2025 QLD Schoolgirls Cup: Stretton’s history making win headlines round 3 action
2025 QLD Schoolgirls Cup round 3 special: Stretton State College snared a historic win while Keebra Park SHS and Ipswich SHS also enjoyed victories. More here on those matches.
Stretton State College produced a historic first victory in the Schoolgirls Cup on Tuesday, defeating former national champions Mabel Park SHS, 26-4, in a local derby.
WATCH THE REPLAY OF STRETTON v MABEL PARK
With Bella Alo, Te Rina Pearse, Leevi Williams, Cornelia Tu’aefe and Lilly Richards leading the way, Stretton produced an emphatic performance against their powerful near neighbours.
The win highlighted a remarkable about face by Stretton this season.
Just two weeks ago they were thrashed by Marsden and finished the match a player short.
It was a gutting moment for the group, which made Tuesday’s win even more enjoyable.
WATCH REPLAYS
But even without their injured number one forward, Alessana Betham, Stretton were able to deliver the goods against strong rivals.
ROUND 3’S TOP GUNS
Stretton SC 26 defeated Mabel Park SHS 4
Leevi Williams (Stretton SC)
Williams was the star of the show as Stretton claimed a dominant win over Mabel Park.
The fullback was a class above for the full 50 minutes in attack and defence.
She was rock solid defensively and an excitement machine every time she touched the ball.
Her lightning quick footwork and impressive work rate was eventually rewarded late in the game when she scored a 65m runaway try from a kick return to seal the contest.
Lily Richards (Stretton SC)
Richards was a game-changer from the second row and gave Mabel Park all kinds of headaches.
Her fancy footwork and quick burst of speed was too much to handle, Richards scoring twice on the back of strong solo charges.
Sianah Misa (Mabel Park)
Misa was a force to be reckoned with in the front row and gave her absolute all every minute she was on the field.
The prop spearheaded the Mabel Park forward park with powerful runs. Meanwhile in defence, she made her mark with several big tackles.
Special mentions
Bella Alo (Stretton SC)
The Queensland schoolgirls representative centre gave Stretton State College a high work ethic and strike on the edge.
Te Rina Pearse (Stretton SC)
Tall and strong, Pearse is the type of player teammates look toward for confidence. Using her physical appearance, and with an iron will, she made her presence felt as a running player. How sweet the win was after she was involved in the Marsden match in round one.
Cornelia Tu’aefe (Stretton SC)
Another second row ace, Tu’aefe ran hard, and then ran hard some more. In defence she was up and about, quick moving in the line.
Keebra Park SHS 58 defeated St James 0
Aaliyah Temete (Keebra Park SHS)
Was an absolute powerhouse and a class above the St James forward pack. Regularly carried players with her for metres, and rarely was brought down to the ground. Set up a cracking try with a 40 metre charge up field and crashed over for one of her own before being given a well-deserved early mark.
Mercedez Lisone-Siaea (Keebra Park SHS)
If Temete was the number one forward in the game, her front row partner was about number 1.1. The bulldozing front rower set the tone with her first carry of the game leaving defenders in her wake. She came back for a second stint late in the second half and was rewarded with a tough try.
Elizabeth Ngahe (Keebra Park SHS)
Built like a bulldozer with the speed and agility of a Maclaren. Centre Ngahe has the power to move closer to the middle, but her ability to get step through contact means she is perfectly at home out wide. Ngahe scored a try from a standing start, beating six on her way to the stripe.
Diamond Graham (Keebra Park SHS)
The Titans pathways hooker came on early in the first half as Keebra shifted starting hooker Okalani Compton into the middle forwards. Graham made sure they lost no spark at the ruck base, with her service crisp and her footwork out of dummy-half sharp. She scored a try and set up another with her ball playing.
Layla Satui (St James)
On a day where the newcomers had little ball and even less luck go their way, the diminutive dummy-half held her gloves up in the middle of the field all afternoon. Satui gave up plenty of size and power to her Keebra Park rivals, but she made up for that with guts. Satui made tackle after tackle after tackle, and kept getting up to take her spot in the defensive line. Tough as nails operator.
IPSWICH SHS 16 DEF PBC SHS 10
Geraldine Lomas (Ipswich SHS)
The Ipswich fullback relished plenty of ball and a little bit of room to rove when on the counter-attack because her twinkle toes tricked PBC defenders.
A breath of fresh air in the Ipswich SHS program after moving from Bremer SHS, the Met West No. 1 kicked two of three conversions and was at her evasive best with ball in hand.
Whenever she got the ball, there was a roar from the grandstands yelling ‘Go Gerry’.
Her jinking feet and agility was a crowd favourite.
Jannali Wyles-Entermann and Emily Jackwitz (Ipswich SHS)
If Ipswich are to challenge for this year’s premiership then they’ll need more of the same from young wingers Wyles-Entermann and Jackwitz, who were just terrific on Tuesday night.
The willing wingers were heavily involved early in Ipswich’s sets which set a platform for props Summer Hoet, Charity Faalaogo, Easter Taualai and Emalni Waqairatu to let rip through the middle third.
The speedy Wyles-Entermann was particularly hard to grasp for the PBC defenders.
Emalini Waqairatu (Ipswich SHS)
The unrelenting Ipswich middle had been warming into a game like Tuesday’s.
Good without being great through the first two rounds, Waqairatu showed her class and determination with a blockbusting display.
She scored a try (27th) with sheer strength and demanded multiple defenders every other time she ran which gave halves Amber Collins and Monica Tuala-Leaunoa more time to attack.
Indeed Waqairatu is one of the very best in the business on her day.
Tuesday was that day and yet she had more to give.
Milla Rogers and Mikalah Teale (PBC SHS)
Revelations during the 2025 club rugby league season at Tweed, Rogers and Teale stopped force with force to try keep Ipswich’s powerful forwards at bay.
The tenacity of them both to make a hit, get up and do it time and time again was a big reason why the Reds at one stage led 10-6 and were hot on Ipswich’s heels, down 12-10, with under 10 minutes to play.
Mackenzie and Saskia Croyston (PBC SHS)
In the first three rounds of competition, the Croyston sisters have given the Reds their best.
It has shown in its slender 16-10 loss against the reigning premiers, a win over St James and a gallant effort against Mabel Park where they lost 28-14.
Their combined effort, skill and execution was best seen in the 17th minute of Tuesday’s game when dummyhalf Saskia put No. 13 Croyston on route to the tryline with a tricky switch play one off the ruck.
Around that moment of brilliance, the pair were exhaustive.
Cienna Dumas (PBC SHS)
Jersey No. 12 for PBC would have recorded close to the most metres because edge forward Dumas was everywhere.
She ran trying lines, chased kicks and was always rushing up in defence whether on the edge or as a middle.
Coach Geoff Eggert could not have summed up Dumas’ dogged defensive display any better than when he said the words “absolute workhorse”.
Isabella Brown (PBC SHS)
The Reds fullback is clearly growing in confidence because she has made an improvement every game so farthis season.
Against Ipswich, Brown made plenty of metres in yardage and in defence announced herself when it mattered.
On multiple occasions Ipswich attacked the line to no avail and more than once Brown was there helping a teammate make a telling tackle.
ROUND 3 PHOTO GALLERY
Originally published as 2025 QLD Schoolgirls Cup: Stretton’s history making win headlines round 3 action
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