Langer Cup grand final day: Walters Cup, Gee Cup and DeVere Cups also decided
The Langer Cup grand final has been won by Palm Beach Currumbin SHS over Keebra Park SHS. Enjoy the replay and also that of the Walters Cup, Gee Cup and DeVere Cup deciders. WATCH THE REPLAYS.
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The Langer Cup grand final has been won by PBC SHS over Keebra Park SHS.
Enjoy the replay and also that of the Walters Cup, Gee Cup and DeVere Cup deciders.
SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH THE DAY'S REPLAYS AND READ MATCH REPORTS
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PLAYERS TO WATCH IN ALL FOUR GRAND FINALS
KLESE HAAS – ELIGIBLE FOR QUEENSLAND
WATCH LIVE: AARON PAYNE CUP GRAND FINAL
WATCH THE REPLAY: LANGER CUP
PBC SHS v Keebra Park SHS
Palm Beach Currumbin State High School have claimed their third-straight Langer Cup title with a 16-8 victory over arch rivals Keebra Park State High.
In raising the trophy the Reds have earned their place in the Queensland State Final against Aaron Payne Cup and defending National champions Kirwan State High in Townsville next week.
It was field general halfback Tom Weaver pulling the strings, ensuring his side’s advance to the final with deft passing, incisive kicking and the critical communication to keep his side’s foot on the throat.
PBC controlled the match from start to finish after a flurry of points in the opening 10 minutes to finish the Langer Cup season undefeated.
The final began at an electric pace with three tries inside 10 minutes, Palm Beach getting the better of their northern Gold Coast rivals 10-4 in the opening exchange.
PBC wasted no time in scoring their first try after Keebra opened the match by kicking off out on the full then giving away a penalty.
Year 11 Halfback Tom Weaver was quick to punish with a deft pass setting second-rower Daniel Butturini one-on-one on the goal line to score.
Keebra erased that deficit moments later when a strike play sent Keebra captain and right winger Trey Peni racing through a hole on the left wing to tie the match at 4-all.
PBC forced a repeat set through Tom Weaver and it was that man again with another try assist, firing a wide pass for winger Troy Duckett to cross untouched in the corner.
The Reds dominated possession and territory for the remainder of the half but Keebra’s defence survived a 10-minute onslaught without conceding.
Weaver opened the second with a penalty goal to extend the lead to 12-4 early in the second half.
Weaver bursts through on an 60 metre break and PBC capitalised on a retreating defence, spreading right to centre Reef Sommerville for 12 point lead with 13 minutes to play.
Keebra Park lock Tyrone Gunn-James powered over the line with three minutes to play but a missed conversion removed all chance of a grandstand finish.
PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN SHS 16 (Daniel Butturini, Troy Duckett, Reef Sommerville tries; Tom Weaver (2) goals) d. KEEBRA PARK 8 (Trey Peni, Tyrone Gunn-James tries)
WATCH THE REPLAY: WALTERS CUP
Marsden SHS v Palm Beach Currumbin SHS
Gold Coast signing Will Semu and his dummy half teammate Mana Whakatau shone in the spring afternoon sunshine as Marsden SHS secured back-to-back Walters Cup grand final wins this afternoon.
Marsden SHS co-captains Luke Bossoms and Sej Tauati were all smiles as they accepted a glistening trophy off the man himself, Queensland State of Origin coach Kevin Walters, after his team won 26-8.
Early in the second half PBC interchange forward Thomas Ellemn breathed life into PBC’s campaign with a sharp dummy half try to get his team on the board trailing 20-4.
But a try soon after to Marsden winger Aj Nanai after a towering bomb from Cody Hamilton and subsequent tackle by Solomon Anu doused PBC’s flames.
“The Marsden community is exceptionally proud of the performance of our year 10s,’’ said Marsden SHS head of excellence Matt Hartigan.
“They have worked extremely hard to get to this point and thoroughly deserve the victory.’’
He praised PBC for a great season. “It was the best two teams in Queensland fighting it out.’’
PBC coach Chris Patison said the match “got away from us slowly’’.
“They were really persistent running hard through the middle and their No.9 (Whakatau) made some good decisions.
“And on top of that their kick-chase was excellent and put a lot of pressure on our outside backs and did force a couple of mistakes.’’
Centre Semu was an absolute gun, the best player on display in the three matches leading up to the Langer Cup grand final.
Possessing speed, power and strength, Semu was a beauty, the real deal with an ability to find his winger on the chest with a pass while under the duress of being tackled.
Well done to the Titans talent scouts for picking him up when they did.
In the engine room Whakatau touched the ball more than anyone on the field and that was to Marsden’s everlasting benefit.
He was no one trick pony, cleverly deciding when to go himself straight or across the field, pass from the ruck or act as a ballplayer at the line.
The young No.9 looked a very good prospect.
PBC’s Cooper Cambey set a high standard for his side that just could not click after Marsden’s initial forward onslaught which was orchestrated by Whakatau.
But PBC never gave up, with Jett Forbes scoring late.
“They always try to the end, they are really resilient and will keep trying again and again,’’ Patison said of his side.
In the first half Marsden speared its way to a three try advantage by halftime on the back of a powerhouse forward game and elite centre skills by centre Semu.
Semu put his winger Sifa Uilou over to score the opening try and then, with brunt strength and aggression, produced a powder keg 10m burst to score himself.
Hooker Whakatau also expertly brought his big men Kywyn Tialata, Sej Tauati and Rylan Fleming onto the ball, while also successfully carrying the ball himself.
Indeed he produced two clean breaks, one of which created Cody Hamilton’s try to give Marsden SHS a 14-nil lead.
Then straight after halftime, a spilled ball enabled Semu the chance to scoop up the ball and race 85m to score a converted try.
Scores: Marsden SHS 26 (W Semu 2, A Nanai, S Uilou, K Hamilton tries; K Hamilton 3 conv) def PBC T Ellem, J Forbes tries)
WATCH THE REPLAY: GEE CUP
Coombabah SHS v Mabel Park SHS
Brisbane Broncos-contracted halfback Harridyn Wilson showed every bit of his NRL potential in guiding Coombabah State High to a 26-4 Andrew Gee Shield victory over Mabel Park SHS.
Wilson’s athletic prowess was too much for Mabel to handle in the first half, putting his Under-18 second division opponents to the sword in the first half.
Wilson holds the Brisbane Broncos NRL gym record in the countermovement jump, measuring explosive lower body power, and showed off that strength on several tackle-busting linebreaks to open up a 22-point gap at the half.
Lock Jordan Lewis was at his brilliant best to finish with a try, seven goals and the man of the match award from the midfield while finishing extraordinaire Tremaine Harry crossed for four tries in total on Coombabah’s right wing.
Wilson’s brilliant solo try in the fifth minute, racing 40 metres downfield to score the opener set Coombabah off to the best possible start.
Winger Harry was in for his first of the day when he plucked a Dre Goldsmith offload off his bootlaces to open up an 8-0 lead.
Substitute hooker Sean Howlett caught the defence napping to dive through marker to extend the lead to 14-points.
Mabel found four points through their fullback Mustafa Kaya but Coombabah kicked into overdrive as halftime approached.
Lock Lewis broke through the line and a series of offloads found fullback Jordan Rapuru for Coombabah’s fourth try.
Wilson put the half to half, and the game, to bed by blasting into the backfield and putting fullback Ihaka Smith over between the posts, 26-4 at halftime.
Mabel opened the second half through winger Fiva Taumaletila before Lewis’ try, and a second half hat-trick to speedster Tremaine Harry, responded with 26 unanswered points to record a half-century of points in the Open Second Division final.
COOMBABAH SHS 50 (H Wilson, Tremaine Harry (4), Sean Howlett, Ihaka Smith, Jordan Rapuru, Jordan Lewis tries; Jordan Lewis 7/9 goals) d. MABEL PARK SHS 8 (Mustafa Kaya, Fiva Taumaletila tries)
WATCH THE REPLAY: DEVERE CUP
Forest Lake SHS v Alexandra Hills SHS
Alexandra Hills SHS has gleefully accepted the DeVere Cup after a gripping grand final win over Forest Lake SHS today.
Alexandra Hills won 7-6, with a field goal just before halftime to Cooper Hersom ultimately proving the difference.
It was a thriller, a game of inches which could have seen the result go either way before Alex Hills were handed the trophy from retired former Broncos great Mick DeVere.
A tackle by Alex Hills centre Mack Neki on Braith Johnston late in the game typified the desperation of the clash.
Alexandra Hills stand-in coach Jack Stanton said “25 minutes of defence’’ in the second half nailed victory for the side.
Stanton, filling in for ill coach Darren Johnston, praised the second half defensive effort against a bigger forward pack.
Forest Lake SHS coach Billy Vine was proud of his team. “Defence pretty much dictated the game,’’ he said, noting that both teams scored off repeat sets.
He said the one point result was “fitting because it was pretty much an arm wrestle all day’’.
Respective No.13s, Rene Bagon (Forest Lake) and Jeremy Crawford (Alexandra Hills SHS), were prime movers, with Crawford accepting the man of the match award from Brisbane Broncos legend Matt Gillett.
Like all good leaders, Bagon said “follow me boys’’ through his actions in the second half, not words, and his try nine minutes from time set up a grandstand finish.
But ultimately Alex Hills prevailed.
Bagon tried hard to inspire his side. He produced a rampaging effort in one decisive run, then burrowed low to score from dummy half.
Dom Nguyen’s conversion from next to the posts then cut Alex Hills’ advantage to 7-6 with nine minutes to play.
Earlier, Alexandra Hills SHS secured a 7-0 halftime lead, but it could have been more had Forest Lake SHS not been so organised and committed in defence.
Indeed Forest Lake’s defensive brick wall at one stage forced Alex Hills into taking a penalty goal instead of opting for a running play near the tryline.
Where Alex Hills did make inroads was down the right hand touchline where, on three occasions, Mack Neki and Jarius Mahu-Delamere made ground.
Alex Hills opened the scoring through second rower Jack Stephens 13 minutes, but ironically it was Forest Lake who would have scored had Alex Hills’ Te Anau Graham Papal’i not saved the day with an intercept.
Forest Lake SHS big boppers Rene Bagon, Nicholas Tongia and Brave Taulai had hammered Alexandra Hills’ defence and as a gap beckon, Papal’i extended his hand to claim possession and race 50m to alter momentum.
Stephens was put into a try-scoring position after a break from Neki who was bravely tackled on the tryline by Forest Lake SHS centre Jeriah Vagana.
Alexandra Hills SHS halfback Cooper Hersom then calmly slotted a field goal on halftime to extend his team’s lead to 7-nil.
Scores
Alexandra Hills SHS 7 (J Stephens try, C Hersom conv, field goal) def Forest Lake 6 (R Bagon tri, D Nguyen conv)