Toronto Wolfpack clinch top spot going into Super 8s Playoffs

The Toronto Wolfpack cemented their place atop of League 1 with their 13th straight league win after beating the Gloucester All-Golds 62-10 at Lamport Stadium in Toronto on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday’s win guarantees the Toronto Wolfpack top seeding in the Super 8 playoffs, in which the top eight teams play each other to determine the final standings. The win also clinches four home-games to end the season at Lamport.

“If all goes well we’ll be lifting the League 1 trophy at home,” Wolfpack CEO Eric Perez said after the game.

There was a host of injuries for coach Paul Rowley to deal with. Half-backs Ryan Brierley and Blake Wallace missed the match, which meant that captain Craig Hall moved to stand-off, with Canada’s captain Rhys Jacks in at scrum-half.

Jacks won man-of-the-match with his dynamic display, creating the free-flowing attacking game that saw the Wolfpack score 11 tries.

“I’m definitely becoming a better player with the Wolfpack, as a half-back it is an awesome structure to play under, you touch the ball a lot, which I like to do.” Jacks said after the match.

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With the return of Wallace and Brierley coming as soon as next week, when Toronto (13-0) host last place Hemel Stags (1-12), it creates a difficult decision for Rowley on how to fit the trio of half-backs into the team.

“They’ll just have to belt each other in training, and see who’s left after it.”Rowley said in good spirits after the game, “There is space for all three, that’s been proven this year, of the three halfs, (Jacks) has played more than the other two. We won’t be losing our Canadian captain anytime soon,” Rowley said in good spirits after the game.

Despite the scoring of 11 tries, including one from crowd favourite Fuifui Moimoi in front of the beer garden, the biggest roar of the day came with the introduction of Victoria B.C. native Quinn Ngawati.

The 18-year-old has impressed the coaching staff since getting a chance at the open tryouts held by the team. Ngawati, who’s father is from New Zealand, has played union his whole life and was even been capped by Canada U-19s.

“There’s been a lot of interest (from Rugby Canada) and until I came here, I hadn’t really shut the door on whether it would have been Sevens or Union,” Ngawati said after the game, “for these few weeks that I’m here I’m just focused on rugby league and whatever comes of this.”

Ngawati waited to finish his high school diploma before joining up with the Wolfpack. His graduation was on the 19th and he arrived in Toronto on the 21st. It was there that he met his roommate Moimoi.

“That’s pretty surreal, I don’t want to be too starstruck around him, but obviously growing up watching rugby league he’s a household name that I’ve grown up with,” Ngawati said.

He certainly didn’t look like a teenager standing 6’4” over 200lbs he showed no sign of nerves barrelling into tackles moments after being brought on.

“You’ve got to earn a shirt, Quinn (Ngawati) earned his shirt on merit, on his attention to detail during the week, how receptive he was to the coaching staff.” Rowley said on his new prodigy, “Our players have recognized there is a talent with Quinn (Ngawati) and I’m really proud of the way my players have nurtured him along the way.”

In running the league table with established stars whilst creating new ones in Jacks and Ngawati the notion that the Wolfpack have ‘bought their success’ lingers amongst critics.

“Every other club had an opportunity to sign sign Rhys (Jacks), sign me, sign Quinn (Ngawati) and they didn’t.” Rowley said, “It’s easy to say after the event because we’ve made a player of out of somebody, that you’ve got such a player.”

Despite recruiting some of the top talents around the U.K. including Hall, Quentin Laulu Togagae and Moimoi and outscoring their opponents on average by 60 points the Wolfpack’s ambitions are not blinded by dollars.

“This team isn’t about the money, absolutely not. We had players playing in other teams turn us down because we didn’t offer them enough money. This is a life choice you make,” Rowley said, “These are good boys they’re here for the love, for the game, they’ve got the best job in the world.”

Next: Wolfpack win fans over during unbeaten homestand

Attendance at the game was 7,139

Wolfpack Tries: Ryan Burrows, Jonny Pownall, Richard Whiting, Rhys Jacks, Craig Hall (2) Fuifui Moimoi, Bob Beswick, Greg Worthington, Steve Crossley and Quentin Laulu Togagae.

All Golds Tries: Steve Perry and Lewis Reece.

Conversions: Craig Hall (9/11) Jack Mitchell (1/2)