Dolphins Challenge grand final live stream: Shalom College ready for tough Emmaus College test

A dominant Emmaus College has opened up a huge day for the school in perfect fashion, overcoming Shalom to become premiers. Watch the full Dolphins Challenge grand final replay here.

Centres Hudson Keepkie and Alex Fuller each bagged a double as Rockhampton’s Emmaus College scored a commanding 32-12 win in the Dolphins Challenge grand final.

Emmaus ran in seven tries to two, four of them unanswered in the first half, to beat Bundaberg’s Shalom College in the decider on Tuesday.

Prop Sam Adams produced a man-of-the-match performance, his barnstorming runs a feature of the victory.

It came after Shalom suffered an early blow when prop Jacob Baker was injured in the opening set of the game.

Emmaus College defeated Shalom College in the Dolphins Challenge grand final.

He lay flat on his back before being stretchered off with a suspected knee injury.

Emmaus then clicked into gear, with Keepkie diving over out wide for the opening try to put them up 4-nil.

Fuller crossed five minutes later and Keepkie made it number two to extend the lead to 12-nil.

Winger Jackson Meyer crossed in the last minute, sending Emmaus to the sheds with a 16-nil break.

Emmaus fullback Lethan McMeekan and five-eighth Will McLaughlin were inspirational in attack, with penetrating runs to the line and deft passing getting their team on the attack.

There were ominous signs for Shalom when Fuller went in for his second just four minutes into the second half to make it 20-nil.

Emmaus centre Alex Fuller scored two tries in the Dolphins Challenge grand final win.

But Shalom steadied into the task and were rewarded with two tries – one to prop Jackson Tyers and one to their dynamic fullback Parkka Perrotta-Dowling, who was one of the Bundaberg team’s best.

With the score 20-12, it looked as though Shalom were ready to mount their comeback but their efforts were snuffed out when McMeekan went in with four minutes left on the clock to make the score 26-12.

McLaughlin finished off what was a dominant personal and team performance when he scored the last try of the game in the shadows of full-time to complete the 20-point victory.

PREVIEW

They finished the regular season in third and fourth, but Shalom and Emmaus will now battle it out for the ultimate prize in the Dolphins Challenge.

The teams will face off in the grand final of the Year 9 and 10 Queensland regional schoolboys rugby league competition at 3.30pm on Tuesday.

It will be a big day for Emmaus, who are also in the Dolphins Cup decider against The Cathedral College at 5pm.

You can catch both games LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on KommunityTV. Check the full Queensland Schoolboys schedule below for details.

The Dolphins Challenge semis served up some thrilling footy. Shalom beat TCC with a field goal in the last 90 seconds, while Emmaus scored on the buzzer to beat St Brendan’s.

The two grand final teams both have a similar mantra of hard work and impressive teamwork.

Hooker Tahj Coates will be a key figure for Shalom in Tuesday’s final.

Shalom coach Shaun Hobson said his team was able to grind out games, and always played to the final hooter.

“We’re not a flashy team, we’re just a team that tries to work really hard and stays in the fight,” he said.

“They’re a group of good young men. They’re really good listeners, they’re really good learners, and they don’t get too far ahead of themselves.

“We’ll be coming up there to give our best effort; that’s what we’ve done every game so far and that’s what we’ll aim to do again.”

Hobson said Shalom’s start to the semi was probably the best they had made all season.

“We were strong in the initial exchanges and with the weight of possession in the second half going towards TCC, we had to fight really hard.

Parkka Perrotta-Dowling slotted a field goal to book Shalom’s berth.

“We hung in there and put that field goal over, which got us the win in the end.”

Hobson knows his side will have to produce a similar effort to take the title on Tuesday.

“Emmaus have got some really clever halves and some good forwards. They’re coached very well, so like any grand final we’re expecting it to be the hardest game we’ve played all season, and that’s how we’re preparing.

“The focus for us will be completing our sets, trying to maintain possession and getting our share of possession. We’ll have to work hard in defence to minimise Emmaus’s strike weapons.”

Hobson said captain and lock Riley Morcom would be up for a big game and was always leading with his actions.

Fullback Parkka Perrotta-Dowling would also have a big influence on the result, as would Oscar Dotter with his strong ball carries and crafty hooker Tahj Coates.

Emmaus coach Josh Merlow said that after a slow start, his team had built impressively into the season and their grand final appearance was just reward for effort.

Emmaus’ Will McLaughlin and Lathan McMeekan will be key on Tuesday.

He said mateship, resilience and self-belief had been the cornerstones of their success.

“They’re very excited for this opportunity,” Merlow said.

“We’re a side with a lot of players at different stages on their football journey.

“We’ve had our challenges, but as a group, they’re really starting to buy into what we’re trying to achieve.”

Merlow said his players would take plenty from their semi win. It was a game in which every one of them did their job, and did it well.

He said they would need to produce a similar performance against Shalom.

“They’ve got a big mobile forward pack, a lot of their attack comes off their one and they’ve got a crafty little number nine,” he said.

Emmaus players Hudson Keepkie and Jack O’Neil.

“They’re a good team in their own right, so we’ve got to prepare well.

“We need to control what we can control… and just work hard for each other.

“A lot of our attack comes off our six, Will McLaughlin, and our fullback, Lathan McMeekan, but again, that comes off the back of our forward pack and Sam Adams, Jack O’Neil and Jacob Murphy are a big part in that.”

Merlow said he was “quietly confident”.

“We got the result we were looking for last week against St Brendan’s, so I’m really looking forward to Tuesday. It’s going to be a good challenge and a good experience for the boys.”