Gatton and Brothers set standard with key TRL victories over rivals

ROUND 5 TRL TALK: With their unbeaten records on the line, Gatton and Wattles combined for a 10-try match of the season thriller on Saturday. We reveal the shock line-up change that may have determined the outcome of the game – plus all the big talking points from Saturday’s women’s games here.

Abbey Markey was a key player for Highfields in their win over Oakey at the weekend. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The Gatton and Brothers juggernauts rolled on at the weekend keeping their unbeaten records intact in round 5 Toowoomba Rugby League action on Saturday night.

With both teams putting their unbeaten records on the line, the Gatton and Wattles clash at Cahill Sporting Complex was billed as the match of the round, and it lived up to expectations.

Gatton women also played host to early season surprise packets Brothers in a match that promised plenty and also delivered.

Ahead of Sunday afternoon’s big games here’s a look the Saturday night talking points.

Surprise packet

Brothers and Gatton’s early season form are the biggest talking points of the Toowoomba Sports Club Women’s season to date and for very different.

Before last year Gatton had never lost a TRL women’s grand final – chasing a historic fourth straight premiership they were beaten 20-14 by Highfields.

Gatton have been the measuring stick, the benchmark and the powerhouse ever since the first women’s season was played.

Things are different this year though with the once high-flying languishing near the bottom of the table with just one win.

Saturday night was a perfect opportunity for Hawks to make a point by beating the inform Brothers and the home side started in perfect fashion.

Leading early Gatton looked set for an upset only for Brothers to dominate the remainder of the game – scoring four unanswered tries to win 16-6.

Chontelle Orcher (pictured offloading for Brothers during a 2021 match) leads all scorers in the TRL Women’s competition. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Coming off the bench Chontelle Orcher, who leads all TRLW scorers, secured her sixth try of the season.

The win proves Brothers are the real deal capable of piling on the points and grinding out tough results.

In the other Saturday night game – defending premiers Highfields secured a convincing 26-4 win over Oakey.

Brothers sit top the ladder but Eagles are still the team everyone wants and needs to beat.

Five different players crossed the line in the five tries to one win with Eagles now boasting the best attack and second best defence in the competition.

Hawks soar

Country rivals Gatton and Wattles played out a 10-try thriller.

The match lived up to the pre-game hype with Hawks securing a 32-22 win.

Trailing 16-8 at halftime and 22-8 early in the second half, Hawks battled back to keep their unbeaten record intact.

Wattles were the better team for large periods of the game but they left Gatton thinking about a ‘win that got away’.

In a surprising twist Leonard Thomas started at prop for Hawks.

The move came just a day after this masthead revealed Thomas’s move to the interchange bench for the first four games of the season was part of Jonathan Flint masterplan to give Gatton more energy of the bench.

Highfields were too good for Oakey in the other men’s match winning 31-24.

Shannon Elara’s intercept try broke Oakey’s spirit and ultimately secured Eagles first win of the season.