ANY football coach loves it when a plan comes together.
So watching their team beat Mackay 62-10 at the North Ipswich Reserve on Saturday was satisfying for coaches Ben and Shane Walker.
It was about as close as the Jets have come to playing the type of football they imagined possible at the start of the season.
The closeness of the Queensland Cup finals race means points for and against could prove crucial so the Jets did their tally a big favour.
They remain fifth on the Queensland Cup ladder, but are just a point behind second placed Easts.
Yesterday’s scoreline was not indicative of the closeness of most of the match however.
The reward for working hard in the first 45 minutes was a deluge of points in the final 35.
It was enough to put a smile on the face of any coach.
“It was the best attacking footy we’ve probably played in four years,” Ben Walker said.
“But it was on the back of good defence. I believe our attack is the best we’ve had it.
“The best in the comp.”
Yet the attack is the thing the coaches spend least of their time worrying about.
They know when the Jets’ defence is working at its best, their attack will dominate.
“The way we play is quite different,” Walker said.
“There’s a structure there but it’s not like the block-plays after block-plays after block-plays you see in the NRL every week.
“It relies heavily on support play and working for each other.
“It’s the highest score we’ve put on since we’ve been here.”
The Jets led 10-4 at the break but Mackay made it 10-all three minutes into the second half.
It was proof the premiers, teetering in ninth spot, were not giving up their title without a fight.
So no-one could have predicted what would follow – 52 unanswered points in about 35 minutes.
“We clicked into gear,” was how Walker casually described it. Any chance they had we snuffed out.”
The Jets were ruthless and even as the scoreboard mounted, there was no let-up.
“It was about 50-10 with about 15 minutes to go when we had a kick down field,” Walker said.
“There were still seven or eight of our blokes chasing to pin them down. No one slacked off in defence, which showed a real focus on doing their jobs.”
Winger Carling Anderson scored three tries and other winger Marmin Barba crossed for a double.
Walker was not sure how 18-year-old Anderson’s talks with the Broncos were going, but wouldn’t be surprised if other NRL clubs were now in the hunt for the flyer.
Prop Martin Kennedy, hooker Matt Parcell and five eighth Josh Cleeland were other standouts in an impressive team performance.
The only concern was a hip injury to fullback Javarn White who was forced off early.
State of play
Qld Cup: Ipswich Jets 62 (Carlin Anderson 3, Marmin Barba 2, Nemani Valekapa, Brendon Marshall, Josh Cleeland, Dane Phillips, Billy McConnachie, Matt Parcell tries; Marmin Barba 8, Wes Conlon goals) d Mackay Cutters 10 (Curtis Rona, John Asiata tries; Liam Taylor goal).