StoreLocal Hospital Cup, Colts 1, Teams of the Week from round three
Club rugby round three: Hospital Cup and Colts 1 Teams of the Week unveiled following a stunning weekend of action.See who shone from your local club here.
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Brothers, Wests and Souths were the three unbeaten teams left in the Hospital Cup after three rounds as the first grade competition hots up to begin season 2024.
Here we unveil the round three StoreLocal Hospital Cup Team of the Week, along with a Colts 1 Team of the Week following a weekend of bumper games.
Some Premier and Colts 1 match day highlights included:
+Wests securing their third successive win heading into bye week;
+ Brothers defeating Souths with Reds players Tim Ryan and Lawson Creighton out of the lineup;
+ Norths club legend Conor Chittenden bringing up 100 first grade caps;
+ Brothers Glen, David and Sau Vaihu enjoying an away victory for Wests’ Hospital Cup team;
+ Souths winning a Colts 1 replay against Brothers at Crosby Park;
+ Norths Colts 1 captain Macarius Pereira scoring three tries in a win.
PREMIER WOMEN TEAM OF THE WEEK, KEY PLAYERS SO FAR
HOSPITAL CUP TEAM OF THE WEEK
15 Will McCulloch (Norths)
Norths were marred by injuries during the game, and had an average age of 21.5 in their backline. They still got the 20-all draw, despite losing all three front rowers to injury.
How exciting for Norths fans to see such duress, yet have the Eagles go so well ? One of their best young backs at the weekend was again, this Australian Under 20s selection, McCulloch.
His kicking at goal was Clutch with a Capital C. Without his radar working, Norths lose the game.
14 Floyd Aubrey (GPS)
The form of this slick-moving Murgon product was gaining ominous pace.
Playing at fullback, Aubrey lit up Yoku road in the first half of Saturday’s game which put a deposit on victory for the Gallopers.
The Ashgrove old boy finished with two try assists.
13 Tareta Junior Siakisini (University)
Jeez how good was this bloke?
A big bopper, Siakisini donned the No.16 jumper but made his presence felt in the centres where his crash running would have left bruises on the shoulders of daring GPS defenders.
On a dry track he could have been even more destructive.
12 Tyler Campbell (Bond University)
The Bullsharks haven’t got off to the flyer they would have been hoping for, but their captain Campbell was trying his hardest at inside centre.
At the weekend he was top notch, especially in the first half.
11 Glen Vaihu (Wests)
One of the outstanding performers from round three was Rebels winger Vaihu, a pacy outside back with a sprinkle of flare.
The Terrace old boy brought his best to the Canal, dishing up a try among other highlights.
10 Brody McLaren (Sunnybank)
He was not the best performing flyhalf of round three but when you consider that he is still just 18, and was a late inclusion, he was a must in this team.
Six months ago he was cherishing a schoolboy premiership with St Laurence’s, and on Saturday he was thrust into the line-up at flyhalf.
An outside centre, McLaren showed maturity beyond his years steering the ship at No.10.
9 James Martens (Wests)
Another youngster who six months ago was still in the classroom - and not the first chose No.9 in the BBC First XV side - Martens made another statement with two tries.
One of them was a smart dart from the breakdown. The other was a ridiculous highlight where he took the ball from the ruck and evaded defenders with a spectacular in-and-away step.
8 Pita Halaifonua (Sunnybank)
Talk about impact.
This lean No.8 is at the centre of what the Dragons do, and he came to play on Saturday against the Eagles.
7 Conor Chittenden (Norths)
If you thought there were three Chittenden’s out there on Hugh Courtney Oval you are not going insane.
This workhorse centre turned flanker produced a mammoth 80 minute performance where he was here, there and everywhere for the Eagles.
In what was 100th first grade outing, Chittenden upheld the standards that have seen him become a respected, team first man that has been an incredible servant to the Norths club.
From a skinny 21-year-old utility back to an impressive flanker, Chittenden has been at Norths through the good and the bad and what a moment it was for him last weekend.
6 Matthew Gicquel (GPS)
GPS’s lifeblood, flanker Gicquel returned from a week off with vengeance.
There’s a stark difference between GPS with and without this criminally underrated flanker who plays above his weight. His physicality was everything. Certainly GPS would not swap him for another player in his position.
5 Jack Brady (University)
What a weapon.
Difficult to contain, Brady’s offloading proved superb at the weekend and he got better as the match went on.
A lineout target, Brady contributed on all fronts and is an early choice for discovery player of the year
4 Daniel Maiava (Wests)
The Nudgee old boy had been coming off the bench for the resurgent Rebels in Super Rugby Pacific but barked his loudest for the Bulldogs in their 43-32 win over Bond University on the weekend.
A blindside flanker, Maiava played lock and was tremendous.
He scored a try because of his relentless effort supporting the play.
3. Eli Junior Latu (Norths)
Norths lost all three of their front rowers and coming off the bench in style was Latu.
He and Tonga Maafu had a cracker, with Josh Mongard, Kieran Fitzgibbon and Matt Talaese all injured in the first half of battle.
2 Ethan Dobbins (Wests)
The representative hooker had been just missing out on the Rebels matchday 23 and has returned to clubland in fine fashion.
After his first outing of the season in round two, Dobbins turned the gas up in round three to deliver a monstrous showing which delivered Wests their third straight win.
1 Oliver Harris (Norths)
The 21-year-old prop out of Villanova played 80 minutes at tighthead following a fractured rib injury to Matt Talaese and boy was he impressive.
Harris scrummed his backside off, and was going as hard in the 80th as he was in the opening minute. The son of a former Eagles’ gun Eddie Harris, young Oliver just keeps getting better.
UNLUCKY OMISSION
Brothers flanker Will Wilson was fantastic for Brothers but Gicquel (GPS) and Chittenden (Norths) were first class as well.
Wilson had his fingerprints all over Brothers’ Crosby Park triumph over Souths. He was everywhere, taking hit ups, chopping down opponents, and raising his hand for another carry as if he wasn’t doing enough.
His numbers would have been off the charts.
Kohan Herbert (Souths)
Souths’ mountain mover was first class again, applying pressure at the breakdowns, and dotting down a try with his burst of speed.
SPECIAL MENTIONS
Mitch Treleaven (GPS)
Mackenzie Fox (Norths)
Tonga Maafu (Norths)
Noah Nielsen (Brothers)
Finn Prass (Brothers)
Dre Pakeho (Brothers)
Rhian Stowers (Bond University)
COLTS 1 TEAM OF THE WEEK
15. Jude Knapp (GPS)
14. Daniel Malum (Sunnybank)
13. Dom Kallquist (Wests)
12. Ryan Heaton (Norths)
11. Hunter Robinson (Bond)
10. Isaac McAuliffe (University)
9. Jimmy Jackson (University)
8. Dian Minnie (Souths)
7. Charlie Cooke (Wests)
6. Ben Kluck (Norths)
5. Isaac Nomani (Sunnybank)
4. Charlie Stack (Brothers)
3. Slater Galloway (Souths)
2. Harry Gould (Played prop but we moved him to hooker to get him into the best Xv)
1. Macarius Pereira (Norths)
RESERVES:
Pat Dallimore (Brothers)
Ryley Bierton (Souths)
Joe Murray (Bond)
Cadell Rees (Souths)
Jack Henry (University)
Moe Koroi (University)
Tom Williams (GPS)
Chris Jansen (GPS)
Samuela Tuisau (University)
Oscar Lane (Sunnybank)
Dajuan Manase (Sunnybank)
Nico Buckley (Sunnybank)
Callum Reidy (Norths)
Mac Hermann (Norths)
Sam Higgins (Norths)
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