Recapping the North Queensland Cowboys-Dolphins Game and Virginia Barley Harvest

There is not much barley grown in eastern Virginia anymore. Like any crop, the price is always changing, either going up or down due to a variety of factors. For the past 20 years, the price of barley has been consistently too low to make any sort of profit. Some farmers would grow it for grazing cattle over the winter, but since most farmers in this area just grow crops, barley has all but disappeared. Considering the amount of craft breweries in Richmond, one would think that farmers in the area would grow barley to supply them.

The craft beer culture around Richmond has kept barley from completely disappearing in this part of the state, but it has not been enough to revive it to the levels that we used to see. In this area, most farmers plant a small grain cover crop (wheat or barley) over the winter, to be harvested in the spring. They will put just enough fertilizer for it to make a stand, and just enough chemicals on it to keep it free of pests and disease. However, since the price per bushel of barley is so low, they will not get the return on the input costs of the fertilizers and chemicals if they grew it to brewing standards. These breweries will occasionally put a premium on the barley, but if it does not meet the standards when tested at sale, the farmer may or may not receive that. It really is too much of a gamble.

The barley that I was harvesting this week is actually at my day job, a research station, instead of at my family farm. Some of the varieties tested are for malting, to see how they perform in the eastern Virginia environment. We also have a test to see how different varieties stand up to disease, while additionally growing older varieties just to keep a seed source. Thankfully, we just had two minor mechanical issues that were quickly and easily fixed.

Now lets segue from talking about barley and beer, to the Cowboys-Dolphins game that was the XXXX Derby. You may remember from an earlier article that XXXX is a brand of beer brewed in Queensland (the Australian state that is home to the North Queensland Cowboys and Dolphins). They are a major sponsor of the Cowboys, and are proud of their Queensland roots. Since the Dolphins are based in the Queensland’s major city, Brisbane and the Cowboys are in Townsville, this is the perfect game to highlight XXXX. Let’s break down how the game went!

The thing that stood out to me the most about last weeks game versus Canberra was the Raiders’ precise passing. This week, the theme was completely different as many passes were poorly timed on both sides, and the tactical edge was simply the other team picking up the loose ball for a try. Five minutes into the game, Selwyn Cobbo picked up a loose ball from an errant Cowboys pass, and flat out flied for a Dolphins try. It took about ten minutes for Murray Taulagi to score a try and put the Cowboys on the board. It seemed like the Cowboys were building momentum as Tom Chester scored a try another ten minutes later, but it was denied. Reuben Cotter was very close to getting the Cowboys another try at the 22nd minute, but he was kept out by several Dolphins defenders. Reuben Cotter is also representing Queensland in the three-part State of Origin series. Remember, this is the series that puts the best players from Queensland against the best from New South Wales. They are played across three games, and the New South Wales Blues have already won one game against the Queensland Maroons. It is sort of like a World Cup for rugby league, just on a scale between two Australian states.

At the 29th minute, Jamayne Isaaks scored yet another Dolphins try. A few minutes later Jaxson Purdue lost control of the ball (remember, the theme of this game was both sides not being able to hold onto the ball), and Isaiya Katoa picked it up, running it back for the Dolphins. This put the score at the 33rd minute 16–10 in the Dolphins’ favor. In the closing minutes of the first half, Jaxson Purdue kept the Dolphins from scoring again.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scored the first goal of the second half for the Dolphins at 47:26. About five minutes letter, Scott Drinkwater beautifully set up Tom Chester for a Cowboys try. Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers will remember running back Le’Veon Bell. He had a very unique running style where he would get the ball, bend his needs and bounce on his feet while watching the opposing defense come towards him. Once he found a gap in the defense, he would burst through the offensive line, exploiting the gap in the defense and carry the ball several yards downfield. Kurt Donoghoe for the Dolphins scored a try that really reminded me of Bell’s running style. He got the ball, and stood still except for bouncing on his feet watching the Cowboys defenders come towards him. Once he found the gap, he burst through for a try. Selwyn Cobbo scored his second try of the game at the 70th minute, further extending the Dolphins’s lead. In the final minutes of the game, Thomas Flegler scored another try for the Dolphins, resulting in the game being 40 Dolphins- 14 Cowboys.

Next week, the Cowboys have a bye week, so they will have time to regroup before facing the New Zealand Warriors on June 21st. This is also good timing for me as next week is my dad’s birthday, then my wife and I will be celebrating our 7th anniversary on June 15th! I will not be putting out an article so that we can celebrate both of these family events.

Talk soon, Austin