Across The Waves will be favoured to complete the Football Wide Bay Premier and Reserves Men’s Leagues grand final double when they meet United Park Eagles and Bingera at Martens Oval at 7.30pm and 3pm respectively tomorrow.
Waves have lost just one Premier League match all season and they powered into the decider with a 4-0 Qualifying Final whitewash of Fraser Flames a fortnight ago, while UPE won just 13 of their 20 matches to place fourth, before upsetting Bingera 4-2 in the Elimination Final and Flames 3-0 in the Preliminary Final.
Waves also scored 33 more goals than them with 107 across their 20 games, led by Golden Boot Nykodah Smith with a staggering 49.
ATW have also beaten UPE in their two previous clashes this season, 4-0 on 22nd May, and 3-1 on 11th August.
But United have hit form at the right time, and they will take confidence from their shock 4-3 victory over Waves in last year’s decider after having trailed 3-1 early in the second half.
ATW were also the Reserves League champions with 18 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss from 22 matches, while BIngera placed fourth with 13 wins and 4 draws.
They have also beaten the Superstripes in their two meetings in 2021, 6-2 on 15th May, and 2-1 on 7th August, but Bingera too have really hit their straps, and will be on a high after a 4-1 Preliminary Final blitz of UPE.
An epic duel is also expected in the Women’s Premier finale between UPE and KSS Jets at 5pm.
The Jets wound up second on the ladder, eight points behind League champions Sunbury Blues, with UPE in third place, one point behind them.
UPE white-washed the Jets 5-0 on 23rd April, but KSS turned the tables on them 3-1 on 18th June, and they stood up to be counted by ousting the Blues 3-1 in last week’s Preliminary Finals, when UPE had to work hard to overcome ATW 2-0.
The Wide Bay Champions Cups will also be contested across all four junior age divisions earlier in the day at Martens Oval between the North and South grand finals.
Waves teams United (Under-16) and Hammers (U13) will suit up against Bayside Strikers at 12.30pm and Bayside Strikers Tornadoes at 11am respectively, while Bingera’s U14’s and U12’s will take on Sunbury Blues at 10.30am and Frazer Blaze at 11am respectively.
CRICKET
The new Bundaberg Cricket Association senior season kicks off this weekend, with the first two rounds of the Tallon-Giles Division 1 T20 Cup, and one round each of the Divisions 2 and 3 T30 Cup, with all matches at Kendall’s Flat.
In Division 1, at 11am, Waves, who made a clean sweep of trophies last season, will take on Norths, with Brothers up against East Bundy Magpies, before at 2.30pm, they take on the Magpies, with Norths and Brothers to do battle.
Waves and Norths have named teams very similar to last season, with Waves’ only “new” face being wicket-keeper Jayden Larsen, who returns after one season with the Magpies, while they have named 14-year-old Kori Pope to make his Division 1 debut.
The Magpies have been bolstered by the signing of Hervey Bay stars Lewis Williams and Tom Kidd, while they have also signed Harley Denton, who has been a pace spearhead for Norths in Division 2 and 3 for the past few seasons.
Brothers have lost their best young player in Matthew Jackson to Brisbane, while captain Mitch Parsons is expected to be out of action until Christmas after suffering a knee injury during the AFL season.
They will debut 14-year-old Queensland Junior representative Lachlan Heycox.
RUGBY
Waves Falcons and Eastern Suburbs Pythons will make welcome returns to the fold when the Rugby Bundaberg Elders Insurance Spring Cup kicks off for the new season with a double-header at Brothers Sports Club tomorrow afternoon.
Two times defending premiers Fraser Coast Mariners, who claimed the 2020 title with a 58-17 demolition of Brothers Turtles, will take to the field against the Pythons at 4.30pm, and it will be interesting to see how all teams shape up.
Turtles, who only had their presentation night for last season last Saturday with stalwart Adam Griffith taking out their Player of the Year, get the perfect chance to start their season on a high note against Waves at 6.30pm, with the Falcons the traditional battlers, although hopefully they can also be a force.
GREYHOUNDS
Bouldercombe trainer Darren Taylor claimed another double, including the rich Bundaberg Derby Final, at this week’s meeting at Thabeban Park.
Darren picked up the $3,500 prize cheque in the Derby with hot favourite Barcia Bullet ($1.50), which racked up his sixth win in a row on the track, 1.5 lengths clear of local hope Unencumbered ($5.50), with his other runner, Off Break, claiming the minor prizemoney.
He was also successful with another popular elect, former Victorian Speedy Jack ($3.20), on track debut in the Masters 5th Grade.
Former Bundaberg Greyhound Racing Club (BGRC) trainer John Kuhn also collected the $3,500 winner’s purse in the other feature event, the Bundaberg Oaks Final, with Talking Numbers ($5.00) crossing the line three-quarters of a length in advance of Baroonga Breeze, one of current club president Ricky Hassall’s three runners.
Deception Bay owner/trainer Glen Boody also grabbed a race-to-race double with litter siblings Jackson’s Estate and Cribb Island Boy in 5th Grades.
Two other District trainers were also among the winners on the day, Phillip Carter with Zambora Chief in the Maiden, and Brian Terry with Koolboo Supreme in another 5th Grade.
