Club rugby’s 20 best players from colts, women and Premier grand finals
Club rugby grand final day: Here’s 20 top guns from blockbuster clashes between Bond University and Easts in the Women’s, Easts and UQ in Colts 1 and UQ and Wests in Premier Grade.
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The scene was set early with Bond University securing their maiden Premier Women’s premiership with a 25-12 comeback win after trailing by 12 early.
It was none other than centre star Melanie Wilks, who claimed the inaugural Cheyenne Campbell medal as player of the match, to spark 25 unanswered points for the Bullsharks.
The Tigers fired plenty of shots early through a penalty try and Maggie Glassock but from there it was Wilks, Miya Rapana-Faifua and Caity Costello dealing the damage to clinch their clubs first premiership after just three seasons in the competition.
Then, astonishingly in the Colts 1 clash, something as important as a premiership was shared. With the siren sounded, the scores level at 22-all and 50 minutes until the next game, the ref called time.
Easts didn’t lead once throughout the affair, but a try in the 68th minute by towering flanker George Stoddart gave Annan a chance to see them go up for the first time, 24-22.
Annan was unable to deliver his conversion heroics like he did to down Brothers in the preliminary final, but a pin-point cut out pass from halfback Sam Farrar to find Stoddart lurking on the edge gave Easts well-deserved slice of the premiership.
Farrar’s floater sailed over three Easts heads before landing in the breadbasket of the hardworking No.6.
In the Hospital Cup Grand Final, the Wests Bulldogs defeated UQ 44-27 to break their 16 year premiership drought.
The Premier Grade match report:
By Nick Tucker
Dynamic man of the match Seru Uru delivered Wests their first premiership in 16 years on Sunday before admitting he wasn’t sure he’d be fit to play.
The 37-27 nailbiter over University of Queensland at Suncorp Stadium generated a thunderous “Take Me Home Sylvan Road” chant through the stands on full-time.
A sea of green awaited the victorious Wests boys, including captain Connor Anderson who fell to his knees in joyous relief before sprawling on his back to make snow angels on the turf.
Water bottles were squirted in the air, Bulldog flags were held high and the Wests faithful were cheering with all their might for the boys from Sylvan Road.
Tony Shaw Medallist Uru wasn’t even supposed to be fit after four weeks off following finger surgery. The No.8 made high, clever offloads, a 35m run by three defenders and scored the late try that settled it when he speared off the back of a maul.
Uru said: I’m so shocked I was awarded Man of the Match. I just wanted to go out there and do my job. To achieve this today with the Wests boys means everything.”
Sunday’s win meant the world to 20-year-old Wests flanker Keynan Tauakipulu with his baby boy Arlo in the stands watching on with his family.
Tauakipulu said “It’s the best feeling playing in front of them.”
“It’s surreal. We came in and we were here for the fight and it was a hectic battle. Props to UQ they were physical and fast. I am super proud of the boys for getting the job done.”
Tauakipulu was just one cog in a huge Wests forward effort that got better and better behind inspirational flanker Connor Anderson. Melbourne Rebels hooker Jordan Uelese was a try-scoring supersub and scrum disrupter for the final 20 minutes.
UQ led 20-13 just after half-time with Wests’ Wallaby Filipo Daugunu in the sin bin for tripping Wallaby halfback Tate McDermott.
The Bulldogs found something special with 14 men. First, it was prop Cobus Eloff bullocking over, after quick hands from wrecking ball centre Vilikesa Raboiliku, for 20-all. The clutch intercept try over 40m from winger Ben Navosailagi made it 27-20.
UQ advanced the length of the field and levelled it back up at 27-a-piece through flanker Sam Wallis.
All the while, fullback Cooper Whiteside potted them over. Eight-from-nine was pure goalkicking in a grand final and his 65-minute penalty goal gave Wests their first lead of the game at 30-27.
Backrower Richard Skelton, whose father Ernie played in the 2006 premiership winning team, came on and gave the Bulldogs one last try for 2022 with a superb one-handed offload to Uelese who settled the scores at 44-27.
Wests 44 (B Navosailagi, A Smith, C Eloff, S Uru, J Uelese tries; C Whiteside 5 con, 3 pen goals) beat University of Queensland 27 (J Campbell, C Flavell, B Twidale, S Wallis tries; N Jooste con, pen goal, K Oates con). Half-time: UQ 17-13
OUR 20 TOP GUNS
Wests 44 defeat UQ 27
Seru Uru (Wests)
The 2022 Tony Shaw Medallist Seru Uru had a cracker for Wests. Uru was busy as ever and did not miss a beat coming off an injury which had him sidelined for over a month.
A stunning 35m dash in the first half highlighted the towering No.8’s special performance.
Conor Mitchell (UQ)
He was disruptive and pesky around the scrums and line outs and it gave UQ the upperhand in that first half.
The No.8 was a lineout target, and a relentless defender.
Cam Flavell (UQ)
Flavell was fired up. He brought the energy, the intensity and his tricks at the back of the rolling maul.
On multiple occasions the hooker won UQ the scrum which swung the momentum in his team’s favour.
Although UQ went down, Flavell had yet another cracker to put him in contention for a President’s XV jersey next month.
Jordan Uelese (Wests)
Super sub Jordan Uelese was exactly what the Bulldogs needed. UQ led at the half but when Uelese came on he was determined to erase the deficit and get his side ahead. His dominant scrummaging and pick and drives proved vital in that second half where they went from down 20-13 to a 44-27 premiership winning scoreline.
BOND UNI 25 DEFEAT EASTS 12
Melanie Wilks (Bond Uni)
The player of the game and the player of the entire women’s finals campaign. She brought her red hot form to Suncorp Stadium.
We saw it against Sunnybank and we saw it against GPS in Bond’s earlier finals wins and on the biggest stage of all Wilks delivered big time. Centre Wilks created Bond’s best plays as the spark which turned 12-0 down into a 25-12 victory.
She used her pace to spear through two defenders for the first try and her dash and pass set up winger Caity Costello for the final try. She jackaled to win ball, smartly kicked downfield in the dying stages for field position and was at the peak of her powers.
Skyla Adams (Bond Uni)
Adams had her fingerprints all over Bond’s triumph, distributing the ball superbly to her flying finishers and orchestrating Bond’s unanswered 25 point spree after being down early.
With a bullet spiral pass, Adams had the tools to put her speedy teammates into space. The fullback was a calm figure at the back and showed us one of the more lethal steps in the competition when she juked the first defender on multiple occasions.
Once again, a performance so impressive for a 17-year-old.
Tina Brown, Theresa Soloai and Laina Cooper Finau (Easts)
Only Bond knows how they escaped the power of these three to end up winning. In the first 20 minutes of the game this dominant front-row trio had their rivals back pedaling and asking will it ever stop.
With power and determination they gave their side a 12-0 lead, one penalty try off a scrum and the other a Maggie Glassock try when the halfback nipped shortside from another dominant scrum. The trio cranked out some strong carries.
Easts were the bigger and stronger side and they capitalized in the first half, but in the end Bond Uni’s pacy outside backs proved too much to handle.
Loretta Lealiifano (Easts)
What a season it was from flyhalf Lealiifano and she went out in style today. Her usual momentum-swinging tricks were put into play to give Easts the edge early.
Her kicking game was excellent including a 50-22 late which Easts wasted. Her ball carrying was effective and her passing game crisp. She couldn’t have done much more for the Tigers.
Jemma Bemrose (Bond Uni)
Anyone else see Bond’s No.18 powerhouse in the pack?
Talk about work rate, Bemrose did not stop working and it came up big for her team. In the first half she made an incredible pilfer to counteract Easts on the surge, tackled her rivals into touch as they edged closer to the try line and, best of all, she made a heroic trysaver to prevent Easts from going ahead even more.
The challenge presented to Bond early was can they withstand this destructive Easts forward pack and come out of it relatively unscathed. With all 12 of Easts points scored in the first quarter, it is safe to say they did a pretty good job.
Bond University 25
Tries: Mel Wilkds, Miya Rapana-Faifua, Caity Costello
Conversions: Wilks 2
Penalties: Wilks 2
Easts 12
Tries: Maggie Glassock, Penalty Try
EASTS 22 UQ 22
Tom Manca (UQ)
Manca delivered safe service to Tom Lynagh and his forwards all afternoon, but it was his three separate involvements in a scintillating length of the field try which has him in this company.
Manca started a break in his team’s 22, before Joshua Meyer, Ben McMahon, Jake Tierney and Hugo Perceval surged up the middle only to find Manca for his third touch to go 35m in the try of the day’s last leg.
A fantastic finisher UQ will happily welcome back into camp for next season.
Joe Liddy and Henry Wilson (Easts)
Not dissimilar to the likes of Fraser McReight and Michael Hooper these two Tigers proved to be in the big dance.
Whenever their team needed a big play they came up with it. On countless occasions you saw the head strapped Captain Henry Wilson and his partner in crime Joe Liddy, with his luscious mullet, winning the ball at the breakdown.
Jake Tierney (UQ)
Tierney’s size gave the Red Heavies extra go forward and not only did he score thanks to his stature but also had the most crucial role to play in his team’s 90m try.
Tierney was wrapped up, but somehow he got his arm free to get the offload away and keep the play alive. He was a rock in the lineouts and scrums all afternoon which UQ excelled in.
Sam Farrar (Easts)
It’s hard to pick a winner out of Manca and Farrar but the latter definitely has a good argument. Although it was a team effort, Farrar’s final quarter of the game was the reason Easts secured their first Colts premiership since 2001.
With a try of his own scooting from the ruck and a perfect pass lofted over to Stoddart to equalise the scores, Farrar was the officiator of Easts final two to get them a shared premiership.
Earlier, Farrar was an expert with his decision making on where and how to penetrate the UQ defence. He was fantastic.
Tom Lynagh (UQ)
Lynagh wasn’t at his best off the tee but with his ball carrying he has never looked so strong.
He threatened that Easts defence time and time again with a step and speedy surge into contact, and was rewarded for this aspect of his game with a try against the run of play.
Easts 22
Tries: Jarrod Homan, Max Goldsbrough, Sam Farrar, George Stoddart
Conversions: Annan 1
UQ 22
Tries: Jake Tierney, Tom Manca, Tony Fuimaono, Tom Lynagh
Conversions: Lynagh 1
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