Redcliffe fall to first loss of the season

The Redcliffe Dolphins have suffered their first loss of the season, after a tough road trip to Townsville saw them fall 40-18 to the Blackhawks.

Both teams went into Round 6 undefeated so far for the season, with not just bragging rights on the line.

The clash at Jack Manski Oval was set to give a good indication of where both sides sit after the first month of competition and, for the Dolphins, there were a few tough lessons to take away.

While Redcliffe got off to a fast start, scoring through halfback Joshua James in the opening minutes, they were hurt at times by their own costly mistakes and struggled to overcome Townsville’s defence.

Once the Blackhawks got on a roll – led strongly by experienced half Jack Campagnolo – they proved hard to stop.

Centre Thomas Nisbet was the first on the board for the home team, with veteran winger Kalifa Faifai-Loa bagging a double to follow.

Fellow winger Dudley Dotoi added to Townsville’s lead, with the Blackhawks taking a 22-6 lead into halftime.

McKenzie Baker, Bailey Biondi-Odo and Joshua Stuckey continued Townsville’s run after the break, quickly shutting off any chance of a Dolphins comeback.

There were late consolation tries to backrower Aublix Tawha and James – who scored his second through a stunning chip-and-chase.

While it was not the result the Dolphins wanted, there will be valuable lessons to take forward.

Redcliffe will now look to return home and quickly refocus ahead of their rescheduled Round 1 clash – and grand final rematch – against the Norths Devils on Easter Saturday.

The Devils also remain undefeated after six rounds, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown at Bishop Park.