Rookie Inspires Highlanders To Better Times
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday June 2, 2003
Gordon's coach John Quinn greeted the first day of winter like the first day of spring yesterday when he awoke from the nightmare of seven successive losses to the sunshine of Mark Preston's 33-point debut.
Quinn had only glimpsed the 18-year-old fullback in trials, but by the end of Gordon's 83-12 demolition of Penrith at Chatswood Oval on Saturday, Preston's three tries and nine conversions from 12 attempts dispelled all of the misery.
Quinn said of the Newington College graduate's contribution: ``It was quite phenomenal. Mark deserved all the plaudits he has received.
``I liken that performance to Stirling Mortlock's game when he came into grade for John Warr after playing for The King's School. `Morty' was a kid with an extraordinary talent and Mark could be a special player, too."
When Quinn informed Preston of his promotion from first-grade colts during the week, he told him: ``Understand that you're no longer a colt. You're a first-grade player now, on the field and off it."
Gordon had earned a single bonus point in the Shute Shield before their defeat of Penrith. Yet, with two big pillars in Michael Spalding and Adam Hill at prop, a mobile and capable ball-winning pack led by the irrepressible Tim O'Brien, a neat pair of halves in John Slater and Nick Boyle and a slick back line, the Highlanders certainly were a better team than performances indicated.
Perhaps it was the full-page ``special investigation" about the team in a north shore newspaper which detonated the revival.
Penrith ran Queensland squad prop Peter Niumata on as tight-head instead of his specialist loose-head position and though he gave everything, Hill and Lincoln Mortlock's scrum finished with the honours.
If Preston was the headline-stealer, blindside breakaway Vili Napa'a proved the most dangerous of marauders with two tries before he limped off with a medial ligament injury.
Last season, Gordon played against Parramatta and were ``destroyed" by a rawboned forward even though the Highlanders won the game.
To coach Quinn's delight, an approach was made before Christmas by a Parramatta player, seeking to change clubs. The player was the breakaway Napa'a.
Tongan-born, Napa'a is devastating with his team on the attack, less highly regarded in defensive situations, but he certainly has the qualities and physique to become a Tongan international.
Two full rounds remain of the 11-round Shute Shield competition, with Eastern Suburbs (41 points) still unbeaten after their six-tries-to-one and 45-8 defeat of Northern Suburbs at North Sydney Oval with Manly hot on their tracks with 40 points.
Manly overcame Warringah, six tries to three and 32-21, at Manly Oval, keeping the unscheduled and highly unexpected ``final" against Easts in their sights for Woollahra Oval on June 14.
Fourth-placed Eastwood (25 points) could unravel that scenario next Saturday. They play the Beasts at Woollahra and the way Josh Cullen's scrum worked in the 35-15 defeat of Southern Districts (24) through Aaron Broughton-Rouse, Rod Moore, Van Humphries and Chris Stanin, no side can feel comfortable in the tight pieces.
Manly are away to another danger team, West Harbour (20), at Waratah Stadium on Saturday with Wests' tail feathers high after their 36-12 defeat of Sydney University.
Several clubs have lost a stream of players to representative duty, University, Eastwood, Randwick, Norths and Wests above all.
With a reshaped scrum and the industrious Matt Hastie replacing a limping Alisi Leao at hooker, Nathan McLachlan at pivot and some ambitious backs such as Junior Puroku champing at the bit, the Pirates ran in five tries to two.
Wests' coach Joe Barakat anticipated Pat Howard would attack but in midfield, Wests had a fine defender in centre Chris Moore, who won the honours against the Students' ACT Brumbies representative, Lennie Beckett.
Randwick (23 points) put their player disruptions behind them for a comprehensive 68-17 defeat of Parramatta at Coogee Oval, only their fourth win of the Shield. They meet Norths at North Sydney Oval on Saturday.
In other round-10 games, University clash with Gordon at University Oval, Southern Districts play Penrith at Forshaw Park and Warringah meet Parramatta at Pittwater Park.
© 2003 Sydney Morning Herald