Rugby League Townsville Senior Teams of the Season 2024: Top 51 A Grade, Reserve and Women’s players

Souths’ breakthrough premiership double act has seen the club dominate the Townsville Bulletin senior rugby league teams of the season. Find out who we’ve honoured in the three senior grades

Nic Darveniza

@NicDarveniza

3 min read

September 14, 2024 - 5:00AM

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Burdekin's Martina Monday. Picture: Evan Morgan

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Souths’ breakthrough premiership double act has seen the club dominate the Townsville Bulletin senior rugby league teams of the season.

The Bulls A Graders completed a miraculous come-from-behind victory to seal the club’s first top division crown since 1988, capping off a day of double delight after its reserve grade side won its own title.

10 players from Souths teams have been named across the two teams of the season, the most in district, despite not having a women’s side to contribute numbers.

Souths president Elliot Lovejoy said it was a credit to the “back-of-house” figures at the Bulls for allowing players to reach their potential on the pitch.

Souths Shaun Nona. Picture: Evan Morgan

“I credit the players and how amazing they’ve been but our back-of-house staff: coaches, trainers strappers, those that work the canteen and volunteers who set up on game day; I think they have made our players’ lives so much easier because there’s nothing that’s not looked after,” he said.

A GRADE, RESERVE AND WOMEN’S TEAMS OF THE SEASON BELOW

“What I noticed, particularly in reserve grade but also in A Grade, was a level of maturity I probably haven’t ever seen in country footy. Our reserve grade team completed high and kicked to corners - I don’t think there’s a reserve grade team anywhere in the country who played like that because that’s not normally how ‘Reggies go.

Round 1 of Rugby League Townsville and District clash between Brothers and Souths Bulls at Jack Manski Oval on April 1, 2023. Souths Declan Dowson tackled by Bradley Graham. Picture: Evan Morgan

“They were a real credit to themselves and to coach Mick Redding as well.”

The one missing piece of the Souths puzzle this season was a women’s team but Lovejoy said the growth in the female game across the country as well as in the Souths junior program meant it was only a matter of time before the Bulls fielded a team in that competition.

“It’s something we’re working towards,” he said.

“You’ve just got to look at the juniors coming through. We’ve got so many young, talented females and I think we’re getting more numbers because they’re seeing the game on telly.

“Jaime Chapman (Gold Coast Titans NRLW player) said the other day that you can’t be what you can’t see, and that was the case for girls.

“10 years ago the game wasn’t televised and they didn’t think there were pathways. Now they can see their favourite players, we’ve had Origin here in Townsville for the women, the NRLW team, so yeah, I think you look at the numbers of girls we have in our junior systems I’d be confident that it’s something we could certainly achieve.”

Burdekin (9) and Centrals (7) were the next-best represented clubs in the teams of the year.