Players of the Day: Colts 1, StoreLocal Premier Women’s semi final top guns highlighted here following day of highlights at GPS
An emerging Queensland Reds Academy flyhalf broke the hearts of his rivals to punch a Colts 1 club rugby grand final berth for Souths while Easts’ Premier Women and Wests’ Hospital Cup teams advanced. See who starred here from each team.
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A fearless Queensland Reds Academy flyhalf displayed nerves of steel in his side’s frantic Colts 1 semi-final victory on Sunday to win the match in the 70th minute and book a spot in the grand final.
Souths Magpies playmaker Will Nason was a crunch time king in his team’s thrilling 18-17 pipping of Bond University who looked to have had the match all but wrapped up until Nason sealed their fate.
Down 17-15 with time dwindling down, Nason,19, opted to take the points rather than kick for touch and he struck gold nailing the matchwinning penalty goal on the 22m line, less than 10m in from touch to come from behind and win by one point.
Ironically, 12 minutes earlier, Nason had slotted a conversion from the left sideline after inside centre Maddox Maclean had scored to snare a 15-12 lead.
The referee’s ruled it unsuccessful but there was no doubt it snuck in past the left upright and it should have been 17-12.
Alas, Nason was rewarded for his sniping heroics when he calmly sunk the biggest penalty goal of his fledgling career just shy of time to ensure the Magpies place in next Sunday’s grand finale against Wests at Ballymore.
Throughout the season, Nason wasn’t Souths first choice kicker but he demanded respect in Sunday’s spectacle at GPS when he took matters into his own hands and kicked his side into the big dance.
This will be the second successive grand final appearance by the Magpies with 19-year-old Nason steering the ship from No.10.
Bond University, thanks to some magic by No.8 Nick Hilton and hooker Oli Barret, went ahead on the scoreboard 17-15 a few minutes prior when left winger Ieuan Cornelius was on the finishing end of a backline shift that started in Rocco Gollings’ hands.
Bond led by two points and it is worth noting had Nason’s conversion earlier on been ruled successful and if the scores remained 17-all, Souths would have progressed due to them being the minor premiers.
In the StoreLocal Premier Womens clash, Easts won through to the grand final after upsetting minor premiers Sunnybank 29-21.
Queensland Reds Super W flyhalf Carys Dallinger had the Midas touch in the Tigers eight point win where they led for 65 of the 70 minutes.
Dallinger’s kicking for touch and goalkicking was first rate, while her destructive inside centre Loretta Lealiifano also had her say with two stunning solo tries.
Her second try, five minutes from time to make it 27-21, sent a dagger through the hearts of the competition’s best team during the home and away season.
In the Hospital Cup semi final showdown between Wests and University, the Bulldogs won 39-27 to lock themselves into a grand final rematch against last year’s premiers Brothers next Sunday at Ballymore.
Reds scrumhalf Louis Werchon kicked four from five conversions and slotted two penalties while versatile Fijian weapon Angelo Smith scored two tries in an inspired performance at blindside flanker.
Flyhalf Mason Gordon was sharp for the Bulldogs and he scored the dagger nearing full time that handed his side a commanding 39-20 lead.
The goalkicking of young University flyhalf Chace Oates was impressive, as was the athleticism of exciting Wests winger Mosese Dawai.
PLAYERS OF THE DAY
PREMIER WOMEN
EASTS 29 DEF SUNNYBANK 21
Ana Afuie (Sunnybank)
Last year’s Selena Worsley medallist was a cut above the rest with her service from scrumhalf, critical decision making and jinking running game from the ruck base.
She was moving at full throttle late in the game when most other players were exhausted.
Loretta Lealiifano (Easts)
It would come as a surprise to no one seeing powerhouse midfield wrecking ball Loretta Lealiifano featured here.
Arguably Easts’ most important player, Lealiifano carved a gorge in Sunnybank’s defence to score her first try and then delivered again in the 65th minute when she scored the dagger to take a commanding 27-21 lead.
Her leadership as captain in a match like this shone through in the result.
Carys Dallinger (Easts)
Flyhalf Carys Dallinger added the extras from wide out to put a canyon between the Tigers and Dragons, who trailed by eight points with just four minutes to play after Dallinger’s brilliance off the tee.
Before that, Dallinger was elite kicking for touch and with her clearing kicks.
Her booming right boot forced Sunnybank Kalisi Longopoa backwards often and her crisp passing was key in Easts’ attacking shape.
Abbi Spooner (Easts)
For an 18-year-old, Abbi Spooner has been nothing short of impressive in Easts’ finals campaign.
Defending against one of the more feared backlines in the StoreLocal Premier Women competition, Spooner got her head in the right places and with great tackling technique mopped up tackles tremendously.
She was enormous in protecting Easts’ tryline from Sunnybank’s fantastic finishers Mercedes Taulelei-Siala, Nikeisha Ngaru and Longopoa.
Machiko Silila (Easts)
No one touched the ball more than blindside flanker Machiko Silala when it came to lineout time.
Her white headgear rose above the ‘Bank pack all afternoon and she competed with a 100 per cent success rate to ensure Easts made the most of their attacking opportunities off the lineout.
In a big game against quality opposition, her reliability in the set piece was everything for Easts.
Kalisi Longopoa (Sunnybank)
Depiste making an error here or there, Sunnybank fullback Kalisi Longopoa was the team’s most dangerous attacking player and loomed most likely to find a way through.
The classy fullback returned the ball with gusto and made the right reads from start to finish on whether to go herself or feed her young gun wingers Nikeisha Ngaru (Marsden SHS Year 12) or Mercedez Taulelei-Siala (Ipswich SHS Year 12).
Renae Nona (Sunnybank)
The Western Force playmaker was at the peak of her powers for the Dragons, dummying her way through the Tigers line on multiple occasions before making the right pass to her support runners.
The veteran of 17 Super W matches was a threat throughout with her running game and it seemed the Easts defenders never knew her next move.
Adi Dreu (Easts)
Powerful Easts tight five forward Adi Dreu put on a clinic at the breakdown and twice it was just what the doctor ordered when Sunnybank were surging into Easts’ half.
On one occasion, she won an all-important penalty when the Dragons were just 5m shy of the tryline. On another occasion, her brilliance at the breakdown led to Easts scoring a try.
She was immense.
COLTS 1
SOUTHS 18 DEF BOND UNI 17
Tommy O’Callaghan (Souths)
The Souths skipper had a captain’s knock in the lineout and it created a pressure chamber on Bond University’s pack that scrambled well without their tighthead prop Harry Bell who was yellow carded late in the first half.
O’Callaghan was Cooper Hoare’s prime lineout target and twice O’Callaghan created tries. The first was scored by big No.8 Dom Thygesen and the second Hoare when he proved unstoppable in the rolling maul.
It was like clockwork for openside flanker O’Callaghan.
Dre-dyn Laban (Souths)
Dre-dyn Laban, the Souths fullback, had a classy showing in the backfield where his kicking game was excellent.
With Will Nason also kicking well for touch, Laban twice booted the ball from inside his 22m to within Bond University’s 40m and once at their 22m.
His kicking game was first rate while being a faultless customer when he had his chances with the ball.
Sam Howarth (Bond University)
Bond University’s halfback and captain made two trysaving tackles in the first half, and was tireless on the defensive end for someone whose core role is to pass.
Before Bond University’s dogged defensive display with a one man disadvantage, Howarth held up damaging Souths outside centre Xavier Rubens over the line.
Five minutes later, Howarth made a ripping cover tackle on prolific Souths winger Te Ohorei Totorewa who was charging towards his favourite left corner.
The nippy all-rounder was excellent.
Oli Barrett (Bond University)
Bond University’s powerful hooker Oli Barrett saved his best for last this season by producing a cracking, mistake free performance.
Barrett’s lineout throwing was faultless and his scrummaging strong, while in general play he attacked the breakdown with ferocity and just bobbed up in all the right places when Bond were attacking.
He was crucial in the lead up to Bond University’s second try by loosehead Nikotimo Mateiwai that grabbed the Bull Sharks first lead of the match 12-10. He appeared again later in the match with a dash that set up Cornelius’ go ahead try in the left corner.
It was his best match of the season.
Cam Bodley (Bond University)
Stepping in to the line-up with representative lock Fergus Gillan unavailable, the towering Cam Bodley delivered in spades.
He did his job to perfection after playing much of the year in Colts 2 and his trusty lineout wins allowed Bond to mount pressure for the majority of the second half.
Maddox Maclean (Souths)
Coming into the match, Maclean and inside centre Darcy Rowan were jousting for the No.12 jersey and Maddox Maclean out did himself after being granted the starting position.
Early in the match his catch and pass package was key for Souths in attack and his crash runs moved the Magpies past the gainline.
On the other side of the ball the two time Nudgee First XV premiership winner (2022,2023) fronted up ferociously with a highlight coming midway through the match when he seated his opposite Kobe Waikato with a thumping tackle.
He then scored the go ahead try for Souths with 13 minutes left to move ahead 15-12.
Will Nason (Souths)
The Toowoomba Grammar product has now spearheaded Souths to the grand final for the second year running.
A fullback turned flyhalf, Nason did not kick for goal this year.
Blokes like Maddox Maclean, Dre-dyn Laban and Darcy Rowan did and today Nason relished his opportunity by keeping his team’s season alive with an incredible penalty goal.
Before this moment of magic where he ran in and confronted the moment, Nason’s kicking for touch and playmaking was comprehensive.
Kaleb Akaroa (Souths)
For a big boy, ballplaying backrower Kaleb Akaroa played an impressive role that mimicked a rugby inside back or rugby league edge forward in the wider channels for Souths.
The mountain man out of rugby league finishing school Marsden SHS was up to his usual tricks offloading the ball, running great lines on the right edge and defending stoically to repel Bond University.
“He has been excellent over the last seven weeks… He was still going at the death for us,” coach Cian O’Connor said in praise of his Hoskins Sotutu (Blues hardman) doppelgänger.
Nick Hilton (Bond University)
Bond University’s tough as teak No.8 finished the season the way he started it by making a strong impact in all facets of the game.
Hilton was a presence in Bond University’s lineouts and rolling maul efforts throughout the game and then conjured something from nothing to set up a try scored by Ieuan Cornelius.
Hilton, resembling a five-eighth, sized up his options, drew in his defender and popped back on his inside to hooker Oli Barrett who ran 20m and barged over a defender before being brought down 10m from the line.
Cornelius scored in the left corner immediately and the Bull Sharks led 17-12 with less than five minutes to play.
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