Gatton and Wattles top A-grade men’s mid-season report card

Revealed: Find out how your club is performing and where it can improve at the halfway point of the Toowoomba Rugby League A-grade men’s season. View your clubs grade here.

Brothers Simi Ata takes on the Gatton defence. Picture: Kevin Farmer

It’s mid-season report card time.

This weekend’s round 9 fixtures mark the halfway point of the Hutchinson Builders A-grade competition in what has been a very exciting season so far.

With a competition wide bye for the 47th Battalion Carnival we’ve run the rule over every team giving them one of four possible grades – Excelling, Performing Above Expectations, Pass and Needs to Improve.

Over the coming days we will reveal new teams across the four ‘grades’ until all 11 squads have their mark.

Excelling

Gatton

The stats speak for themselves with Gatton Hawks flying high and on track to defend their 2024 minor premiership and premiership double.

A perfect eight from eight to start the season, Hawks have the best attack (346 points) and defence (74) in the competition.

Fit, fast, strong and committed to an unrelenting pressure-based game in attack and defence they are the benchmark this season by a long way.

Tyrell Woodley in action for Gatton Hawks. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Performing Above Expectations

Brothers

The Hursley Road club is starting to deliver on the promise it has shown in recent years.

Cory McGrady, Sam Betros and Lachlan Kennedy have proved to shrewd signings for Brothers but no-one would’ve predicted the significant impact they have had.

Despite back-to-back defeats, including a 42-10 capitulation to Gatton, Brothers sit in third place on the ladder.

Brothers are a capable and at times impressive team, however there is room for improvement.

They are deserving of the Performing Above Expectations mark but they need to either improve their attack, defence or both.

Scoring about 23 points and conceding nearly 19, they need to improve.

Brothers captain Cory McGrady kicks downfield. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Pass Mark

Highfields

Sitting second from the bottom it would be easy to say Highfields Needs To Improve but that would be a little harsh.

The Eagles have lost a lot of young talent to the NSW Cup and other larger competitions in recent years – talent that could easily be lighting up the competition this season.

Given the players at their disposal this is about where you expect the team to be.

To their credit though they have made plenty of teams work to the very end for their two points this season.

Shannon Elara scores a try for Highfields.

Needs To Improve

Pittsworth

This grade is as much about their 2024 efforts as it is about the first eight games of this season.

The Danes showed real promise last year, finishing just outside the top five in what was a tight 2024 season, and no doubt would like to be in a better position this season.

Losses to Valleys (28-26) and Dalby (36-28) could’ve easily been wins and they went missing against Goondiwindi in a 50-18 loss.

They also only the early running against Brothers only to lose 24-12.

The Danes have struggled to capitalise on opportunities at times and with two more wins to their name they would be in the top five and earning a Pass, maybe even a Performing Above Expectations.