The Sunshine Coast Falcons have strung together eight straight wins to claim top spot on the Queensland Cup ladder, despite being one of the few sides without NRL-contracted players.
Coach Brad Henderson has credited team connection as a key driver behind their strong form.
Speaking after a Round 10 victory over Wynnum Manly on Saturday, Henderson said the run of results was an important platform heading into the back end of the season.
“It’s nice to bang out a heap of wins this time of the year and hopefully hold us in better shape for the back end of the year with some good points underneath,” he said.
Despite the winning streak, Henderson stressed the squad remains focused on improvement rather than scoreboard pressure.
“There’s still a lot of things we’re talking about week in, week out that we know we’ve got to improve,” he said.
The Falcons, who face Norths Devils in Brisbane on Saturday, are one of four teams in the 15-team Queensland Cup (officially known as the Hostplus Cup) that does not have NRL-contracted players.
The Falcons have previously been able to utilise NRL-contracted players via an affiliation with the Melbourne Storm, but that arrangement ended late last year.
The team has since formed a link with the Brisbane Broncos but is unable to use the services of their NRL players this year.
Henderson said the lack of NRL players this season had strengthened cohesion, with a consistent playing group training and playing together each week.
“Historically, with the Melbourne Storm boys coming back, it could potentially take anywhere from four to six weeks for those combinations to really grow and build,” he said.
“Whereas I feel like we have a little bit of a head start. We don’t have those big powerhouse NRL players coming back to us. So, we’ve got a very focused and connected group, that’s for sure.”
Henderson said standout backrower Josh Billing had been a key contributor this season, but he will miss the next three games through suspension.
“He’s fit and healthy this year which is a really good start for him. We’re seeing his combinations starting to gel with Tom Casey, who’s been another real standout for us the last month,” he said.
The Falcons have also been hit by a series of injuries, with several key players ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Tough middle forward Nofoasa Malutoa has been ruled out with a knee injury, after previously recovering from an ACL injury. He joins Thallon Peters and Billy Lawrence, who have also been ruled out for the 2026 season.
“I think instantly I kind of knew something bad had happened,” Malutoa told Sunshine Coast News after surgery.
“It’s not what you want as a player, but I think mentally I’m in a good place. The ACL one kind of prepared me for this one a bit.”
He said the team has maintained strong energy despite the setbacks.
“We don’t have much influence from NRL boys, so what we have is all we have. It gave the boys extra motivation to keep pushing each other to do better,” Malutoa said.
Winger Nat McGavin is yet to play this season after sustaining a calf injury before the trials. He is joined in rehab by Declan Ryan (broken hand), Kaden Williams (syndesmosis) and Will Ramsey (ribs).
Henderson said the injuries were significant both on and off the field.
“We won’t see Foa, Thallon or Billy again this year on the field, so that’s pretty devastating,” he said.
“Not just because of the quality guys they are, but for what they bring to the team. We’re taking a couple of hits in that sense with our roster, but what we do have is a good bit of depth.”
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That depth, he said, has allowed the squad to maintain consistency despite disruption.
He also named several strong contenders in the competition’s back half, including the Redcliffe Dolphins, Wynnum Manly Seagulls, Easts Tigers and the Burleigh Bears, warning the ladder leaders will need to keep improving.
“They’re just going to get better and better as the year goes on,” he said.
Looking ahead to their clash with the Norths Devils at 5pm on May 30 in Brisbane, Henderson said external focus on the winning streak was less important than internal standards.
“It’s going to come to an end at some stage. It’s more about just improving our game,” he said.
