy.

Penrith: 1. Daniel Arona, 2. Ethan- Robinson Mate (c), 3. Sione Matangi, 4. Sione Pusi’aki Fifita, 5. Dave Reopoama, 6. Senio Toleafoa, 7. John Waititi, 8. Andrew Pelasio, 9. Notise Tauafao, 10. Robbie Mate, 11. Malakai Zelezniak, 12. Michael Mate, 13. KJ McKenzie, 14. Peni Narube, 15. Jerome Mckenzie.

Referee: Jamie McGregor