Long serving club champion second rower Josh Tanner bagged a double while his brother and team captain Dan also scored as West Panthers came from behind to tough out a 24-14 victory over Waves Tigers.
The Rugby League Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership Qualifying Final was held at Salter Oval on Saturday night.
The Tigers scored first, but Josh scored for the Panthers in the 38th minute to trail 6-4 at the break.
West established a 24-4 lead with nine minutes to go, with four tries in the space of 20 minutes from the 51st minute mark, with the Tanner brothers really coming to the fore.
Young second-rower Zander Kerr also picked up a four-pointer, and fullback Chris Robinson kicked three conversions and a penalty.
Waves gained some consolation with two tries in the last five minutes, but it was too little, too late, and their coach Antonio Kaufusi admitted they were beaten by a better team on the day.
It is an all-Bundaberg top four after East Magpies overpowered Wallaroos 46-26 in the Elimination Final earlier in the afternoon.
Captain and winger Delroy Tanner and second rower Scott Walthall both grabbed doubles and Scott’s twin William was also among the tries after taking out the BRL A Grade Player of the Year at their Presentation Dinner at the Spotted Dog at the Railway Hotel the previous night.
It was a good day all ’round for the Panthers on Saturday, with their Reserve Grade outfit knocking out Wallaroos 54-12 in the Elimination match, and their Under-18’s edging out the Tigers 28-26 in the Eliminator.
The Tigers however downed the Magpies 32-26 in the Reserve Grade qualifier, while Under-18 Player of the Year Adam Khan was a match winner with two tries and two goals as the Seagulls plucked South Burnett 20-10 in the Under-18 Qualifier.
Tomorrow in A Grade, the Tigers will take on the Magpies in the Minor Semi-final at 4.15 pm, before Minor Premiers Past Brothers meet the Panthers at 6 pm, with both aiming for direct passage to the Grand Final on Saturday 26 August.
In Juniors, Waves are Under-16 Minor Premiers, but West clinched top spot in U15 with a 26-13 last-round victory over Wallaroos on Sunday.
Meanwhile East will carry Bundaberg’s hopes in U14 after their 32-12 semi-final win against Wallaroos on Sunday with a hat-trick to centre Harrison Candy and double to captain and five-eighth Levi Hack.
In U13, the two Brothers sides, Minor Premiers White and Blue will meet this Sunday after Blue shaded West 16-12 in the first week of finals on Sunday.
Scores
A Grade
Qualifying Final: WEST PANTHERS 24 (Joshua TANNER 2, Zander KERR, Daniel TANNER tries; Chris ROBINSON 4 goals) d WAVES TIGERS 14 (Thomas MORCOM, Reece MAUGHAN, Tumeli NACO tries; Lachlan DULLAWAY goal).
Elimination Final: EAST MAGPIES 46 (Delroy TANNER 2, Scott WALTHALL 2, Ratu NAWERECAQA, Trent SEEDS, William WALTHALL, Bennett OOMS OTINERU tries; Andreas NONA 7 goals) d WALLAROOS 26 (Felix A BROWN 3, Jorden KEMBLE, Liam DOOLAN tries; Jorden KEMBLE 2, Jackson GOUGE goals).
Reserve Grade
Qualifying Final: WAVES TIGERS 32 (Owen HYDEN, John AKERS, Thomas AKERS, Ethan EVANS, Siale AISEA, Caleb TAIRAWHITI tries; Sam PUUSAARI 3, Ethan Evans goals) d EAST MAGPIES 26 (Viliame NAKABA 2, Thomas COX tries; Jackson PAULSON 5 goals).
Elimination Final: WEST PANTHERS 54 (Kade FORRESTER 2, Pahulu TALO 2, Connor YEATS, Ezekiel BULLARD, Will HOLDER, Ryan BUGEJA, Corey GOUGH tries; Dylan HARRADINE-HALL 7, Ryan Sharpe, Kade FORRESTER goals) d WALLAROOS 12 (Edward BOOTH 2, Daniel FERNIE tries).
Under 18
Qualifying Final: HERVEY BAY SEAGULLS 20 d SOUTH BURNETT 10.
Elimination Final: WEST PANTHERS 28 (Jackson VENNER, Ryan BUGEJA, Noah LAW, Ezekiel BULLARD, Samuel BLOMDALE tries; Ryan BUGEJA 4 goals) d WAVES TIGERS 26 (Thomas MORCOM 2, Emmanuel IBORO, Daniel CAVANAGH, Cooper BLACK tries; Emmanuel IBORO 2, Jacob SANDERSON goals).
BRL Awards
A Grade Player of the Year: William Walthall (East Magpies)
Under-18 Player of the Year: Adam Khan (Hervey Bay)
Reserve Grade Player of the Year: Jackson Paulson (East Magpies)
A Grade Rookie of the Year: Connor Yeats (West Panthers)
Eggmolesse Brothers Memorial Trophy BRL Club Championship and A Grade Minor Premiers: Past Brothers
Byrne Family Volunteer of the Year: Gay McCormack
Rugby League
In the Northern Districts Men’s Premiership, Minor Premiers Isis Devils well and truly re-established themselves as title red-hot favourites, bouncing back from a shock last-round loss to Avondale Tigers to whitewash them 54-0 on their home ground in the Major Semi-final at Tegege on Sunday, with the competition’s leading try scorer for the season, centre Chris Wicks and young second rower Riley Kearton each running in a pair of tries.
The Tigers will get a second chance in the Preliminary Final this Sunday against South Kolan Sharks, who outgunned Gin Gin Hawks 46-14 in the Minor Semi-final with a double to crafty halfback Darren Broome.
The Devils also danced in the Women’s League Tag Minor Semi-final, keeping Avondale winless for the season, accounting for them 32-8 with a double to Klarissa Campbell.
Minor Premiers Gin Gin Hawkettes flew high against the brave Agnes Water Marlins, coming from 10-6 down to triumph 24-10 with a hat-trick of tries to Jessica Galea, and 12-point haul to then also mercurial WLT Player of the Year Ruby Tobin with one try and four conversions.
This Sunday’s Men’s Preliminary Final at Shark Park will be at 2.45pm, after the WLT Preliminary between the Marlins and Devils at 1.30pm.
Men
Major Semi-final: ISIS DEVILS 54 (Chris WICKS 2, Riley KEARTON 2, Zachary ZERAFA, Damien JENKINS,
Wate GAUNAVOU, Thomas JAMESON, Jake THOMPSON, Ben FLEMING tries; Brent HASS 5 goals) d AVONDALE TIGERS 0
Minor Semi-final: SOUTH KOLAN SHARKS 46 (Darren BROOME 2, Jamie MOREY, Anasa TIBIA, Phillip LINDSAY, Pita ROGOSAU tries; Cem ROHDMANN 4 goals) d GIN GIN HAWKS 14 (Blake LAYBUTT, Rowan SUTTON, Thomas STEHBENS tries; Rowan SUTTON goal).
Women’s League Tag
Major Semi-final: GIN GIN HAWKETTES 24 (Jessica Galea 3, Ruby TOBIN tries; Ruby TOBIN 4 goals) d AGNES WATER MARLINS 10 (Sophia MOJICA, Kayla HETHERINGTON tries; Sophie MORAN goal).
Minor Semi-final: ISIS DEVILS 32 (Klarissa Campbell 2, Jackie FRESHWATER, Lily BAUER, Sarah SCHIFFKE, Teagan HASS tries; Ana KEHL 4 goals) d AVONDALE TIGERESSES 8 (Daniela GIOVANNONI, Britani JONES tries).
Athletics
Multiple national and state champion Jonty Murdoch, of St Luke’s Anglican School, again underlined his enormous potential by shattering two long-standing records at the 2023 Bundaberg and District Secondary Schools Carnival at the Bundaberg Regional Athletics Facility last Friday.
Jonty threw 17.07m in the 16 years boys’ Shot Put, surpassing the previous mark of 15.25m set back in 1988 by B Lecky, of Bundaberg State High School (BSHS), and 53.09m in Discus, a massive 10.51m beyond Bundaberg club legend Les Kuorikoski’s 42.59m for Kepnock in 1990.
Grace Hill, also of St Luke’s, stopped the clock at 59.87sec in the Girls 17-20 years 400m, shaving 1.43sec off the old record, while Elise Vaughan, of Shalom College, clocked 5:24.32 in the Girls 12 years 1500m, erasing a hefty 13.64sec off the previous standard.
All three placegetters in the Girls 16 years 100m also broke Jessica Galea’s 2013 record of 12.66sec, Bridget Stehbens (Rosedale) 11.73sec, Lily Mitchell (St Luke’s) 12.46sec, and Bronte Medlock (BSHS) 12.57sec.
In the Girls 14 years 4x100m Relay, winners Kepnock and runners-up St Luke’s both went well under the old mark of 55.92sec, crossing in 52.88sec and 53.21sec respectively.
Congratulations also to all Age Champions, St Luke’s super six of school captain Ben Rudd (17 years Male), Olivia Warmington (17 years Female), Lily Mitchell (16 years Female), Evella McKay (15 years Female), Lola Wood (14 years female), and Lukas Milburn (13 years Male); Shalom duo Bailey Grigg (18-20 Female) and Lachlan Campbell (16 years Male), BSHS’s Riley Collin (15 years Male) and Isaac Gear (12 years Male), Kepnock stars Xavier Blair (14 years Male) and Ava Ilander (12 years Female), Drew Kitt (Gin Gin) (18-20 Male), and Bundaberg North SHS’s Marlee Neubecker (13 years Female), and Multiclass Age Champions, BSHS trio of Tom Mene (Boys 16-19 years), Lachlan Philo (Boys 12-15 years), and Libby Venner (Girls 12-15 years), and Kepnock’s Lara Launchbury (Girls 16-19 years).
St Luke’s also claimed the Senior Points Trophy with 659, in advance of Shalom 620, BSHS 306, Kepnock 278, Gin Gin SHS 210, North Bundaberg SHS 163.50, Rosedale SS 128, Bundaberg Christian College (BCC) 103.50, and Discovery Christian College (DCC) 31.
But Shalom clinched the Junior Points Aggregate with 521.67, from Kepnock 476.33, St Luke’s 458, BSHS 259, North Bundaberg 236, BCC 193, Gin Gin 158, DCC 100, Rosedale 72, and Primary Schools 9.
BSHS were the overall Multiclass winners with 448 points, ahead of Kepnock 290, and Bundaberg Special School 231.
AFL
Club junior product Jake Goldsmith, who has returned “home” this season after a distinguished career in the Queensland AFL, stood tall with six goals as hosts Brothers Bulldogs claimed a timely 8.7 (55) to 7.6 (48) over cross-town fierce arch-rivals Waves Eagles in their AFL Wide Bay Senior Men’s Premiership penultimate round showdown on Saturday.
The Bulldogs and Eagles had already locked up third and second positions respectively on the ladder behind the unbeaten reigning premiers Hervey Bay Bombers, but for the Dogs, it was a confidence-booster for their Semi-final rematch at the Eagles’ nest at Frank Coulthard Oval on Saturday week.
They jumped to a 3.2 (20) to 1.1 (7) lead at quarter-time and were never headed despite being outscored 4.1 to 3.1 in the last term.
Meanwhile, the Bombers powered on with an 8.15 (63) to 3.6 (24) dispatch of cellar dwellers Bay Power.
In Reserve Grade, the Bulldogs laid claim to a Semi-final berth at the expense of the Eagles on Saturday, downing them 5.5 (35) to 1.6 (12) with three goals to Jack Sickerdick.
In the Takalvan’s Senior Women’s Premiership, title holders and confirmed Minor Premiers Eagles bounced back from two straight losses, clawing the cellar dwelling Bulldogs 5.8 (38) to 1.3 (9).
Tomorrow, Waves host the Bombers at Frank Coulthard Oval, with their Women at 2pm, and Men at 3.30pm, while the Bulldogs are away to the Power.
Football
Goals to Brendan Davis and Matthew Twyford were enough as competition leaders Across The Waves edged out hosts Bingera 2-1 in their McDonald’s Football Queensland Wide Bay Men’s clash on Wednesday night, while Fraser Flames whitewashed Doon Villa 10-0.
That was after last Saturday’s results which saw hosts Waves dousing Flames 2-0, hosts Bingera outgunning Sunbury Blues 5-3, with Scott Bretag striking twice, United Park Eagles (UPE) pipping SC Corinthians 3-2, with captain Josh Adcock among the scorers to take his season tally to 24, and joining Bingera’s Irish ace Gary O’Donnell, one behind Golden Boot leader, Waves teen sensation Preston Cox.
Doon Villa also disposed of KSS Jets 3-1.
In the McDonald’s FQPL WB Women’s League last week, Bingera shut out Tinana 6-0 with a hat-trick to Melissa Sergiacomi, the all-conquering Flames rode the Waves 4-0, and Jets were 3-0 victors against Doon Villa.
This Sunday, in the Men’s penultimate round, all matches are at 4pm, with at Martens Oval, UPE suiting up against Jets, and Corinthians eye-balling Flames, while Waves and Bingera are away to Blues and Doon Villa respectively.
In the Women’s League tonight, UPE aim up against the Jets at Martens Oval at 8.30 pm, and Waves and Bingera are away to Tinana and Doon Villa respectively.
Hockey
Colby Zahn, Damon Pegg and Bryce Cislowski each notched two goals as Raiders/Rovers continued their red-hot streak in the Bundaberg Division 1 Men’s competition with an 8-1 demolition of Arrows/Athletics at Hinkler Park on Saturday, but Arrows shot down their Premier League winning Division 1 Women’s outfit 3-0.
Also in Division 1 Women, All Blacks drew with Waves Cities 1-all, but their Men unfortunately forfeited to the Blues.
In tomorrow’s second-last round, All Blacks cross sticks with Raiders/Rovers, with their Men at 3.20 pm and Women at 4.40 pm, while Cities target Arrows, with their Women at 6 pm, and Men at 7.20 pm.
U11s
Raiders Rovers 12 (Beau Kendall 1, Eli Crow 1, Flynn Bock 1, Will Baldry 2, Elena Crow 2, Levi Kendall 5) defeated Arrows Athletics 2 (Adalyn Pegg 2)
Waves Cities 11 (Evelyn Morris 1, Axel Burtt 1, Jeanica Cilliers 1, Taylor Finch 2, Sam Wark 2, Flynn Carville 4) defeated All Blacks 1 (Brayden Sinnamon 1)
U13s
Arrows Athletics 4 (Hamish Cook 1) drew with Raiders Rovers 1 (Ava Baldry 1)
Waves Cities 4 (Emily Williamson 1, Ruby Potter 1, Cameron Callaghan 2) defeated All Blacks 0
U16s
Raiders Rovers 1 (Beau Kendall 1) defeated Arrows Athletics 0
All Blacks 1 (Zara McDonald 1) defeated Waves Cities 0
Division 2 Women
Arrows Athletics 3 (Michelle Wilson 1, Hayley Kleidon 2) drew with Raiders Rovers 3 (Chantal Baldry 1, Lani Drinnen 1, Alana McManus 1)
Waves Cities 3 (Angela Asnicar 1, Karen McGuire 2) defeated All Blacks 0
Division 2 Men
All Blacks 3 (Indruh Lawrence 1, Bayley Fagg 1, Tristan Storm 1) defeated Raiders Rovers 1 (Riley Howard 1)
Division 1 Women
Arrows Athletics 3 (Hayley Kleidon 1, Malanie Stehbens 1, Ally Dunn 1) defeated Raiders Rovers 0
All Blacks 1 (Stacey Ruthenberg 1) drew with Waves Cities 1 (Milee Flanders)
Division 1 Men
Waves Cities won by forfeit from All Blacks
Raiders Rovers 8 (Ryley Stevens 1, Josh Crow 1, Colby Zahn 2, Damon Pegg 2, Bryce Cislowski 2) defeated Arrows Athletics 1 (Tony Cox 1)
Netball
With two rounds to go in the Warren Family Homes Division 1 Premiership, three-times defending champions Waves Gold powered on with a 66-42 victory at the expense of Natives Magpies at the Superpark on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Brothers Hurricanes moved to outright second, ahead of the Magpies, outmuscling club-mates Cyclones 69-28, while Alloway Blue battled out a 48-all draw with Waves Blue.
Gold are now on 39 points, followed by Hurricanes 30, Magpies 28, Alloway Blue 25, Cyclones 25, and Waves Blue 16.
Tomorrow at 5pm, Waves Blue will bib up against Magpies, and Alloway Blue will go for the hoop against Hurricanes, before at 6.30pm, Cyclones will feel the full force of Gold.
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