Club Rugby finals’ captains reveal match winners, quiet achievers
Club rugby semi-finals: Captains across Premier, women’s and colts teams reveal their match winners and quiet achievers of season 2021.
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Club rugby soars toward the summit this weekend, with sudden death semi-finals across Premier, women’s, colts and grade competitions.
So who will be the semi-final game breakers, and who have been the quiet achievers of season 2021?
We ask those who should know - the respective captains of the colts, women’s and Premier rugby teams.
PREMIER RUGBY
MICHAEL RICHARDS (GPS)
Best new face: Floyd Aubrey
He won’t be playing on Sunday, but three or four times this year he came off the bench. He is just a natural footy player.
X-factor: Adre Namalo Kauyaca
He has been really good at centre
What has made your team tick this year
Shane Arnold (coach) has been good for us. Our team is a bit older, a bit more mature, so he has just been good at managing us. He knows when to let us run things and when to pull us up.
ROB PULIUVEA (Wests)
Best new face: John Martin Stewart
He is not necessarily new this year after coming in over the last couple of years, but he has really stood up this season to take a spot in our starting forward pack in first grade. He is a young guy who plays in the backrower, but can also cover in the second row. He is an abrasive, hard working, typical old school player who just loves to get his head into the dirty.
X-Factor: Ilaisa Droasese
Obviously spending time with the Reds he has been able to improve his rugby over the last 12-18 months. With that kind of athletic ability he has, he can find those little gaps and if he gets into open space, he is the one who can break the game open for us.
What has made your team tick this year
I think we have a lot of belief in our ability. We took a lot of time in pre-season to learn a lot more about each other both on and off the field and really care about ourselves as players, teammates and friends. And from there it has helped us build a solid foundation for our rugby, and we have been willing to work hard for each other.
HUDSON CREIGHTON (Brothers)
Best new face: Kamilo Guido
We have a couple who have come through, but he is a fan favourite down at Brothers and he has done a good job filling in when we have had some injuries. He has shown he has the potential to play Premier rugby.
X-factor player: Hamish Stewart
In a tough time he can do a tough carry for us or can get us out of our half with a good exit. He has shown he is that class above in Premier rugby
What has made your team tick this year
We have a lot of heart. We might have been a bit of a slow starting team, but our defence has really been our bond and got us out of those tough situations.
We have shown we can defend those 15-plus phases and at times that breaks a team.
PAT MORREY (University of Qld)
Best new face: Lona Halaholo
He came over from New Zealand and has set the competition alight scoring a ton of tries. He is a wrecking ball with his go forward (from No. 8)
X-factor: Kye Oates
He has been playing reserve grade after coming through colts. He has played a fair bit of reserve grade over the last few seasons but this year he has come into his own, scoring 13 or 14 tries. And he has that real x-factor about him.
What has made Uni tick this season?
We had a few glaring weaknesses last season but got away with a few things.
So this year there has been a big focus on our scrum and lineout and our set piece, trying to be a dominant and a competitive force at that.
We are not the biggest team, but aim to be the fastest and the most skilful.
Physicality does not come down to size, but attitude, so that has been a big thing and we probably didn’t show enough of that in our last game against GPS and we got done at home which hurt.
You never want to lose, but the goal was not to go through the season undefeated. The goal was to win the premiership at the end of the year.
WOMEN
UNA BIAU (GPS)
Best new face: Emilya Byrne
A loose forward, she is one of the best new faces and brings intensity and experience, and knows what to do and leads from the front.
X-factor: Hilisha Samoa
She represented Queensland and it is great to see her positive attitude.
What has made your team tick this season?
There are some girls leaving this year and that is motivation. We also have been so lucky with the amazing coaches we have had.
LEILANI FUIMAONO (Sunnybank)
New face: Nadia Swney
She had not played rugby before and joined us through a friend of a friend. She was keen to try out the game and since she has come and started with us, we noticed her work ethic, commitment and passion. She has wanted to learn more about the game which is exciting and it shows on the field every game.
X-factor: Kauna Lopa
Kauna has played with us for a few years and represented the Reds. She knows how to make something out of nothing, is unpredictable and quick with the ball and a great decision maker.
What has made your team tick this season?
We have a lot of returning players and the culture they have created among the newbies has been important.
MADI SCHUCK (Bond University)
Best new face: Skyla Adams
She has come in at No. 10 and is young, but I know her from coaching her in representative rugby a few years ago. Skyla is going to be a firecracker. She can play anywhere in the backline.
X-factor: Sophie Holyman
Sophie spent all last season pretty much injury prone, but now she has spent a year in rehab and in the gym, and now we have pretty much freed her up from Super W, she is ripping through teams at the moment playing loose forward.
What has made your team tick this season?
We have a really good culture which we worked hard at, being a new team in the competition.
Last year we were disappointed we did not make the grand final, but this year we have a real connection as a playing group.
MORGAN TE OKA (Easts vice-captain)
Best new faces: Clare Akauma
Claire (backrower) is amazing. Her work rate is out of control. She has saved us a few times, and she was working for three people when the (representative) girls were away.
X-Factor: April Ngatupuna
She is so much more experienced this year and comfortable in that position (No. 8).
Because she went away with the Reds, her positional play is just incredible.
And she can take heavy contact.
From being such a young head last year, it is a whole other ball game for us having her on the field.
What has made your side tick this season?
Our team’s culture. When the (rep) girls were away, our young girls came together and there was a good foundation and all the girls were helping each other out. Now the more experienced girls are coming back into the squad, we will lift even more.
COLTS
CHARLIE SCOTT (Easts)
Best new face: Meli Dreu
He is very skillful. He has been very influential for us
X-Factor players: Lui Malaitai and Tau Tuisamoa
Both of them are very handy players and if you are in the dying moments, and you need someone to pull off a big play, you would not be surprised if it was those two.
What has made your team tick this season?
We have been lucky to get some great heads on board at Easts like Tyrell Barker, Michael Lucas and Lachy Parkinson and they have been really crucial for us. We have also trained as a collective - colts 1, colts 2 and colts 3 - all in together running similar programs.
And within colts 1, confidence has been a big thing as a lot of us were a bit older and we took that confidence into the year.
COLTS
BEN BYRNE (GPS)
New face: Tevita Kaitu’u
He played a few years at Souths, and has brought a lot of physical play to the team. He has been great for our culture and he has crashing runs and hard hits. To play with him is unreal.
X-factor: Floyd Aubrey.
He is a spark, a player who can get something out of nothing and to have a player like that in your team is handy.
What has made your team tick this season?
The big thing has been relying on our defence. When stuff goes haywire, when there is a dropped ball, the one thing you can rely on is the fact you will have crashing tackles that will give you the ball back. We have relied on that strong line and capitalised through our quick backs on that.
BROTHERS
Best new face: Flynn Johnstone.
A centre, Johnstone has fitted into the Brothers culture like a duck to water on and off the field.
X-Factor: Louis Werchon
The Sunshine Coast product is a stunning young talent. Rather than threaten with one, decisive moment, Werchon is a threat across the match as he builds pressure with game awareness before striking with some individual brilliance.
GEORGE NIELL (Bond)
Best new face: Ethan Martyn
Ethan is very quick on his feet, he has agility and we can always count on him.
X-factor: Hamish Roberts
I played alongside Hamish at TSS. He is a very quick winger.
What has made your team tick this season?
We are developing as a group, not just as colts 1, but the whole cohort.
THE SEMI-FINALS
Saturday
Premier rugby at Norths:
University of Qld v Brothers
Women
GPS v Bond
Colts
Brothers v Bond University
Sunday
Premier rugby at GPS
GPS v Wests
Women
Sunnybank v Easts
Colts
GPS v Brothers
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