Rockhampton Brothers claim minor premiership with three rounds still to play

Rockhampton Brothers A-grade men’s coach Damien Seibold reveals what is driving his team’s success and the winning traits he has instilled in his players.

Riley Shadlow has been one of Rockhampton Brothers best in the 2023 season.

Rockhampton Brothers have wrapped up the A-grade men’s minor premiership with three rounds of the regular season still to be played.

They claimed the title with a 48-6 win over Emu Park, their eighth victory from 10 games.

With no points awarded for a bye in the five-team competition, the Brethren have an unassailable lead on the ladder.

They sit five points clear of defending champions Yeppoon, who have a bye in the 15th and final round, meaning they have just two games left.

Brothers’ coach Damien Seibold said while he was pleased with how the team was building, there was still room for improvement.

“We’ve got a really good squad, we’ve got a lot of depth,” he said.

Rockhampton Brothers' front rower Roarke Christensen in action.

“I want us to be resilient, that’s the biggest thing I’m trying to instil.

“The other is patience because opportunities will come. We don’t have to win a game in the first 10 minutes.

“I have been impressed with how we’ve grinded out some of our games. There’s been plenty of games where we haven’t played well but we’ve still found a way to win.”

Seibold said he saw a marked improvement in his team’s attack in its weekend win over Emu Park, with fullback Connor Rothery bagging a hat-trick to move into top spot on the competition’s leading try scorers.

Rockhampton Brothers' fullback Connor Rothery is currently the leading try scorer in the A-grade men's competition.

Rothery, halves Mitch Power and Mark Johnstone and lock Riley Shadlow had been instrumental in the team’s success, while front rower Roarke Christensen was getting better with every game.

Seibold said the challenge for his players now was staying focused in the lead-up to the finals.

“We know we need to be better. We’re nowhere near where we could be,” he said.

“We need to keep working on the little things and make sure we’re ready to go come finals time.

“Yeppoon are the team to beat, Norths have been consistent all year and Emu Park on their day can beat any of us.”

Brothers have the bye this weekend, and play Yeppoon and Fitzroy/Gracemere in their last two fixtures.

Originally published as Rockhampton Brothers claim minor premiership with three rounds still to play