June 10 saw the Whistler Wolves face the back-to-back Rugby League British Columbia (RLBC) champion Point Grey Thunder at the Brockton Oval in Stanley Park. Last time around, the youthful Thunder came away with a 48-20 win; this time, however, experience prevailed as the Wolves crafted a dominant 40-8 triumph.
It's the first time Whistler has ever beaten Point Grey in 13-a-side rugby league competition, though the Wolves did also emerge victorious at last month's RLBC Nines Tournament.
Starting fast
A well-prepared Thunder squad opened the scoring after a spritely stand-off found his way through the Whistler defence and reached the goal line from his own half. The Wolves quickly woke up and ended the brief lead after a well-placed kick from Nathan Fallquist troubled a Point Grey winger. Ian Skuse gratefully picked up the resulting knock-on and made it all square.
The Wolves didn’t let up on the road. After Point Grey gifted them three back-to-back sets, an imposing Augustus Murphy gathered three defenders, creating space for Alec Reid to put second-row Tom Barlow through a gap for the Wolves’ second try.
The Thunder replied with a valiant effort, coming close to the line after a Whistler handling error; yet the workhorse Jordan Mole helped thwart the attack. At the 18-minute mark, Blake Mahovic put the nail in the coffin of Point Grey’s hopes: typically strong jinking run saw the Brit in open space in his half, engaging his afterburners and showing fans why he’s always one to watch.
Forwards Tim Stanley, Alex Mortlock and recent rugby union convert Peter Foley peppered the tiring Point Grey defence with charging runs throughout the game. The Thunder held on commendably until the half.
Point Grey found themselves in the sheds at halftime with a handful of injuries.
Second-half highlights
Josh Weatherill further added to the Wolves' lead after receiving an offload from Reid and a wide pass from Mahovic. Weatherill, another union convert playing in his first rugby league match, notched a debut try in just the second minute of the half. Skuse followed with his only missed conversion of the day.
Consolation came to Point Grey; a rare break and a dubious pass gave them a glimmer of hope. Typical of the day, it was short-lived. Reid rightfully attracted several defenders, leaving space for Kane Strachan to show Point Grey’s youth how to run a line and find themselves under the posts.
In a fixture full of surprises, none was more prominent than when Murphy found himself in space following a piece of fancy footwork rarely seen from a player of his stature. Murphy could be excused for thinking what he saw next was a lucid dream: his prop-idol, Tim Stanley, put on a once-in-a-century burst of pace to get open. What ensued looked like a National Geographic rerun as several Thunder athletes slowly dragged Stanley down.
There must have been something in the forwards' water on Saturday as Foley staked his claim and made a darting run down the wing, followed by another effort from Murphy, setting the platform for the experienced Wolves’ back line to pick apart Thunder. Skuse, Mahovic and Barlow carved out space for Reid to go over in the corner.
In keeping with the forward pack trend, Canadian Masters' representative Keller Reeves added another tale to his repertoire with a long, decisive run from the kick-off. Meanwhile, Wolves captain Josh Michalik consistently kept the Thunder at bay with his staunch defence.
With Point Grey players essentially out on their feet, the Wolves poured it on. Zachary Jamison and Neil Irwin accompanied Kallum Harley in gaining territory as they found quick yards from the dummy half throughout the game.
On his debut, a hanging cross-field kick found Sean Snyman. His efforts teed up the ever-present Murphy, who reaped the rewards by bursting through the Point Grey try line.
At the final whistle, the Wolves rose to first place in the standings, with Murphy and Reid splitting the vote for the Player’s Player award.
The second-place Vancouver Valley Vipers will make their way up Highway 99 on June 17 for a top-of-the-table clash at Whistler Secondary School with the host Wolves. Kick off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Dragons are slated to take on the Thunder at 3:30 p.m. for this Saturday's early game.
