Mitchel Curnow’s strong return to Rockingham continued when his best-on-ground performance buoyed the Rams to a 51-point win over South Mandurah on Saturday.
The ex-Peel Thunder reserves player found his way into the Rams’ best for the second time in three weeks, despite being tagged in the second half, leading the team to a 9.11 (65) to 17.14 (116) win.
Rockingham controlled the game throughout, keeping the Falcons at bay and adding to their lead at every change after jumping out to a 13-point advantage with four goals in the first.
South Mandurah couldn’t slow the Rams down in the second as they piled on a further five in the second, heading into half time up 32 points.
It was Luke Dowling who kept Rockingham’s surge alive in the second half, with all four of his goals coming in the final two quarters.
He teamed with Tyler Sutton, who booted his own four goals, to form a deadly scoring attack that guided Rockingham to a commanding position.
South Mandurah got a bag of three from Brad Holmes and a stellar outing from Andrew Haydon, but it wasn’t enough to will the side into the frame.
The Rams’ even spread of contributions left coach Scott Franklin in good spirits, as he praised his side’s team-first approach.
“Last year we struggled because we were just relying on a few guys, but what’s been best about our start this year is that we have 22 guys contributing across four quarters,” he said.
“We’re not a team of superstars, we don’t really have guys that can do it all on their own, so for us to make sure we have no passengers is really important.”
Curnow’s performance was impressive, and earned him high praise from Franklin.
“Mitch was outstanding early helping us through the middle of the ground and winning the footy for us,” he said.
“He got tagged late in the game but he still managed to have a big impact, so we’re rapt with the way he’s started the year.”
Curnow isn’t the only ex-Peel Thunder player who has enjoyed a successful return to the Rams, with Travis Naughton also in strong form to open the 2018 campaign.
The half-back flanker has provided plenty of run to help the Rams to a pair of wins in the opening three rounds, and managed to sneak forward for a goal against the Falcons.
Rockingham will now gear up for a huge clash against league heavyweights Pinjarra, who dropped their first game of the season in a thriller against Baldivis on Saturday.
It’s a quick turnaround for South Mandurah, who will take on Mandurah in an Anzac Day clash between the cross-town rivals at Bendigo Bank Stadium on Wednesday.