St Brendan’s beat Emmaus in RDSSRL Open A grand final

The Confraternity Shield grand finalists faced off again, this time in a dramatic Rockhampton District Secondary Schools Rugby League Open A decider. Read how it played out here.

St Brendan’s won the Rockhampton District Secondary Schools Rugby League Open A grand final, beating Emmaus College in golden point.

St Brendan’s College scored three tries in six minutes on their way to winning a golden point thriller in the Rockhampton District Secondary Schools Rugby league Open A grand final.

Just as they did in this year’s Confraternity Shield final, they came from behind against Emmaus College to win an epic encounter 26-22 at Rockhampton’s Browne Park on Saturday.

Down by 18 points with nine minutes on the clock, they scored a quick-fire hat-trick to level things at 18-all and force the game into extra time.

Their flying winger Mataio Tapau-Bon ran in his second try in the first five minutes of extra time to put them ahead 22-18.

St Brendan’s College captain Tommy Green makes a break in the Open A grand final.

But Emmaus responded in the second stanza, when Will McLaughlin crossed out wide to lock things up at 22-all.

The stage was set for a tense decider and it was St Brendan’s 16-year-old centre Harvey Mahoney who scored the match winner, sending supporters into a frenzy.

It was the second win of the day for St Brendan’s, who also took out the 9A final.

The Cathedral College finished with three titles, winning the 7A, 8A and 10A deciders.

St Brendan’s open coach Scott Minto applauded his players’ never-say-die attitude.

“I don’t know how they dug out of it but they did,” he said.

St Brendan’s celebrate their thrilling grand final win over Emmaus College.

“The fight we showed is part of the DNA of St Brendan’s College.

“This is one of those sides that just grinds away and it was really good to be part of.”

Emmaus appeared destined to avenge their Confraternity grand final defeat, leading by eight at the main break and extending that to 18-0 with two tries in the second half.

Winger Hayden Peckover was in blistering form on the right edge, bagging three tries, while fullback Seth Carpenter scored their fourth.

Fullback Seth Carpenter goes in for Emmaus's fourth try.

But St Brendan’s fired into action, with hooker Braelan Marsh, Tapau-Bon and skipper Tommy Green scoring at two-minute intervals in their stirring comeback.

Minto said Green was again outstanding, Marsh was influential in their second-half revival and fullback Banjo Walker did a great job at the back.

But he said much of the credit had to go to the team’s middles, who toiled tirelessly in the hard-fought grand final victory, the first for St Brendan’s since 2019.

St Brendan's won the Rockhampton District Secondary Schools Rugby League Open A grand final, beating Emmaus College in golden point time.

St Brendan’s lock Simon Green was a deserving winner of the Matt Scott Medal for Player of the Match.

Second rower Josh Nilon was named Emmaus’s best.

Minto said it was a classic grand final, and the team’s win was “right up there” in his coaching career.

“It’s really good,” he said.

“Confraternity is what everyone tries to win but this is a nice little cherry on top.”

RDSSRL grand final results

7A: The Cathedral College d St Brendan’s College 11-10. Player of the Match Lachlan Basham (TCC)

8A: The Cathedral College d St Brendan’s College 22-12. Player of the Match: Henry Villiers (TCC)

9A: St Brendan’s College d The Cathedral College 16-10. Player of the Match: Jessi Blanco (SBC)

10A: The Cathedral College d Emmaus College 30-4. Player of the Match Parker Gallagher (TCC)

Open A: St Brendan’s College d Emmaus College 26-22 (golden point). Player of the Match: Simon Green (SBC)