Top five players from Mackay’s rugby league grand finals
Grand final day is the day every athlete wants to play the best game of their careers. Five junior rugby league players did just that.
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Athletes dream of grand finals.
The chance to put it all on the line for teammates and club, have the best game of the season and walk away with a medallion around the neck.
Rugby League Mackay and District hosted its junior grand finals on Saturday, and these five players had memorable performances that helped seal their respective teams premierships.
Hunter Harris – Wanderers U15s
The winger from Mercy, who is coming off a Cowboys Challenge premiership, put on a best-on-ground performance against top-side Moranbah.
Playing fullback for Wanderers, Harris opened the accounts for his side with a try underneath the uprights.
He was dominant throughout the match, controlling the pace of the game and directing traffic on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
With his team trailing 8-10 with seconds remaining, Harris was given the opportunity to tie the match after a Moranbah penalty.
Harris kicked truly after time expired, sending the match into what would be a double overtime, before the Wanderers broke the deadlock and secured the premiership.
Balin Burnett – Carltons U16s
The Devils entered the grand final clash with Wanderers as strong favourites after dropping just one match throughout the season.
But Carltons shocked those in attendance with such a dominant display of football, most notably from Balin Burnett.
The Devils fullback scored three tries in 10 minutes, and a fourth in the second half, to help his side run out 34-10 winners.
A true highlight of the match was Burnett flying through the air, securing the kicked ball above a Wanderers defender, and landing safely in the try zone.
Thomas Bassett – Brothers U13s
The prop from Brothers showed his class in the tight 24-20 win over the Wanderers.
Bassett scored two tries in the grand final, and added a bit of flavour with a sin bin for a rough tackle.
But when he was on the pitch the defenders seemed to part, allowing Bassett to gain plenty of ground.
Brothers triumphed in extra time after Wanderers had a try disallowed with just minutes left in the second half.
Brady Hazledine – Brothers U17s
The grand final loss to the Brothers U17s team cannot be attributed to the hard-working fullback.
Hazledine was comfortably best on ground for the losing side, scoring two tries and maintaining composure despite trailing throughout the match.
He did his best controlling the tempo of his team, but some errors at critical times were the undoing of a strong Brothers outfit.
Tyler Kerr was the premiership-winning Wanderers’ best player, scoring the opening and sealing tries himself.
Saxon Crofts – Brothers U14s
The young halfback was the Brothers’ best in a tough-but-strong win against Wests Tigers.
Crofts scored his side’s second try of the match, but it was his direction and play-making skills that set up his side.
Rarely did he miss a pass or fumble the football such was his grace with ball in hand, and his accuracy allowed his teammates to come into the play more easily.
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