GPS First XV rugby: Best players from round 7
GPS First XV rugby: A John Eales clone was among the best performanced from round 7 action and features in our top 24 players of the round.
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For a moment there was a flashback to the great John Eales as Churchie No.8 Charlie Brosnan swooped down to ankle height to catch and pass in one motion to his winger Mac Kelley.
It was all over in a second, but his skill to produce the catch-pass on the run, with tired legs in the final minute of play and create a try was glorious.
It was what John Eales could do any day of the week, and Brosnan’s skill added further to his reputation which has grown and grown the more the season has progressed.
His creation of the try, a covering tackle to blunt BBC’s comeback, telling runs, lineout catching all added up to one heck of a No.8.
Brosnan is among our Players of the Round from last weekend. Here are the others.
RELATED LINKS
ROUND 7 REPORT - GPS PREMIERSHIP NOW A RACE IN 3
BEST X-FACTOR WOMEN, COLTS 1 PLAYERS REVEALED HERE
MOST UNDERRATED, MOST INSPIRING CLUB PLAYERS REVEALED
Patrick Dallimore (Nudgee)
Dallimore had a captains knock and coach Sean Graham said it did not go unnoticed.
He does it week in, week out and on Saturday it was the same story for the hard working blind side flanker.
Nick Hilton and Jye Gray (TSS) - again
Hilton is another ace No.8 whose week to week impact is enormous for TSS. Seasoned by three winters of First XV, he plays like a man, is rugged, ruthless and ever so effective. TSS is lucky to have him as part of its leadership group alongside Gray.
You run out of superlatives to describe Gray and it is getting to the stage this season with the special is becoming normal for Gray, the inside centre and fullback.
Tom Robinson (Terrace)
He is the son of a gun but is making his own way around the rugby field. Year 11 student Robinson, a flanker, is aged just 16, but what a performance it was against Nudgee.
Coming up against a big pack, Robinson, whose father is former Wallaby Brett Robinson, really showed he was up to the task. He was aggressive, super physical and from the sideline you could see how hungry he was to give it to his rivals.
Spencer Alcock (TSS)
The Southport School coach Mike Wallace loved the performance from his No.10 who had the ball on a string. Behind his ball winning forwards Alcock was the firing pin in the attack and both he and halfback Cowan have reached high points of their careers to date in the last few weeks.
Dre Pakeho (Churchie)
Pakeho is an enormously influential player in this competition with his size and strength, his passing game and option taking. A big man, he looks confident, he looks almost bulletproof and is providing the perfect middle man as Churchie expands their game the more the season progresses.
Angus Munn (Terrace)
Munn toils and toils until the tank is empty. The big No.8 butted horns with Liam Le Blanc and dealt some blows.
He did the dirty work, tackling, pilfering and rucking the ball up the middle in a ploy for field position.
Jeremiah Sialau (TGS)
The TGS hooker Jeremiah Sialau was a bit of an unsung hero in his team’s nail biting 8-7 win over BGS. In gusty bayside winds, Sialau line out throwing was a treat, as were his more than useful ball running burst into the teeth of the BGS pack.
Xavier Stiles (Terrace)
Terrace skip Xavier Stiles did his bit and more once again. But, it was his encouragement and leadership that was so impressive.
He’s a real captain.
RELATED LINKS
GPS ROUND 6 PLAYERS OF THE ROUND HERE
ROUND 7 PREVIEW, DOLPHINS SIGN NUDGEE ACE
Nick Dunstan (Terrace)
Dunstan is another young gun from Terrace, an under 16s’ player but what a performance it was against one of the competitons’ heavy weight sides. Usually at fullback, Dunstan did not look out of place in the No.10 jumper. Assistant coach Jon Fitzgerald was very impressed with how Dunstan was able to control the game.
Mack Kelley (Churchie)
Took about keeping spectators on their toes. One moment he is on the left wing, the next he is scoring in the right corner and vise-versa. Every time we see him play he impresses with his aggressive running and speed. What a joy it must be for his teammates to see him come on the burst, ball in hand.
Archie Xavier (Terrace)
He played his best game all year and that’s saying something because each week he is just so good.
The form guide at the start of the season was right with this one.
“Reads the game brilliantly. He will direct his troops and deliver great service from the ruck.” That is exactly what he has done all season.
On Saturday, he didn’t take his foot off Nudgee’s throat.
Archie Condon (Nudgee)
Condon had the praise of his coach. It’s hard to single out the high performers who didn’t score tries. The unsung heroes are usually found through lost match film. But sometimes, the effort is evident enough. This was the case for Condon, who made some super plays late in the piece. Sean Graham was awfully impressed with the way he showed up for the team.
Will Rogers (Nudgee)
Will Rogers you can’t leave him out. You just can’t. He can’t be stopped in that rolling maul. Each week, he always poses a threat. He has to be one of the best tryscoring hookers we’ve seen in the GPS for years.
Tory Bath (Nudgee)
Bath silenced the sledging Terrace Old Boys.
His composure and maturity not to bite back and respond with his footy was admirable. He scored a double, with the second an absolute cracker.
Joel Broderick (Brisbane State High)
Broderick, Brisbane State High’s blind side flanker, played in just his second game of the year on Saturday.
He was a workhorse. He’s all heart. In a game where they lost 50-12, they only went down 14-7 in the second half. And Broderick was at the forefront of this resurgence, making some really good tackles. And, a lot of them.
Tuave Leofa (Brisbane State High)
Leofa has only just turned 16 but what a talent he is at No.10. While his team was on the back foot, the youngster’s skills shone through. Leofa did some lovely work in attack and some excellent defence and for a young man in a losing side, he did very well and belongs in this company.
Macarius Pereira (Nudgee)
Pereira was a forward brute. In the No.3 jumper he was a monster force for Nudgee; in the scrum especially. With brute strength and a big build he offered a bit of fear factor in that Nudgee pack.
Tariq Tanner (Nudgee)
Centre powerhouse Tariq Tanner didn’t have the ball much but it was the crucial defensive and effort plays he made in the latter stages that have him on the list. He tested the terrace defence. But, they stood tall, fronting up with a rampaging Tanner.
Chace Oates (TGS)
We are talking about one of the best players in the competition here. There is no doubt about that. Oates created a chance for Richard Dean, a rare opportunity in the match, and it was the difference between his team winning or losing a tight match against BGS. As it turned out the winning score was a penalty goal was also by Oates in windy conditions, so without him TGS may not have won.
Ryan Shaw (BGS)
It was close, but it was a stop, start, frustrating game when BGS played TGS on Saturday. Neither team got rolling but BGS No.10 Shaw did his best to guide his team into a winning position.
Samson Tuqiri (BBC)
Tuqiri is not getting the opportunities he may have hoped for, but it is all experience and this young BBC gathers some war wounds and learns ahead of the 2023 season. He remarkably saved a try that looked certain to be scored and deserves recognition for his energy and effort. He also seems to be able to anticipate play, both in attack but most importantly this season in moppping up.
ROUND 8
IGS v NC
ACGS v BGS
TSS v GT
BSHS v TGS
BBC bye
ROUND 9
BBC v BGS
IGS v TSS
BSHS v ACGS
TGS v GT
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