Nudgee juggernaut secures 45th title, three-peat in grand final epic at Ross Oval as the GPS First XV rugby season comes to a close
Nudgee College did the unthinkable on Saturday, securing their third successive GPS First XV rugby premiership and 45th title in a grand final epic against Brisbane State High. Read here how they created history here.
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Australia’s most decorated rugby school reached another significant milestone in its proud history on Saturday when their First XV produced a stirring second half performance to snare the GPS premiership.
Queensland rugby powerhouses Nudgee College claimed its 45th GPS First XV rugby premiership and third consecutive title when defeating a game Brisbane State High 45-28 in an enthralling season finale on Ross Oval.
Nudgee turned the corner tied 21-all with visitors Brisbane State High and, on the back of their faultless tight five, ran in 24 unanswered points in as many minutes to open up a telling 45-21 advantage.
A late try by Brisbane State High speedster Jackson Hill brought it back but the war had been won.
Nudgee’s incredible second half performance, a recurring theme this season for the boys in blue and white, had done it.
“As soon as I came here in year 5 I sat in the stands and watched all the older boys fight for a premiership,” said elite Nudgee fullback Jacob Johnson.
“Here on Ross oval it is so special. To finally get to play on Ross for two years and then to go back-to-back is a very special feeling,” Johnson smiled before a heartfelt embrace with his proud-as-punch mother.
The sound of the final whistle prompted teammates to run onto the field and celebrate a rare “grand final” win with their playing heroes.
The historic win was sparked from a second half double by Prestyn Laine-Sietu, the lineout brilliance of Ed Kasprowicz and a productive rolling maul headed by props Isaac Rauluni and Levi Slater along with captain John Grenfell, who scored Nudgee’s first try.
“John Grenfell is an inspiration,” Johnson said.
“He leads with his defence rushing up at the line and putting shots on.
“His communication, his calmness and his clarity to all us boys makes us feel so calm and we know what our job is.”
Captain Grenfell scored his seventh try of the season after Brisbane State High outside centre Laquan Afamiliona had burst away to score the opening try in the second minute.
That was the first exchange of blows in a first half that to-and-fro’d before a 21-all scoreline set up an exciting second stanza that the home side owned.
TRYSCORING MENACE
One of Brisbane State High School’s youngest First XV members delivered in spades scoring two of his team’s three first half tries.
Year 10 prop Tyrece Herniman added to his tally on the season scoring a cracking set piece try after his team took a quick tap and mauled.
Then, on the cusp of halftime, Herniman burrowed over again to level the scores at 21-all and importantly use a one man advantage.
Nudgee flyhalf Charlie O’Connell had been yellow-carded moments earlier but replays showed his late, tipping tackle on State High scrumhalf Marley Ngatai had comfortably met the threshold for an automatic red card.
State High will forever wonder how their second half fortunes might have changed had Nudgee lost its field general and goal-kicker, who added a try and four conversions in the second half.
Around emerging loosehead Herniman, Cyrus Suniala and reserve front rower Darnel Taki were ferocious building pressure close to Nudgee’s tryline after monstrous prop Elyjah Sau left the field injured 15 minutes in.
SON OF A GUN DOES DAMAGE
He is the son of a former Brisbane State High school sporting phenom and on the biggest stage, he rose above.
Towering 17-year-old Ed Kasprowicz, the son of Queensland cricket champion Michael, did damage to his dad’s old school with a clinical showing at the lineout.
Against an equally sizeable forward pack consisting of tall timbers Roman Siulepa and Eli Langi, lineout weapon Kasprowicz kept his foot on the throat of the opposition by winning every one of his lineouts and twice stealing BSHS ball.
All of the pain, the clobbering hits, the times they had been monstered at the bottom of the breakdown led to this premiership winning moment for Nudgee and big Kasprowicz was the head of the snake that helped crown the kings of GPS rugby three-peat premiers.
BACKLINE BLITZ, LAINE-SIETU SPECIAL
In an amphitheatre of dreams, nothing made more noise than a telling backline play that finished in the hands of Nudgee flyhalf O’Connell 16 minutes from time.
To snatch an unassailable 38-21 lead, multiple Nudgee runners steamed onto the ball at speed before Carter Welfare played out the back to Nick Conway who then found Johnson, before the fleet footed fullback found the final link in O’Connell.
It capped off a sensational 17-nil scoring surge by Nudgee coming out of the break and O’Connell impressively added the extras 5m in from the touchline.
The fearless playmaker slotted seven-from-eight attempts on the day and his opposite Seamus Boakes had his radar working also, nailing all four of his kicks at goal.
To move further in front at 45-21, prolific outside centre Prestyn Laine-Sietu angled back inside to score his team’s fifth and final try, the dagger which sealed the undefeated premiership.
STATE HIGH FIGHT
They may have been outclassed in the final 35 minutes but the brave Brisbane State High boys were not out-fought, or ever down on spirit.
Roman Siulepa’s long distance charge late in the match that set up a Jackson Hill try said everything about the side’s determination.
It is no easy task toppling a team ranked first in attack and defence this season.
A team that had conceded just 98 points across seven games prior to this match.
In fact, Brisbane State High were the only team to pile on a score this big (28 points) on the kings of red zone footy this year, Nudgee.
Tireless flanker Trent Picot, who won timely pilfers for his team, was at the epicentre of Brisbane State High’s gallant grand final showing.
MAGIC IN THE WATER AT NUDGEE
Ultimately the match was won by Nudgee’s through-the-roof efficiency.
After weathering the storm of playing without a man for 10 minutes (7-all during the O’Connell yellow card), Nudgee made the most of their chances to conjure the largest grand final scoreline in the 106 year competition history.
With Laine-Sietu running wonderful lines, inside centre Carter Welfare bobbing up twice with crucial pilfers to win penalties and a set-piece dominance engineered by a faultless pack, Nudgee etched their names in the history books.
Humble utility back Max Rohan also played an important role in the match after entering the field early when Oli Patterson left injured.
Rohan was a midfield menace for Nudgee in their first four wins before Laine-Sietu bounced back into the equation in his return from a hip injury.
How appropriate it was the powerful 18-year-old had a positive say in the biggest game of the season.
Not since Elton Flatley led Nudgee to a triple crown between 1993 and 1995 had Nudgee gone back-to-back-to-back.
Nudgee completed their mission, thwarting a ferocious Brisbane State High outfit looking to snap an eight year premiership drought in front of at least 8000 spectators.
“This started last year for pre-season and we’ve been going for the whole year now just getting to this goal and now we’ve accomplished it. The feeling is amazing,” said Nudgee fullback Johnson.
“We’re classmates, we’re teammates, we’re best mates.
“This memory of 2024, undefeated … for us it is going to be one to remember.”
ROUND NINE SCORES
BBC 26 DEF TGS 8
IPSWICH GRAMMAR 43 DEF GREGORY TERRACE 21
NUDGEE 45 DEF BSHS 28
TSS 57 DEF BRISBANE GRAMMAR 38
GPS RUGBY 2024 LADDER (Win-loss)
Nudgee (8-0)
BSHS (7-1)
BBC (6-2)
TSS (5-3)
IGS (4-4)
TGS (2-6)
Churchie (2-6)
Terrace (2-6)
BGS (0-8)
On Toowoomba Grammar’s Old Boys’ Oval, Brisbane Boys’ College No. 8 Oscar Donovan was the star in his team’s tight 26-8 success after trailing 8-nil at the break.
Donovan produced one of the all time great performances seen this decade by a forward, an exciting prelude of what is to come for the Year 11 student.
Donovan, a No. 8 turned prop who wound back the clock on Saturday playing No. 8 again, scored two of his team’s four tries, took upwards of 20 carries and made at least 15 tackles - according to director of rugby Todd Dammers.
Dammers was speechless when asked to relay how mesmerising Donovan’s display was at No.8.
Incredible, fantastic and destructive were a few describing words Dammers uttered when reflecting on an all-time performance by his physical, 16-year-old powerhouse utility forward.
Donovan’s damaging display was just what the doctor ordered for the visitors because for the first time this season BBC’s backline just wasn’t clicking.
Fortunately, with Donovan the spearhead, the visitors fronted up in the forwards where Cooper Eagle and Lucas Bakker were also try scorers.
BBC led 12-8 with a little over 10 minutes to play and there came that man Donovan to deliver a try.
Goalkicking flanker Gray O’Neill added the extras from the sideline and BBC led 19-8.
Donovan delivered again, five minutes from time, to hand BBC a 26-8 advantage when he beat one defender with his footwork and another with a fend before slamming down his second.
For Toowoomba Grammar, Myles Rosemond and outstanding No. 8 Tom Bailey were among the standouts.
Bailey, a menace in all aspects of play, was simply exceptional.
Out at Northgate, TSS had won the match by half time when they led 38-12 before an inspired comeback from BGS pulled them to within 20.
TSS ended up winning 57-38, with outside centre Kilarney Lavender ending a fine campaign with an exclamation mark performance.
The exciting Year 11 ran in three tries in a nine try barrage by the Coast side and has been rewarded for a bumper year playing well in both codes of rugby with a four year Dolphins NRL contract.
In windy conditions, his hooker Blaze Moana set the highest standard with his lineout throwing and from there, TSS’s pack rumbled forward before showing their class in the backline.
Moana scored a try himself, joining unsung locks Hayden Keldie-Genner and Dan Wells on the scorers sheet.
Winger Jake Lane and prop Kinglsey Uys also scored tries, but none compared to the one scored by winger Callum Dalton, who scored the try of the day.
The play began 60m out from Brisbane Grammar’s tryline and it involved Tom Goldie, Eli Vea, Dallas Ingram and Dalton before Lavender stormed through a hole.
Lavender dashed away 25m before finding Dalton who was looming in support on his left to finish the highlight.
Technically sound hooker Moana, workhorse lock Wells and destructive No. 8 Apagetos Lote-Felo were first class for the visitors, while young No. 8 Dyer Akauola was also a handful for the home side.
Tristan Knudsen, Oli Akhavan, Akauola, Tom Siganto and Bertie Kendall all crossed for Brisbane Grammar, who had a mountain to climb after trailing by 26 points at oranges.
On the Internationals Field at Tennyson, Ipswich Grammar School finished fifth in this year’s competition with a last-round win over Gregory Terrace, 43-21.
Ipswich Grammar had lost three games this season by margins less than a converted try and finished their season on a high note with Harry Scheibel scoring two tries in the success.
Finn Kendall, James Grey and rookie hooker Caleb West scored great tries for the visitors.
The scores were tied 14-all at oranges and it was Ipswich Grammar who roarred out of the gates to begin the second half and ran away six tries to three winners.
With debutant Caleb West, front rower Jean-Paul Sia, wrecking ball No. 8 Ezalle Matautia, Marlon Frost and Finn Kendall to the fore, IGS ran in an unanswered 29 points in the second half before a late try from Terrace prime mover Charlie Hollyman settled the scores at 21-43.
Hollyman joined impressive backrower Nate Wines (two tries) on the scorers sheet for Terrace.
The abrasive Wines was the head of the snake for Terrace’s blue collar pack that performed well.
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