FRONT ROW

At 1, 2 and 3, it’s all Griffith Uni Colleges Knights. Loosehead prop Lesi Semi has been a wrecking ball all season as the top-scoring prop with four tries.

Hooker Cody Blackhurst, formerly of Norths and Wests in Premier Rugby, has slotted in nicely between Semi and prop Tereina McLean for front row honours.

LOCKS

Helensvale recruit Keiran van Brecht makes his first appearance on this list. The Tasmanian import has made every post a winner since joining the Hogs from Bond University this season.

Next to him is Colleges stalwart Kerrod Martorella, whose incredible skills make him the most entertaining lock to watch in the comp.

BACK ROW

Helensvale No.8 Reno Gerrard is making a case for competition MVP, let alone the starting position at eight-man, with eight tries in seven matches. Only Surfers have avoided Gerrard’s sting.

At openside, Nerang weapon Tom Coombs brings every trait you’d like, with lineout jumping, jackling and excellent support running.

No blindside has truly claimed this spot for their own so Bond No.8 Brad Plant it is.

HALFBACK

It’s a race for second place between Scott Stokes (HEL) and Cam Dodd (COL), because Palm Beach Currumbin’s Rodney Pita continues to thrill with every match.

His double against Gold Coast Eagles to close out the first round of competition see him take joint-fourth on the season’s leading try-scorer list with six.

FLYHALF

With a constantly rotating cast around him, Ethan Lolesio has been at the heart of everything good for Palm Beach Currumbin this season.

His bullet cut-out passes have stressed defences at every turn while his goalkicking has been extremely solid too. Keahn Tipu from Helensvale is unlucky to miss the No.10 jersey.

WINGER

The competition’s joint leading try-scorer brings all the finishing any first grade club could need. Colleges’ Blake Griffin has 10 tries in seven matches, scored on his favourite left wing and even when coming inside searching for work. He’s been the best winger in this competition for years and it doesn’t look like changing soon.

INSIDE CENTRE

Surfers Paradise’s Indiha Saotui-Huta has started matches at 10, 12, 13 and 15 this season but the one constant through all that change has been his ability to create tries from thin air.

As a secondary playmaker inside centre suits him well, with the space to unleash his devastating chip-and-chase runs.

OUTSIDE CENTRE

One of the toughest positions to select at the midway point of 2021, Lausii Taliauli’s incredible strike rate (six tries from four starts) saw him rise above fellow contenders Callum Boomer (COL), Jamian Iroa (PBC) and Josefa Lalabalavu (BON).

When Taliauli plays there is no one better.

WINGER

Tyrell Forbes has scored six of Coomera’s 23 tries this season, the bulk of those on the wing. The ability to create tries from nothing is especially valuable on a team that has struggled to score.

Forbes has notched two doubles, against Surfers Paradise in round one and Gold Coast Eagles in five.

FULLBACK

Keahn Tipu’s move from fullback to flyhalf has seen a decrease in his tryscoring total but Helensvale’s backline has blossomed around him.

In a team of the mid-season exercise the young Kiwi is the perfect fullback, bringing a blend of hot-stepping, speed and playmaking to a critical position.

DROUGHT-BREAKERS: Nerang’s decade of heartbreak vanquished

NERANG has come from behind to stun Palm Beach Currumbin in the 80th minute of a round four clash that will go down as the game of the 2021 season.

Two lead changes inside the final three minutes created a heart-stopping finish with the Bulls forwards pounding at the line to open a sliver of space for centre Kerehama Beattie to crash through for the matchwinner for a 32-29 win.

Saturday was the first confirmed Nerang win over Palm Beach in first grade in 3920 days, when the Bulls similarly came from behind to win 33-32 in the 2010 minor semi-final.

There were six lead changes in the second half alone as momentum swung and rolled throughout the clash between two of the Gold Coast’s most imposing forward packs.

The biggest lead of the match fell to Nerang midway through the first half with a try to scrumhalf Bryson Rukuwai and a pair of goals to Josh Whitley to lead 10-0.

Palm Beach responded through Hala Masila to enter the break behind 10-7 and took the lead early in the second half through fullback Ethan Lolesio, 14-10, and the race to finish line began in earnest.

Each score summoned another in response until Gators winger Sai Bakata’s 77th-minute try set up the grandstand finish, his side ahead 29-25 on home soil.

The belief from Nerang’s players shone through as the forwards went to work, toiling tirelessly to punch open the space for Beattie’s extra time game-winner.

In other fixtures, Surfers Paradise have one hand on the Barry Moon Cup after dismantling rivals Gold Coast Eagles 44-10 on Ladies Day.

Star playmaker Indiha Saotui-Huta scored a double while damaging backrowers Jordan Marshall and James Brown also crossed the line.

Winger Joseph Bax scored the Eagles’ first try of the season but his side but must now outscore Surfers by 35 points in Round 11 if they hope to win back ‘Barry’ for the first time since 2014.

Helensvale Hogs captain Scott Stokes scored 25 points in a 70-0 drubbing of Bond Pirates, with a try and a perfect 10/10 conversions.

He was joined by winger Elijah Hola who notched a double in his first start, and former Brumby Lausii Taliauli who also scored two.

Undefeated Griffith Uni Colleges Knights missed captain Jaye Paton but still outscored Coomera 34-7, with two tries to prop Lesi Semi.

EAGLES 2NDS EARN SECOND CHANCE

THE axe was set to fall on the Gold Coast Eagles second grade team unless they could prove they belonged in the competition on Saturday.

In front of a packed Ladies Day crowd at the home ground of their oldest rivals the Eagles did exactly that.

With just two players on the bench the Southport club scored what seemed to be the match-winning try through fullback Lewis Tauwhare to lead 16-10 in the 61st minute.

With lungs burning the Eagles couldn’t withstand the Surfers Paradise comeback, who crossed twice in the final nine minutes including a buzzer-beater to win in final play.

For a side beaten 60-0 on opening day and forced to forfeit the following two weeks, it showed the resolve that proved to head coach Leigh “Shrek” Ireland the second-graders were ready to fight for survival.

“Where the Eagles’ heart and attitude is, that shows it and it radiates what we’re trying to do,” Ireland said.

“Sometimes we have our backs against the wall and that was second grade today.”

With 15 players unavailable due to injury across the two grades, only eight starters from round one were able to return for the Eagles’ second clash.

Former stalwarts including props Ricky “Blaze” Laxton and Tea Timiiti, scrumhalf Shoma Okubo and fullback Tauwhare answered the call to keep the Eagles’ seconds alive.

“Some of those second-graders played outstanding and backed up in first grade and they were outstanding there as well,” Ireland said.

“I don’t have a crystal ball but we should have a few more key players coming back.

“Moving forward the boys don’t want to see that forfeiting, that’s very clear.

“To have the likes of Ricky ‘Blaze’ come to me and say, ‘what do we have to do to get reserve grade on the field,’ for him to put his hand up when there are boys injured to show his love for the club, that’s all I wanted to see today.

“To see these old boys who’ve done enough for the club in the past come in and say I want to be a part of the rebuild … when the going gets tough you sit there and see those moments like yes: This is what I came here to do.

“The points aren’t showing it at the moment but all we can do is go back and keep building our connections and unity, and second grade really showed that.”

Flyhalf Charl Compaan sent the Eagles into the halftime break ahead 6-5 with a pair of penalty goals before second half tries to blindside flanker Chad Howden-Borell (37’) and Tauwhare (61’).

The desperate Dolphins crossed two minutes later through supersub Koji Goulding before prop Jerimiah Karati’s pick-and-drive try won it at the death.

PBC forfeited to Nerang and Hogs beat Pirates 35-5.

MARYMOUNT SCORE MOMEMTOUS SUPER SCHOOLS UPSET

IN TWO days Marymount College’s fledgling rugby union team has gone from fighting for numbers to the grandest upset in three years of Super Schools Cup competition.

Marymount, a rising Burleigh Heads rugby league school, had only nine players signed on to play rugby 48 hours before the biggest match of their season, an opening day clash with Gold Coast rugby powerhouse Somerset College.

Coach Simon Rezo led a desperate lunchtime recruitment mission through the playground on Monday hoping to coax players from rival sports to give rugby a go.

On Wednesday his team of 19 players accomplished the unthinkable, beating Somerset College at their own game, 29-0.

“In our squad we had four boys who had played rugby before,” Rezo said.

“Over 60 minutes it was incredible how they picked up the game, following the lead of the few boys who’d played in terms of technique and movement around the pitch.

“It was a really strong defensive effort to keep Somerset to nil, they really threw the kitchen sink at us.

“The boys probably only had less than 40 per cent of possession but when they got their chances they took them.”

Physical tighthead prop Wynesian Patelesio-Faamausili and fullback Hadley Smith led the Marymount charge as the school forced five tries through the opposition defence.

The win sees Marymount take top spot in the private school conference of the Cup, ahead of Ballina’s Xavier Catholic College, who defeated Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School 27-5.

In the public school conference Miami State High and Pimpama State Secondary College are tied on top after defeating Ormeau Woods State High and Varsity College by the same margin, 29-0.

Miami, riding high after the launch of a Rugby Sevens school of excellence program for male students, overcame size and age deficits to record a strong result over Ormeau.

Coach Matt Chapman said the play of skipper Bliss White, the most-capped Super Schools player in Gold Coast history after three seasons in the under-15s, was instrumental in keeping his side focused.

“He’s gone from being one of the young guys to a real leader,” Chapman said.

“He had some really strong attacking runs from No.12 and set good centrefield rucks for halfback Matthew Fletcher.”

Like Marymount, Miami had a team stacked full of converts to rugby union.

Most are 13 and 14 years old but there was no telling as they lead 22-0 at halftime.

The Super Schools Cup launched on the Gold Coast in 2019 to give non-traditional schools a chance to play rugby.