Club rugby’s 30 players from colts, women and Premier finals
Club rugby finals: Who were the best players from a bumper weekend of Colts 1, Women’s and Premier rugby? Here we reveal 30 top guns from 6 ripping finals.
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Easts will face Souths next week in the Colts 1 semi-final and University will butt horns with minor premiers Sunnybank in the Premier Women’s semi final after a colossal quarterfinals weekend.
At Easts today, the Tigers tamed UQ 23-7 to keep their season alive (Colts 1) while UQ were victorious 31-19 over GPS in the Premier Womens clash beforehand.
GPS ROUND 5 LATEST - HOW IT ALL UNFOLDED
On Saturday at Crosby Park, Brothers Colts 1 had lost to Souths twice during the home-and-away season but rose to the occasion to win 29-19 after Bond University triumphed 22-12 over Sunnybank in Premier Women action.
In the Hospital Cup, the Wests Bulldogs beat Bond University 40-26 to advance to the grand final. Bond University will play Brothers in a must-win following their 46-29 victory this afternoon over Easts.
Following our MEGA CLUB RUGBY FINALS PREVIEW and COLTS 1, PREMIER WOMEN UNSUNG, MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS revelation last week, we now present the best players from the Colts 1, Premier Womens and Premier rugby finals played on Saturday and Sunday.
PREMIER WOMEN WRAP
Bond University 22 beat Sunnybank 12
The reigning champions were Dragon slayers at Crosby Park with late tries from Dianne Waight and Charlize Ratu delivering the 22-12 win and grand finals ticket.
It was an intense match up, one that had everything fans of the game came to see.
Renae Nona, Cecilia Smith and Ivania Wong were class for Sunnybank, but Melanie Wilks and Caitlyn Costello the same for the Bullsharks.
It was Costello’s eyes up vision and brilliant cutout passing that helped Bond over the line when she got the attention of her defenders late in the second half before finding the speedy Waight who stormed 60 metres downfield for a try.
That score took Bond from down 12-10 to up 17-12.
Then Ratu scored the dagger on the other wing.
Ana Afuie was a kingmaker at fly half for Sunnybank, and Kauna Lopa a kicking ace. Meanwhile, Madisen-Jade Iva, Christina Sekona, and Joana Rabaka were working overtime in the back row.
The same could be said for Bond skipper Elisha Godsiff, damaging Wallaroos prop Eva Karpani and arguably the best on ground in No. 8 Zoe Hanna.
It was one of the games of the season.
BEST PLAYERS
No. 8 Zoe Hanna (Bond University)
Hanna was one of the best players on the field and for the entire 70 minutes.
She was immense with her defence and her ball-carrying was so destructive every time she ran it Bond was guaranteed to move beyond the advantage line.
No. 4 Elisha Godsiff (Bond University)
Godsiff ran straight and hard into the Sunnybank line and like Hanna, was tireless with her carries.
She got knocked down and could’ve come off but of course she played on.
Centre Mel Wilks (Bond University)
Wilks either impacts the game with her elusive ball-running or kicking. On Saturday it was her kicking which got Bond off the back foot and Sunnybank under pressure.
Centre Caitlyn Costello (Bond University)
Her spiral passing from right to left was elite and when Dianne Waight came on she made it her mission to find her.
Waight broke the 12-all deadlock with a 60 metre try set up by a Costello draw and pass.
Eva Karpani (Bond University)
The Wallaroos prop looked a class above with her close range raids wearing down the Sunnybank defence for finishers Ratu and Waight on the edges.
She scored a crucial second half try which was well deserved.
Ivania Wong (Sunnybank)
She scored two tries and her left edge defence was unforgiving.
Ruthless.
Ana Afuie (Sunnybank)
Afuie brought her brilliant form to Crosby Park, setting up both Ivania Wong’s tries and getting the best out of Renae Nona and Cecilia Smith.
But mainly Wong who was a game-changer on both sides of the ball.
Madisen-Jade Iva (Sunnybank)
The mobile Iva was a handful for the Bond defence in the first half with her jinking, powerful crash running leaving Bond defenders in two minds.
Kauna Lopa (Sunnybank)
When neither side was budging in the first half, the precise kicking of Lopa gave Sunnybank the edge.
More than once her pin point touch finders saw the Dragons escape certain danger.
Luana Tongia and Joana Rabaka (Sunnybank)
The Sunnybank forward unit was spearheaded by No. 8 Tongia and fierce lock Rabaka, who defended astutely — only letting in one forward try to Karpani.
University 29 beat GPS 19
Chanelle Kohika-Skipper (UQ)
She was tipped to be a danger for GPS and that’s what she proved to be with the fly half a threat upon every touch.
Kohika-Skipper made life easy for Amy Brice, Caitlin Urwin and Giverny Robinson who used the space she created.
Losalio Payne (GPS)
The GPS inside centre was very strong in the midfield, breaking down the UQ defences so that fly half Bella Col could find outside backs Tahlia Lewis and Heleina Young.
UQ centres Lillian Kolb and Amy Brice were game defenders.
Nena Williamson (UQ)
The 18-year-old back-rower was again tireless, as she has been all season long for coach Savelio Savelio.
“She just grinds … She’s young and she is a work horse. She does it every game,” Savelio said.
“She does line outs really well but other than that you don’t see it because she is doing the one percenters.”
Amelia Brown (GPS)
Brown, the daughter of gun, continued her great form and was a standout for GPS in the backrow. Dad Glenn was a fabulous prop with the powerful Souths Magpies and played for Queensland.
COLTS 1 WRAP
Brothers 29 beat Souths 19
Brothers put on a brilliant performance in front of their home crowd at Crosby Park, defeating a gallant Souths side 29-19 to book their spot in the grand final.
Centres Kadin Pritchard and Dre Pakeho were sound in defence and threats in attack, while the experience of fullback Harry Grant and elite kicking game of Finn Prass shone through.
Scrumhalf Will Cartwright brought his best with light footwork, crisp passing from the scrum base and crucial goalkicking where he slotted four-from-five.
In the forwards, black headgeared breakaway Cooper Cameron was a man possessed with his dynamic running game.
Hulking prop Hopo Leota also had a strong game with powerful scrummaging and a bump-off highlight which laid the foundation for a telling Louie de Villiers try late in the game.
Souths will be hungry to bounce back against Easts next week when they look to keep their season alive.
Flankers Fraser Leslie and Cadell Rees were competitive against Brothers, as was the imposing Dominic Thygesen who looked a man among boys in the No. 8 jersey.
St Laurence’s College old boy Thomas Parker Ryan was very sharp at scrumhalf and Saxon Warwick was game in the front row, but centre Dylan Jones along with deadly wingers Ryley Bierton and Denzil Perkins were kept quiet which is a credit to the defence of Brothers.
If the two teams meet again in the grand final it will be a spectacle.
BEST PLAYERS
Kadin Pritchard (Brothers)
Pritchard was a lockdown defender in the centres, shutting down the dangerous Dylan Jones, Joe Saina and Ryley Bierton on the left edge.
He was also an aerial threat whose kick chases forced errors from Souths.
Finn Prass (Brothers)
Fly half Prass used the bright yellow right boot of his to give Brothers great field position and some would say that was the key to winning the game.
He was inches away from a 50-22 on one occasion and outside of that his high kicks were a worry for the Souths back three.
Dre Pakeho (Brothers)
The Brothers inside centre was clinical, finishing two tries and defending strongly with Pritchard on his right.
A defensive highlight of Pakeho’s came when he rushed up and met his opposite Dylan Jones with a crunching hit which dislodged the ball.
Cooper Cameron (Brothers)
One of coach Greg Beaver’s strongest performers on the day was this hungry open side flanker who ran himself to a stand still.
He saved his best for when it mattered most.
Will Cartwright and Harry Grant (Brothers)
Grant’s teammates would have been full of confidence knowing they had him making decisions at fullback.
The calm and composed Grant was direct with his kick returns while scrum-half Cartwright continued to show he is one of the competition’s biggest improvers with his goal kicking and footwork the other keys to victory.
Thomas Parker Ryan (Souths)
The St Laurence’s College AIC rugby premiership winner was equally as good as Cartwright with his switch plays from the ruck and incredibly long pass allowing the Souths backline to play deep.
Joe Saina (Souths)
With more touches the Souths centre could have dealt telling damage because with just a handful of carries he bent the Brothers line and got Souths within metres of the try line.
Dom Thygesen and Fraser Leslie (Souths)
Thygesen was a powerful scrummager while blindside flanker Leslie was a workhorse around the ground, earning himself a try late in the game.
Easts 28 beat UQ 7
Sam Farrar (Easts)
The Easts scrum half was at the peak of his powers at Bottomley Park, scoring, goalkicking and setting up his teammates in a true captain’s knock.
He scored the final try which sealed the deal for the Tigers.
Gus Godwin (outside centre) and Blake Davis (fullback) also had some terrific involvements in the first half while Kaileb Crothers, Lachlann Forsyth and Nick Bloomfield did their best work scrummaging the life out of UQ.
George Stoddart and Kane Askew (Easts)
No. 8 Stoddart was elite for Easts with his work rate and general play, as was flanker Askew who had one of his better games of the year.
Askew was a lineout disrupter who, with Alex Kerr, owned line out time.
Siliva Leofa (UQ)
Despite Easts having more of the possession, Leofa was still able to showcase his silky smooth ball playing ability in another game to be proud of.
The Brisbane State High old boy finished his first Colts 1 season in fine fashion with switch plays, pop passes and a bit of x-factor out of fly half.
Noah Hartley (UQ)
The Red Heavies hooker was a pocket dynamo who packed a brutal punch.
On the smaller side but full of aggression and strength, Hartley broke open the Easts defensive line on several occasions and treasured possession by not throwing a 50-50 offload in the hopes it found a teammate.
PREMIER RUGBY MAJOR SEMI-FINAL
Wests 40 beat Bond University 26
Hunter Paisami (Wests)
Remember him? This was the Queensland Reds centre’s first 80-minute effort since March because of recurring knee issues.
He took charge in the centres, scored an early try and produced a pinpoint kick-pass of 35m to present winger David Vaihu with a try when the
Bulldogs were down to 14 men just after halftime.
David Vaihu (Wests)
You might know more about older brother Glen but David, 20, was also a gun at Gregory Terrace. He scored three tries on the end of good inside work, hustled well and showed good pace.
Jake Upfield (Bond University)
The No. 8 was in all the heavy forward work and produced one of the tackles of the match in the second half when he crunched Hunter Paisami.
Tyler Campbell (Bond University)
Neat stepping at times threatened to earn a break but the fly half was generally calm, organised and willing to give his outside men chances.
Brothers 46 beat Easts 29
Lawson Creighton (Brothers)
The back-up Queensland Reds flyhalf is enjoying a rich run of form. A long ball put winger Robert Mapa over for the opening try in Brothers‘ 46-29 minor semi-final win at Bottomley Park. Even after his charged down kick on half-time led to an Easts’ try and their 24-18 lead, he was the player who rallied the Brethren in the second half and put Harry Wilson in the clear for the decisive penalty try (because of an Easts’ high tackle).
Jaiden Christian (Brothers)
The young tighthead prop stepped up against Easts‘ strong scrum and was the influential figure when Brothers stole a key tighthead in the final 10 minutes.
Rhys Van Nek (Easts)
A cult figure at Tigerland, the crowd of 3000 went crazy when the prop charged over from 15m out for a try to go with his strong carries, tackling and scrummaging on the day.
Meli Dreu (Easts)
Always good on his feet, the fullback banged some pressure-relieving kicks and always threatened to set up an attack for the Tigers.
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