Sunshine Coast Falcons held off a fast finishing Souths Logan Magpies to progress to the Intrust Super Cup semi finals.
The Falcons led 16-nil at half-time but needed a late try to make sure of a 26-18 victory.
Scott Drinkwater was impressive once again at five-eighth, both running and distributing the football.
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Arguably best afield was Storm prop Tui Kamikamica. The big Fijian has been in tremendous form for the last few weeks and has continued his rapid improvement into the finals.
“Tui just keeps getting better and better every week,” Storm development coach Aaron Bellamy said.
“The way he carries the football is really working for him, he is making a lot of metres, playing a lot of minutes, he is really contributing.
“In the last four or five weeks he has added a few little things to his game where he is getting quick play-the-balls.
“He is laying a really good platform, the little things are making a really big difference. Every effort he is putting out there is effective and quality.”
The Falcons also benefitted from an ever-improving all Storm left edge, made up of Jeremy Hawkins, Justin Olam. Ryley Jacks and Joe Stimson.
The quartet was successfully in being able to transfer their cohesion from the training track onto the field.
“That whole edge really defended as well as they have all year,” Bellamy said.
“We try to get them training together out on Gosch’s Paddock during the week so when they go out on the weekends it is not too much of a difference.
“Training together all week gives them confidence in each other’s decisions and what they do out there, they can back each other up. They’ve just been getting better every week since they’ve been together.”
Sunshine Coast Falcons 26 (Matthew Soper-Lawler, Ryley Jacks, Guy Hamilton, Scott Drinkwater, Christopher Lewis tries; Guy Hamilton 3 goals) def Souths Logan Magpies 18 (Sam Lavea, Travis Waddell, Sam Scarlett tries; Jamayne Isaako 3 goals) at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
