Two of the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Rugby League Premiership first-round score-lines at Salter Oval on Saturday were remarkably similar to 12 months earlier.
The Hervey Bay Seagulls came back from a 22-6 deficit with 15 minutes remaining to clinch a 22-all draw with Waves Tigers with a conversion after the full-time siren to 19-year-old halfback David Woodbridge after he kicked a last-minute field goal to snatch a 23-22 victory over the Tigers last year.
Meanwhile, Easts Magpies, who had outgunned Wallaroos 52-32 last year with Andreas Nona among the stars with a double, again putting the 2021 wooden spooners to the sword 56-18 with halfback Andreas orchestrating the performance with 18 points from two tries and five goals in a signature high-class display.
Past Brothers however started their quest for a hat-trick of titles in the best possible with a a 36-26 victory over Wests Panthers in stark contrast to the outcome of their season opening showdown last year when the Panthers purred to a 46-22 upset on the back of a hat-trick of tries to long-serving champion Dan Tanner, who was unavailable for Saturday’s match, along with his equally influential brother Josh.
The Waves side included three former Panthers stars, prolific scoring centre Jensen Deamer, livewire halfback Brendan Grills and powerhouse forward Lachlan Patterson, as well as young club prodigies returning after several years away from stints in Brisbane and Gold Coast, Lachlan Dullaway and Jacob O’Shea, and after one to four years absences due to injuries, Sam Tobin and brothers Dan and Jake McLennan.
Lachlan Dullaway and Dan marked their returns with one try each, with brothers captain Reece and Cody Maughan each also crossing.
The Tigers also looked good as a team, and were hailed the winners when they opened up a 16-point lead on the hour, but whether or not they dropped their guard, the Seagulls showed great character to snatch the draw from the jaws of defeat, and after leading Brothers 14-4 at half-time in the preliminary final before losing 34-14, they are regarded by many as the “dark horses” for the crown.
On Saturday, the new-look Panthers welcomed back club junior product Steven Bernstrom from the Queensland Cup, but one of their best was electrifying centre Bruce Ikamanu, who bagged a hat-trick of tries in his BRL debut after being an absolute superstar in South Kolan Sharks’ unbeaten Northern Districts Rugby League Premiership in 2021, and West Barbarians’ Rugby Bundaberg Premiership in December.
However, Brothers simply had too many guns for them, with imposing fullback Tyrell Priestley, who was their 2021 Joint Player of the Year with front rower Brendan Stewart, who could miss all of this season with a knee injury, taking out their Players’ Player award with a two-try five-star performance, and blockbusting second rower Royce Blair, who took out the Les Somerville Medal for the Grand Final Best and Fairest, also picking up where he left off from the last Sunday in August, by taking out their Player of the Match award.
Former Wests Premiership player Delroy Tanner also grabbed a double for his new club Easts, while Dennis Johnson came off the bench to join the party with one four-pointer after snaring three in a 38-4 triumph over Roos in Reserve Grade.
AFL
Across The Waves Eagles powered on towards a second straight AFL Wide Bay Takalvans Senior Women’s Premiership minor title, maintaining their unbeaten record with a 7.5 (41) to 2.4 (16) victory over four-times defending champions Hervey Bay Bombers in their top of the table showdown at Frank Coulthard Oval on Saturday.
The Bombers led by one goal at quarter-time but trailed by one point at the long break and added just two minor scores in the third period and were unable to add to their account in the final term, as the Eagles weathered the storm and kicked 5.2 to 0.2 in the run home with Sarah Pizzey and Hayley Gash each doubling up.
Bundaberg’s other side in the competition, Brothers Bulldogs were unfortunately held scoreless at home by Gympie Cats, who shored up third place with a 6.4 (40) to 0.0 (0) shut out of them, while Bay Power moved into second place on percentages with a 36.0 (216) to 0.0 (0) humiliation of Maryborough Bears.
FOOTBALL
Goal machine Nykodah Smith led the charge again, bagging another double as hosts Across The Waves (ATW) white-washed Fraser Flames 6-0 in their Football Federation of Australia fourth round clash on Saturday.
Coach Peter Bock lauded another heavyweight team performance with all players contributing.
In the Football Queensland Premier League Wide Bay Men’s division, United Park Eagles (UPE) gatecrashed hosts Bingera’s Centenary party, shocking them 4-2 with Asher Markey leading the charge with a double and his brother Ryder also finding the back of the net, while KSS Jets had too many guns for SC Corinthians, winning 9-3.
ATW also flexed their muscle in the FQPL Wide Bay Women’s League, shutting out Tinana 5-0 with five individual scorers.
HOCKEY
Waves Cities made a bad start to their Bundaberg Division 1 Men’s and Women’s titles defences, losing to arch-rivals All Blacks in both grades, 2-0 and 1-0 respectively in their first round clashes at Hinkler Park on Saturday.
Goals to Tristan Turner and Tom Chadwick were enough to clinch All Blacks’ Men their first victory over the Blues since the 2020 grand final, while Tahlia McCulla scored the match winner for their Women.
Arrows/Athletics have unfortunately been unable to field a Division 1 Men’s team, reducing it to a three-team competition, while their Women were beaten by Raiders/Rovers 3-0 with Minka Elliott coming to the fore with a double.
Here are all the scores:
AFL WIDE BAY
TAKALVANS SENIOR WOMEN’S PREMIERSHSIP
Round 6:
GYMPIE CATS 2.1, 4.2, 5.3, 6.4 (40) d BROTHERS BULLDOGS 0.0 (0).
Goals – Cats: Jasmine Sternberg 2, Cass Cummings 2, Brooklyn Warren, Felicity Preston.
Best – Bulldogs: Bo Tankey, Tayah Hiscocks, Abbi Cooper, Kalina French, Josie Baker, Chloe Curtis.
BAY POWER 7.0, 12.0, 14.0, 36.0 (216) d MARYBOROUGH BEARS 0.0. (0).
ATW EAGLES 1.1, 2.3, 4.3, 7.5 (41) d HERVEY BAY BOMBERS 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.4 (16).
Goals – Eagles: Sarah Pizzey 2, Hayley Gash 2, Ruby Rowlands, Sabrina Shead, Bethany Gapes; Bombers: Tiana Lines 2.
Best – Eagles: Jasmine Fagg, Kayla Osborn, Player, Taylor Jardine, Sarah Pizzey, Ruby Rowlands; Bombers: Kirsten Fuller, Kayla Baldwin, Samantha Richardson, Amy Clapp, Tiana Lines, Dekoda McGennan.
RESERVES MEN
Round 1:
HERVEY BAY BOMBERS 3.1, 7.1, 8.3, 10.4 (64) d ATW EAGLES 1.1, 2.1, 4.2, 7.2 (44).
Goals – Bombers: Eagles: Michael Smith 3, Tyler Perriman 2, Jessie Darby 2, David Briscoe, Matthew Duffy, Hunter Stewart; Eagles: Trent Osborn 3, Fletcher Stone 2, Codey Enever.
Best – Bombers: Jessie Darby, Michael Smith, Samuel Munsie, Matthew Higginson, David Briscoe, Jason McConnell; Eagles: Fletcher Stone, Luke Wyatt, Trent Osborn, Daniel Nimmo, Codey Enever, Lachlan Andrews
FOOTBALL
FEDERATION OF AUSTRALIA CUP
Round 4: ACROSS THE WAVES 6 (Nykodah Smith 2, Cory Leggett, Luke Leggett, Bryce Hibberd, Brendan Davis) d FRASER FLAMES 0.
WIDE BAY
FQPL WB MEN
UNITED PARK EAGLES 4 (Asher Markey 2, Ryder Markey, Josh Adcock) d BINGERA 2; KSS JETS 8 (Jordan Dowden 4, Troy Christophers 2, Jacob Lynch, Shaun Mitchell) d SC CORINTHIANS 3 (Peter Nixon, Jarman Grigg, Rodney Thurston).
FQPL WB WOMEN
ATW 5 (Alex Brunker, Tayla Zielke, Zoe Sobczak, Angela Paciocco) d TINANA 0.
FQ WB U23 MEN
UPE 2 (Matt Sobczak, Seth Banks) d BINGERA 0; KSS JETS 2 d SC CORINTHIANS 0.
WB NORTH DIVISION 1 WOMEN
UPE RED 2 (Kylie Brislane, Jessica Fuller) drew ATW 2.
WB DIVISION 1 MEN
ATW 3 (Lachlan Brown 3) d BARGARA 1 (Roger Hunter).
HOCKEY BUNDABERG
Round 1:
U11s
Arrows Athletics 0 drew with Raiders Rovers 0; Waves Cities defeated All Blacks on a Forfeit
U13s
Waves Cities 8 (Cooper Pashley 1, Ruby Potter 1, Bailey Hall 1, Cameron Callaghan 1, Connor Castelli 4) defeated All Blacks 0; Arrows Athletics 2 (Tully Dorgan 1, Freya Cook 1) defeated Raiders Rovers 1 (Silvana Powell 1)
U16s
Raiders Rovers 3 (Hailey Kendall 1, Bayley Fagg 2) defeated Waves Cities 0; Arrows Athletics Blue 4 (Julie Munro 1, Sam Kenny 3) defeated Arrows Athletics Gold 2 (Tully Dorgan 1, Dakoda Dale 1)
Division 2 Women
Waves Cities 4 (Kris Flanders 1, Gabi Aitkenhead 1, Sophie Castelli 1, Deanne Binder 1) defeated All Blacks 0; Raiders Rovers 4 (Chantal Baldry 1, Annalea Vowles 1, Kassie Pyke 2) defeated Arrows Athletics 1 (Hayley Kleidon 1)
Division 2 Men
All Blacks 3 (Kalen Wilke 1, Dale Veivers 2) drew with Waves Cities 3 (Riley Vowels 1, Logan Newport 1, Jarred Taylor 1)
Division 1 Women
All Blacks 1 (Tahlia McCulla 1) defeated Waves Cities 0; Raiders Rovers 3 (Hailey Kendall 1, Minka Elliott 2) defeated Arrows Athletics 0
Division 1 Men
All Blacks 2 (Tristan Turner 1, Thomas Chadwick 1) defeated Waves Cities 0
RUGBY LEAGUE BUNDABERG
BUNDABERG BROADCASTERS A GRADE PREMIERSHIP
Round 1:
WAVES TIGERS 22 (Lachlan Dullaway, Reece Maughan, Dan McLennan, Cody Maughan tries; Layton Chambers 3 goals) drew HERVEY BAY SEAGULLS 22 (Malachi Lawton, Jeremiah Pati, Dion Bunyan, Tiko Hooper tries; David Woodbridge 3 goals).
EASTS TIGERS 56 (Delroy Tanner 2, Andreas Nona 2, Danny Moran, Lachlan Price, Bennett Ooms-Otineru, Justyn Porter, Matthew Craven, Caleb Van Lawick, Dennis Johnson tries; Andreas Nona 5, Dylan Taylor) d WALLAROOS 18 (Bailey Robertson 2, Jackson Gouge, Jorden Kemble tries; Jackson Gouge goal).
PAST BROTHERS 36 (Tyrell Priestley 2, Mitchell Clayton, Tim Cole, Royce Blair, Zach Hansen tries; Zak Bainbridge 6 goals) d WESTS PANTHERS 26 (Bruce Ikamanu 3, Chris Robinson, Tyson Douglas tries; Chris Robinson 3 goals).
RESERVE GRADE
EASTS MAGPIES 38 (Dennis Johnson 3, Dylan Zelinski 2, Kyle Swallow, Dylan Taylor tries; Jackson Paulson 5 goals) d WALLAROOS 4 (Jaylon Mimi try).
HERVEY BAY SEAGULLS 46 (Jonathon Bill 2, Daniel Sylvester, Jamie Nichols, Jacob Polzin, Steven Brudzinski, Tallis Murray tries; Ben Hudson 5 goals) d WAVES TIGERS 6.
WESTS PANTHERS 34 (Phillip Lindsay 3, Lochlan Modrow 2, Ryan Sohier, Ryan Sharpe tries; Dylan Harradine-Hall 2, Isaiah Bullard goals) d PAST BROTHERS 18 (Daniel Finter, Ilamia Cattell tries; 3 goals).
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