As from 13 January 2008 this site will no longer be in use by the Cougars. We are building a new website which is open for business and will gradually have more information as time goes on. Our new website is www.cougarsgridiron.com.au

 Thanks, Ross

Congratulations to the Gold Coast Stingrays who won both the senior and junior Sun Bowls for the 2nd consecutive season for both squads.

Well done to Wayne Lalor (Senior Linebacker), Craig Hipathite (Senior Special Teams), and Bruce Pulusi (Junior Offensive Line) who won Gridiron Qld awards that were announced at the Sun Bowl.

Also best of luck to Paul Holgate, Michael Zammit, Craig Hipathite, Wayne Muller, Todd Sneddon, Justin Maunder, Bruce Pulusi, and Luke Gordon who were selected in the Senior Sun Devils squad to trial for the Senior Nationals next April.

Remember to return your equipment on Thursday nights and the presentation is on at 11am Sunday 9 December at Kholo Gardens. Stayed tuned for a new website over summer, www.cougarsgridiron.com.au

 Ross 0413 015187

After making a late season charge to the playoffs, the juniors fell 1 game short when they lost 19-9 to the Wildcats and the Kenmore Bears held on to beat Rhinos 9-6. The juniors performed admirably during the season with arguably the least amount of registered and available players (12) in the competition and it was a disappointing that we were unable to make the playoffs and play at home on 3 November.

The juniors started flat in the 1st half and we down 7-0 at half time. Another TD by the Wildcats extended the lead to 13-0 but Alex Speakman ran back a blocked PAT by Bruce Pulusi 90yds for 1pt. With injuries starting to take their toll, Jarrod Baxter replaced Steve McCormack at QB and made several big runs within the last 2mins to get us inside the Wildcats red zone. Baxter ran the ball in from 3yds out and also got the 2pt PAT. Baxter then tried the onside kick but it went too far for our coverage and the Wildcats, behind some awesome blocks which (legally) took out a couple of our players, ran the ball in for the winning TD. Injuries to Baxter, BJ Albany, McCormack, Mark Wright, Laurie Wood, and Nasen Lualu, and missing Hayden McMillan, severely restricted our ability to field a fully fit and capable team. A great team effort by those that played for the entire game. With strategic recruitment during the summer, and the return of the core of eligible players, the team can look forward to next year with optimism and enthusiasm.

The seniors played the Stingrays at the Gold Coast and came back up the freeway with a 35-0 to finish a season which saw the team finish last. The team needs to completely rebuild for coming seasons and continue with their youth development to allow for growth within the team. Special thanks to rookies Don Szucs, Sam Taylor and Ryan Kinsela who, outside the player/coaches, were the only players to regularly attend training on a weekly basis. In the end the team only achieved what they put in and if we are to rise to the level of other clubs, more commitment is needed by all players.

Remember that we are hosting the 1st round playoffs on 3 November. Games will be played at 12pm, 2pm, 4pm and 7pm. Players will be rostered for ground setup, chain crews, and clean up.

We will also be holding our presentation in late November/early December. Stay tuned for more details.

Thanks, Ross

The juniors continued their charge towards the playoffs wth a hard fought 20-0 win over a gallant Browns Plains Bears. Andrew McEwan started off the first drive with some great runs to the outside of the Bears defense. On consecutive plays he outran then ran over several defenders. The Bears started to bring up their safety and that's when Steve McCormack hit BJ Albany with a 30yd TD pass to open the scoring. The 2pt conversion was successful with a Nasen Lualu run.

The game didn't see another score until 6min remaining in the game. The Bears were making huge yards with their spread offense. Their QB had room to run but the Cougars were playing a "bend don't break" cover 2 defense trying to hold onto the lead. A great BJ Albany interception at our own 2yd line saw him pluck the ball between 2 receivers and run 98yds for the game winning TD. The 2pt conversion was unsuccessful. The Bears bravely tried to come back but the Cougars got the ball back with 2min remaining and were trying to run out the clock when Darius Holiday-Miller broke threw some tired Bears players and scored a 40yd rushing TD to extend the lead to 20-0. The conversion was unsuccessful and the Cougars held on for their 2nd consecutive shutout.

The juniors now play the Wildcats at Daisy Hill at 1pm in a "win and your in" game. Win and we're in the playoffs, lose and we wait on the Kenmore v Rhinos result. Thanks to all the parents who cheered on the team on the weekend and we hope to see you this weekend in a big clash with the Wildcats who are playing great explosive football.

The undermanned seniors put on a brave effort against the Ravens, and despite several more injuries to lineman, competed for the entire game before going down 18-6. The game was evenly balanced in the last quarter until the Ravens snagged an intercept in their own half and ran it back for the winning TD.

Joel Keep had a blinder playing receiver and safety and caught several passes that led to 1st downs and big yardage. Unfortunately the Cougars turned the ball over too often and their small offensive line were unable to give Adam Irwin consitant protection. However, when protection broke down and players were covered, the ball was forced into coverage or the ball wasn't thrown away which led to poor field position. After going down to an early 1st qtr TD the Cougars battled on for the remainder of the 1st half. Ben Pavitt made the hit of the night by decleating the Ravens #22 who ran across the middle late in the 2nd qtr. The Ravens scored early in the 3rd but the Cougars fought back with a Adam Irwin TD pass to Craig Hipathite which brought the score back to 12-6. With the Cougars starting to gain momentum and field position late in the 4th, and intercept by the Ravens was returned for about 70yds for the winning TD which put them into the top 4 and kept the Cougars rooted to the bottom of the ladder.

The seniors play the Stingrays this weekend at 7pm at Runaway Bay. The team will be keen to match last year's result by beating an unbeaten Gold Coast team but the Stingrays will be keen to keep their offensive continuity by playing their starters for as long as possible. The COugars will have their backs to the wall but will not allow the Stingrays to run away with the game. A big effort is needed and I'm sure the boys will play hard all game.  

The weekend's home games saw split results amongst our junior and senior teams. Our juniors had a suffocating defense in the 1st half against the Kenmore Bears who were without their star QB, Jared Stegman. Our offense really struggled against a strong defense and turned the ball over early and often. A lucky, and unplanned, receiver reverse on the last play of the 1st half resulted in Andrew McEwan displaying great running skills and speed as he ran in a 50 yard TD which was converted for a 2pt PAT by Nasen Laulu. The offense played more consistantly in the 2nd half as the game became quite heated between the 2 teams. The Cougars however were able to keep calm and Steve McCormack hit BJ Albany for a long bomb TD to ice the game with only a few minutes left. The PAT failed and it was up to the defense to hold on. Kenmore were spirited in the last couple of minutes and were unfortunate not to capitalise on a good drive at the end of the game. The juniors again proved that when on their game, they can compete with any team. 12 players have performed beyond expectations this season but they still need 2 wins to make the playoffs. The boys must win this weekend against Browns Plains Bears who nearly beat the Wildcats last weekend. This week's game will be played at Ipswich at 3pm. A good crowd is expected to cheer on the boys as they continue to fly the Cougar flag in the hope of a playoff spot.

The seniors were missing a few linemen but had the majority of their available roster (aside from those that have decided to quit) on hand. A strong running game mixed with a few missed tackles saw the Browns Plains Bears open their account in the 1st qtr with a long TD run. The Cougars night was also highlighted by several dropped catches which put the team in a hole early. Adam Irwin made some nice play action passes which held up the coverage of the Bears LBs and safeties (playing cover 2) but the dropped catches meant plenty of missed opportunities. Injuries started to hit the OL but the Cougars played a strong 2nd half. Down 21-0 at the half, Joel Keep took an intercept back to the Bears 2yd line and the Cougars scored to pull back to 21-6. However, the Bears kept grinding out the clock and moving the ball on the ground and scored in the last few minutes to win 28-6 and seal a playoff spot. The seniors will be looking to win their 2nd game of the season against another injury plaqued team, Bayside Ravens, who are battling for the 4th and final playoff spot. A win by the Cougars will make the Ravens playoff task extremely difficult and we will take great pleasure in putting on a good performance at 7pm in front of a strong home crowd.

The juniors went to the Gold Coast to play the Rhinos and cam away with a solid 32-13 victory. The juniors have played very well for the 1st half of the season and will be looking to build on their comraderie to push for a playoff spot in the 2nd half of the season. If not for 2nd half letdowns against the Kenmore Bears (up 12-0, lost 28-12) and Wildcats (up 20-8, drew 20-20), and a forfeit against the Bronws Plains Bears, the junior Cougars could be sitting in 3rd. However, the juniors are currently in 5th and will enjoy the bye week before starting a tough stretch of games against the unbeaten Stingrays White and 2nd place Ravens. With a couple of players coming back from injury the juniors will look to continue with their punishing running game and control the ball and clock in games to avoid having their more fancied opponents fast offenses on the field.

The seniors went to Daisy Hill to play the Ravens and were beaten for the 2nd time this year by the same score, 28-6. Even with a few Ravens being overseas it didn't stop them from executing on offense and opening up a big lead. The seniors will look to the bye week to ensure that the younger, and inexperienced players, receive plenty of reps in training to be ready for the unbeaten Stingrays in Week 8. The seniors will look to "blood" their inexperienced players to build some momentum for the latter part of the season and to build a rapport and culture that will see the club prosper in the next few years. Having said that, the younger players need to see that they are the future of the club, and regardless of the results, they need to listen to coaches, train hard, and play even harder for them to fulfil their potential (of which they have plenty of).

The NFL starts this weekend and your's truly will be covering the 49ers v Cards game on Monday Night Football whilst coach Wayne will be covering the Cowboys v Giants game from Cowboys Stadium. Pending my physical condition, and wallet condition, I may warm up the voice box for MNF with the Raiders v Lions game from Oakland on Sunday. Log onto EPSN.com and Foxsports.com for live and exclusive coverage.  Better yet, watch the games and learn from the pros. (Go Buffalo Bills)

As mentioned above, I will be in the USA and will not return until the last week of Sept. The website probably won't be updated from today and my return. For any players still owing money (and their are plenty) please pay Toddy as we can't afford new jerseys until all outstanding money is received. For any club enquiries please email the club (directed to Todd) or call Todd on 0430 173371. Let's build on our off field successes by having a good 2nd half season on the field. GO COUGARS (Cheers, Rossco)

A big thank you to all the volunteers who worked throughout the home game on Saturday and suffered through the rain and fog. Your efforts did not go unnoticed and the club appreciates. The only downside was that again there were a couple of people who did not turn up for their rostered duties which meant others had to do more. The standard of play and officiating (I'm sure the cougar juniors are still complaining about that "kicking" call by that volunteer ref - me - but they'll get over it when they see the replay) for all 4 games were exceptional considering the conditions and heavy ball. Onto the game reports

The juniors played last season's runners-up the Wildcats and played their best game since week 2 and they drew 20 all. Jarrod Baxter started with an unbelievable one handed catch opn a kick off return and ran it in for a TD. The Wildcats hit back immediately with a passing TD but Nasen Lualu and Darius Holliday-Miller each scored rushing TDs to lead 20-8 with about 10min left in the game. More blunders in the secondary allowed the Wildcats to make some great catches that turned into TDs late in the 2nd half to bring the score to 20 all. Some tense moments in the last 2min nearly saw the cougars bust the Wildcats defense open but the cougars ran out of timeouts and stayed in bounds on some running plays when they need to stop the clock. A great effort though again by only 11 players. We again proved that we can match it with other teams except that the pure lack of registered and healthy players may hinder a rapid climb up the ladder. The juniors play next week against the Rhinos at 1pm at Runaway Bay.

The seniors were more committed this week than the previous week. The Bears played with their junior QB who had a standout game running the ball and capatilised on a great play action bootleg to score the only TD of the game and win 6-0. The match was tense up until the final seconds as the cougars dominated 4th qtr field position but couldn't punch the ball into the end zone when they were entrenched inside the Bears red zone (20yd) for the last few minutes. Even consecutive turnovers and 4 down stops by the defense didn't help the offense in the wet conditions. The seniors play the Ravens next week at Daisy Hill at 6pm. 

A great day for the "big uglies" on the line and not a productive passing day for the receivers and QBs.

Congratulations to Jesse Williams and Lachlan McIntyre from the Ravens in being offered a scholarship and walk-on position (respectively) at the Unversity of Hawaii. The Rainbows are expected to push for a BCS Bowl Game this season and are currently ranked in the top 25. College games start this weekend

The juniors had to forfeit their game against the Browns Plains Bears last Saturday due to only having 7 players at the start of the game. It was bitterly disappointing to the players who attended on time and they were furious at those who had no excuse for not turning up or being late (apologies to Bruce who told us he would be late). A few players need to have a look at themselves and work out whether they have the commitment and attitude to play this season. They are only letting the other guys down and it would be a disgrace if we can't put a team on the field for our home game this weekend. GQ are allowed to fine clubs if they forfeit on the day without taking the field. The club will now forfeit games on Wednesday if the current lack of commitment by a selected few continues. Considering we are planning to outlay approx $4000 for new jerseys the club will not tolerate being fined and wasting money on avoidable situations. The same rule applies for seniors.

The seniors travelled to Banyo to play the unbeaten Rhinos and came away soundly beaten 42-0. The Rhinos were too experienced and executed well on both sides of the ball. The Cougars offense barely moved the ball due to players playing out of position and having a limited offensive line. Some of the younger guys need to start attending training so they can learn at training rather than during the games. Too many Rhinos drives turned into TDs due to bad coverage in the secondary. Again there were a couples of calls that went against the Cougars but in reality we were thankful that the Rhinos pulled most of their starters in the 2nd half and didn't pour it on like another team likes to do. The Cougars can compete with other teams but again, without training we won't fulfill our potential. Some of the juniors stepped up to play and performed admirably. Andrew McEwan had a great game and should get a lot of confidence from playing against one of the best teams in Qld. Daniel Yeomans has also started to show promise and has some good kick returns.

Week 3 saw the juniors shoot out to a 12-0 lead over the Kenmore Bears during the 1st half. It appeared that the undermanned Cougars were on their way to their 2nd win in a row but some long bombs and great catches by the Bears receivers saw them pull back to be down 12-6 at half time. The 2nd half saw the Bears play a 4 WR offense and their mobile QB ran and passed the Bears to a 28-12 win over the Cougars. The Bears coaching staff made solid adjustments and the team played well in the 2nd half but the Cougars struggled in the heat and played the 2nd half with 10 players only to see another player injured leaving no subs for the team. Whilst the remaining players are giving their best effort, the lack of registered players may hinder the teams progress on the ladder but the boys are learning how to mentally prepare for games and tough conditions and the experience will only make them better.

The seniors played their 1st complete game of the season and came away with a 30-6 win over the Wildcats who pushed the Cougars all the way to the final whistle. The scoeline did not reflect the tightness of the game and the difference between the teams was probably TE/FS Craig Hipathite who scored 2 receiving TDs and returned an interception for a TD. The Cougars finally had their full strength OL together with the return of Justin Maunder and were able to protect the QB (Wayne Muller) and open holes for RB Paul Holgate. This week the team travels to unbeaten Northside Rhinos but injuries and work commitments are starting to mount for the Cougars. QB Wayne Muller and LB Luke "Muzza" Gordon will soon depart for the Australian Development Squad Tour of the USA and the Cougars wish them all the best and hope they have a safe trip and return to push the Cougars into the playoffs in the 2nd half of the season.

The best club effort since last season when the seniors beat the then undefeated Stingrays saw the juniors bond together as a team and beat the more fancied Stingrays Blue. Missing 3 players from the roster and having (QB/SS) BJ Albany suffer an ankle injury, the Cougars were down to 11 players. Down 6-2 inside the 2 minute warning the Cougars had a rushing TD by Dazza Holliday-Miller called back on a very unsual call by the official. However, the Cougars brushed that off and with more strong running from Dazza and Nasen Laulu behind a dominant OL, Nasen scored the winning TD which was capped off by Dazza's 2pt conversion. The team was outstanding all game, no-one gave up and the coaches and supporters were extremely proud of the boys efforts. The juniors play Kenmore Bears this Saturday and need to concentrate on the game ahead if they are to avoid a letdown from last weekend's victory.

The seniors were suffering from many unavailable players through injury/illness and work commitments. Several juniors stepped up to help make up numbers but the Cougars were simply outclassed and outnumbered before going down 42-0 to the Stingrays. To their credit the seniors never gave up but obviously have some soul searching to do at training if they are to avoid being in last place when they play fellow cellar dwellars the Wildcats this Saturday. Bruce Pulusi had an oustanding game backing up his efforts in the junior game.

The Juniors started the season with a 22-0 loss to the Bayside Ravens. The Ravens started strong jumping out to a 14-0 after 10min but the Cougars fought back and were unlucky not to sustain their offensive drives and threaten the Ravens redzone. Injuries in the 2nd took their toll and the Ravens ran out winners. Great efforts by all rookies.

 The seniors went down to a well drilled Ravens team 28-7. The inability to move the ball on the ground, and several dropped passes helped the Ravens defense dominate the Cougars offense. David DeKeivit had a solid game at FS and WR scoring our only TD. Rookie C, Sam Taylor played well as the game went on and will be better for the experience. Several veterans got injured during the game but the secondary needs to concentrate on the WRs rather than the ball as they were torched for 3 TDs.