Toowoomba rugby league fans treated to thrilling day of finals
TRL GRAND FINALS: Toowoomba rugby league fans were treated to a thrilling day of grand final action. From the under-19 men through to A-grade we’ve run the rule over the big winners.
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LEAGUE: Wattles Warriors first premiership win in seven years marks the end of an era for the country club.
In the wake of their 51-20 demolition of TRL minor premiers Gatton Hawks on Sunday, Wattles’ Matt Duggan suggested a number of players would be weighing up retirement following their Hutchies Cup success.
“I think that’s the end of it for a lot of guys now,” Duggan said.
“That’s why the win today was so important to send them off.
“We’re in a good spot though. We were in the Reserve Grade today and we’ve got a lot of young guys coming through.
“It’s a great effort for a country club and I think we’ll be good going forward.
“I’m super happy with the result – a lot goes into winning a grand final and this one was really special for us today.
“I was lucky enough to win a lot as a junior but I haven’t won a grand final since 2015 – to win one like this is awesome.”
Duggan’s suspicions were confirmed later on Sunday night when the Travis Burns, Dale Perkins and Ryan Duggan announcing their retirements during interviews with the TRL Media Team.
“It’s been a longtime between drinks, I won one back in Gatton about nine years ago now and lost two in between so this one – you really appreciate after losing a few how hard they (grand finals) are to win,” Perkins told TRL Media.
“The first 25 minutes today, Gatton were really good, it was really tough all I did was tackle.
“But we knew the tide would turn, we just had to stick with it (the tide) did turn.”
Perkins paid tribute to his teammates who ‘retired’ post-game at the same as announcing his own retirement.
“Travis (Burns) has been absolutely great for the club with what he has done since he came back,” Perkins said.
“This is it for me now. I’ll go back to Stanthorpe next year and have a game there.
“But that’s it done for me now here – it’s been a great 10 years.”
The first half of the A-grade clash was a tense affair with the two sides trading tries early and neither squad willing to take a backward step.
Gatton’s Jayden Williams opened the scoring before Kai Williamson-Duggan replied for Warriors.
Jackson Green (Wattles), Christian Prince (Gatton) and Haydan Lipp (Gatton) also scored in the first with Gatton holding the edge 16-12 at the break.
Like the women’s game earlier in the day – the second half was all one-way traffic.
Wattles run roughshod in the second scoring to seven tries to one to secure victory.
“I felt even in the first half we were on top in patches but bad errors cost us,” Duggan said.
“In the second half we just put it together.
“Jackson Green was great for us today, he really took them apart, but I think it’s fair to say everyone put together and once we did that they couldn’t stay with us.”
Open women Gatton Hawks versus Newtown Lions
Even the most passionate and committed Gatton Hawks fans could not have predicted the nature of the team’s premiership defence.
Newtown Lions and Hawks went toe-to-toe in a bruising and tense first half with the Toowoomba Rugby League women’s premiership on the line.
The two sides also traded tries in the first half and went into the break locked at 12-12.
The second half, however, was all one way traffic, with Gatton piling on 30 unanswered points to seal a stunning 42-12 win.
“It took us a really long time to get into the grind, to get used to the intensity of the game,” Hawks captain Kim Dore said.
“Newtown really stepped up, they piled on the pressure, and we had trouble adjusting to that.
“Once we got comfortable with being uncomfortable, things changed for us, once we got used to that intensity we started to play at our best.”
A Hawks’ try blitz early in the second half ultimately proved to be the difference in the game with the three-try salvo knocking the wind out of the Lions’ sails.
“Credit to Newtown. They really took it to us and piled the pressure on,” Hawks coach Dom Haak said.
“I have to praise my players for the way they responded.
“Every one of them adjusted really well at halftime, and we ran away with it the second half.
“Winning back-to-back premierships like this is something really special we can hold on to for the rest of our lives.”
Under-19s Gatton Hawks vs Higfields Eagles
The battle of the birds, Gatton Hawks versus Highfields Eagles, was a one-sided affair all season long.
The under-19 powerhouses had met four times previously, with Gatton winning all four clashes; the Eagles however soared when it mattered most.
Led superbly by captain Connor Nichols and man of the match Chad Lebsanft, the Eagles won the grand final 18-14.
The Eagles had all the early running in the grand final – racing out to a 10-0 lead through tries to Zac Brown and Jai Purser.
The Hawks, however, showed why they are the competition benchmarks this season with a determined fightback.
When Kaden Buhse backed up Cooper Liston’s try with a brilliant individual effort of his own, the momentum swung heavily in Hawks’ favour, but the teams went into the break all square at 10-10.
“Gatton are a quality team – they’ve shown that all season long,” Highfields coach Steven Haywood said.
“We had the early running, but they came back at us, and halftime was all about just settling the boys and get ready for the grind in the second half.
“The boys’ resilience impressed me the most, particularly in that second half.
“We went into the game a few players down, and then we picked up a few injuries, but we fought hard and we got the win.”
The second half was much like the first, with the Eagles taking the lead once more.
With his side trailing 18-10, Gatton’s Liston set up a thrilling finish, scoring his second try out wide in the final two minutes, but Highfields held on.
“I think our fitness was a difference in the end,” Eagles centre Chad Lebsanft said.
“It felt like we ran out the game a little bit and were able to fight for it a little more than them.
“I’m really proud of the whole team, Gatton are a great side and they beat us four times before this game, but we never backed down, and we got the win when it mattered the most.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
A-grade
Wattles
Matt Duggan: One of the greatest halves to ever strap on a pair of boots in the TRL. Duggan’s willingness to put his body on the line creates defensive headaches and he always find teammates with the perfect pass.
Travis Burns: A brilliant game manager who expertly steers his team around the park. Burns has been a major part of Wattles recent run of form and his big game experience will be essential to his side’s hopes in the decider.
Austin Jennings: The speedy winger has taken his game to another level since moving to Wattles. The TRL’s leading try scorer is threat anywhere on the park and is also a more than handy defender.
Gatton
Haydan Lipp: A dangerous attacking halve who always keeps the opposition guessing and on the back foot.
Sione Foueti: The big second rower makes a massive impact in attack and defence.
Ben Seul: The speedy winger is in rich form and will be a threat out wide.
Women
Newtown
Rosie Parsons: The talented halfback has been a standout this season expertly steering the team around the park and using her kicking game to great effect.
Kiara Taylor: The hard running forward is a constant presence in the middle of the field and has great set of hands.
Paige Edwards: Safe as houses at fullback. Edwards, who finished the regular season as the second highest try scorer, is a major threat in attack. Has big shoes to fill in replacing Amanda Hinch but club officials have full confidence in her ability.
Gatton
Natalia Webb: The fleet-footed centre has scored in all but one game this season. With speed to burn she is capable of scoring from anywhere on the field.
Courtney-Lee Nolan: The team’s skipper and inaugural Hancock Edwards player of the year medal winner is one of the competition’s best. A class player who inspires her team and knows how to find the try line.
Sarah Hoger: The young fullback has flown under the radar this season but when she gets involved the Hawks are hard to stop.
Under-19s
Highfields
Connor Nichols: The reigning TRL Colt of the Year is in red hot form. Expertly tucks in behind his forward pack to steer his team around the park.
Darcy Carswell and Laclan Fanning: The dynamic work hard up front pack to drive their team forward.
Declan Ryan: When the tenacious five-eighth is in form the whole team lifts their game. A passionate player who knows how to direct play.
Gatton
Kaden Buhse: An electrifying fullback who makes big runs out of the backfield and is hard to tackle. Always at the heart of the Hawks big attacking plays.
Jake Self: The talented halfback expertly steers his team around the field and piles on the pressure with his great kicking game.
Dominic Jones-Pincombe: The hard running second row can be always relied on to ‘run’ his team out trouble. Loves to tackle and will defend with intensity all game.
Reserve Grade
Highfields
Jordan Klingberg: Always willing to make the hard runs out of the backfield and an expert communicator in attack and defence.
Cory Haywood: Knows the structure inside-out as the team halfback for the last three years. A great organiser and has won plenty of games with his deft boot.
Matt Jones: Hitting peak form at the right time. Consistently runs a great line and knows how to find the gaps.
Wattles
Tom Morris: The Reserve Grade Player of the Year has a great kicking game and is team’s guiding hand directing the flow of play and steering his teammates around the field.
Mitch Duff: The front rower has plenty of A-grade experience and makes a huge impact of the bench with his hard running style.
Lachlan Henry: The young centre plays well above his weight and troubles plenty of defences.
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