THE Ipswich Jets are riding a strong wave into Round 5 of the Hostplus Cup, sitting second on the ladder after an impressive 3-1 start – and the stats sheet shows this is a side stacked with strike power across the park.
Sharpshooter Brenton Baira has been central to the Jets’ early success, sitting inside the competition’s top five point scorers with 30.
Baira’s impact doesn’t stop there, with the Jets kicker also sitting fourth for goals converted (13), underlining his importance with the boot.
Head coach Tye Ingebrigsten said his outfit was talent rich across the park.
“Brenton Baira has been very consistent in the opening rounds of the season, is creating good opportunities for us in attack, and has fitted in really well,” Ingebrigtsen said.
Out wide, flyer Tony Francis is proving a constant threat.
The winger has crossed for four tries, equal fourth in the competition, matching the output of Dolphins finisher Kyle Coghill. But it’s Francis’s all-round game that’s turning heads.
“Tony Francis has been great for us and has been a great addition to our backline,” Ingebrigtsen said.
At just 23, he leads the league in line breaks (seven), sits third for post-contact metres (232), fourth for offloads (seven), and has already racked up 675 running metres in just four rounds, numbers that highlight his explosiveness and work rate.
Fellow winger Jaylan De Groot is also making his mark, sitting fourth for try assists with four, while hooker Oliver Pascoe has been a workhorse through the middle, leading the competition in receipts with 329.
Pascoe made his debut in the NRL for the Gold Coast Titans, with Ingebrigtsen saying what he delivered for the Jets in those three rounds on the field laid a foundation.
“He will always work hard every time he wears a Jets or Titans jersey – he is just a very tough effort player.”
The Jets now face a genuine test when they host the fourth-placed Burleigh Bears armed with the likes of Sam Coster, Guy Hamilton and Lachlan West, this Saturday at Richardson Park, with kick-off set for 3.10pm.
“Burleigh have not lost a game this year,” Ingebrigtsen said.
“They are last year’s premiers so we know how hard this game will be.”
