Pirates

The West Sydney Pirates won again in Week 4 of the Gridiron NSW 2013 Division season when they defeated the Wollongong Mustangs by 28-13.

The Pirates were at home for their Week 4 game against the Wollongong Mustangs and they retained their unbeaten 2013 record with a solid 28-13 win.

The Pirates opened the First Quarter with a powerful running game and that was to be the tone and tempo for the entire game as the Offense set a Club Record for rushing yards with over 400 yards on the ground. Marlou Tacugue (170 yards and two Touchdowns) and Greg Evers (123 yards) both got into triple figures, and they were ably supported by Jason Gangaram and Dean Toskoski behind some outstanding blocking by the Offensive Line.

The passing game was not left out either, but it was a more selective passing game that contributed over 100 yards and two scores, both to Dean Toskoski.

The Pirate Defense faced a pass first, pass second, and pass third opponent so with virtually no run game to defend were able to sit back and knock down passes and make tackles as required. Jeremy Ghattas had an impressive game at Linebacker, making 7 tackles and picking off a pass to close out the First Half.

With so much yardage on Offense and being able to play a one-dimensional Defense the biggest concern was the mental errors which led to missed assignments and silly penalties. Offensive drives stalled or were killed off by a costly penalty and the scores given up by the Defense were a result of missed coverages or miscommunication.

This is definitely an area that the team must improve on, and it needs to be done sooner rather than later.

A win at home though is important, and it keeps the team momentum building which is of huge importance as the season continues to unfold.

A sub-plot to the game was the number of injuries sustained by Pirate players, none more serious than the injury to new Defensive Back, Pete Goudie. Pete was returning a Wollongong punt when he twisted awkwardly in a tackle which resulted in him suffering a broken leg and torn ankle ligaments. It was a freak accident which left a dark spot on an otherwise positive outing.

Our best wishes go to Pete for a speedy recovery.

The West Sydney Pirates continued on their winning ways with a 28-16 win over U.T.S. Gridiron in Week 3 of the Gridiron NSW 2013 Division season.

Hot, dry, and dusty conditions greeted the Pirates for the Week 3 game against U.T.S. Gridiron at Blue Haven on the Central Coast. Both teams were coming off Week 2 wins and both are considered to be solid Playoff chances, so this game was an important test early in the season.

U.T.S. opened the scoring in the First Quarter with a converted Touchdown, but a solid Pirate drive was capped by a Marlou Tacugue TD run which was unconverted. That score brought the Pirates within a point as the opening period came to an end with the score at 7-6 in favour of U.T.S.

U.T.S. got on the board again in the Second Quarter but they were restricted to a Field Goal after some solid Pirate Defense held them out of the endzone. A long TD run by Tacugue was followed up by a lofted David Ward to Ash Best pass for another score. Both TDs were converted with 2 point attempts and the Pirates went to the half-time break leading 22-10.

The Pirates started the second half slowly and U.T.S. were able to capitalise for another Touchdown which was also unconverted. The Pirates were solid without being spectacular in the Third Quarter and the Defense in particular were good during this period as the heat started to take its toll. The gap narrowed to 22-16 with the Pirates hanging on to their slender lead.

The final period saw the teams trade drives but it was the Pirates who managed to make the best of it adding another score, this time on a David Ward to Dean Toskoski pass, to round out the scoring at 28-16.

As expected, it was a tough battle, and the heat and hard field added to the challenges on the day.

For the Pirate Offense it was the running game that was the foundation with Marlou Tacugue the standout. The Offensive Line laid a good platform and Tacugue and his running mates took full advantage of what was on offer. New Pirate, Reece Fitzgerald had a great debut, catching three passes and generally blocking well.

The Pirate Defense was tested often by the fast-paced U.T.S. offense and they generally responded well. Glenn Beardmore had two interceptions in the Second Half which severely dented the U.T.S. comeback. The Linebackers were also good with John Palavi and John Maumau making great contributions, as did James Forster at Cornerback.

A win against a tough opponent is always a good thing but the Pirates know that there are still issues to be addressed and they will need to work on them quickly before the season gets too much older.