BROTHERS clinched the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Minor Premiership by outclassing Wests Panthers 50-22 in their round 15 top-of-the-table showdown at Salter Oval on Sunday.
But the Panthers dropped from equal-second to equal third, overtaken by bye team Isis Devils, while Easts Magpies joined them on points after they disposed of Waves Tigers 32-20.
Wests were without a couple of stars, but so were Brothers, and an epic duel was expected in what many people viewed as a potential grand final preview.
However, Brothers were in a league of their own, racing to an 18-0 lead after 14 minutes, and while Wests scored the next two tries, the three-times defending champions bounced back to take a 24-10 lead to the break.
They then piled on another 20 unanswered points in even time to start the second stanza, before again dropping their guard.
Wests saved a bit of face with two late tries, but Brothers fittingly had the last say, with explosive centre Shaun Collins galloping away for his second try with three minutes left on the clock and Josh Anderson raising the flags to bring up another half-century.
Queensland Rangers five-eighth Mat Templeman and flying winger Peni Tuakalau each also notched doubles, but another of their Tongan brigade, rampaging front rower Ikuna Manuofetoa took out another Man of the match award, while second rower Tom Quill was again outstanding and halfback Matt Hall chalked up 37 tackles in a signature classy all-round display.
Regular Reserve grade Bryce Holdsworth also filled in superbly, leading the defensive charge with 22 first half grass-cutting tackles on the way to a total of 34.
The Magpies simply had too many guns for the Tigers, but Englishman Jackson Van Mierlo was a match winner, coming off the bench to wreak constant havoc and score three tries in the process.
Backing up from their 50-4 demolition of Brothers in under-18, Tigers interchange player Alex Baldwin stamped his mark with a double, while second rower and vice-captain Brendon McKeown turned in his usual big hearted performance and was rewarded with a late length of the field intercept try, as well as kicking two goals.
Seagulls bounce back in Northern Districts
Meanwhile, Hervey Bay Seagulls bounced back from their big loss to Brothers a week early to seal fifth place with a 40-38 home victory in the Dale Hopgood Memorial Shield match at Stafford Park over wooden spooners Wallaroos, who played their hearts out.
The win capped a big weekend for the Seagulls after their 40th birthday celebration dinner on Saturday night.
Isis Devils women also had a field day against Wests, with lock Sophia Fisher bagging a hat-trick of tries in a 58-4 victory.
Easts 32 (Jackson Van Mierlo 3, Jesse Tass, Josh Garden, Robert Hughes tries; Hughes 4 goals) d Waves 20 (Alex Baldwin 2, Caleb Gazzard, Brendon McKeown tries; Brendon McKeown 2 goals).
Brothers 50 (Shaun Collins 2, Peni Tuakalau 2, Mat Templeman 2, Josh Anderson, Sekope Tua, Quade McGrory tries; Nathan Moore 4, Anderson 3 goals) d Wests 22 (Tyrone Turaga, Joel Fagan, Ethan Sanders, Corey Tanner tries; Josh Tanner 3 goals).
THE towering Adam Lucke was unstoppable, powering over for four tries as the Gin Gin Hawks juggernaut rolled on with a 94-14 demolition of minnows South Kolan in their Northern Districts penultimate round clash at Tegege on Sunday.
But to claim second position, the Hawks must now beat Avondale Tigers this Sunday and also rely on hosts Agnes Water Marlins going down to minor premiers Miriam Vale Magpies.
Last Sunday, the Tigers roared back to form and breathed new life into their title quest by outgunning the Magpies 40-24.
But the Hawks still loom as the team to beat after going from strength to strength since making a predictably slow start after the club suffered severe flood damage in the last week of January.
Brendan Blair also featured against the hapless Sharks with a hat-trick of tries.
The Tigers have suffered many late fade-outs in the last few months, holding handy leads before being swamped in the closing stages on a number of occasions, but on Sunday, they finally put it all together in a robust 80-minute performance which sounded a clear warning to the top two sides, the Magpies and Marlins.
The workaholic Corey Chapman led from the front, grabbing four tries in a vintage display, and with all their big guns really aiming up, they were simply too good for Miriam Vale.
Gin Gin 94 (Adam Lucke 4, Brendan Blair 3, Phillip Lindsay 2, Brandon Galea, Shaun Proctor, S Casey, Shane Blair tries; Ashley Helmore 14, S Blair goals) d South Kolan 14 (Tom Johnson, Andrew Ratcliffe, Aden Law tries; Aaron Law goal).
Avondale 40 (Corey Chapman 4, Matt Ross, David Jones, Frank Primavera, Andrew Filo tries; Filo 4 goals) d Miriam Vale 24 (Brad Noy 2, Lloyd Wimbus, Matt Mikkelsen tries; Brendan Ziebell 4 goals).
But the Panthers dropped from equal-second to equal third, overtaken by bye team Isis Devils, while Easts Magpies joined them on points after they disposed of Waves Tigers 32-20.
Wests were without a couple of stars, but so were Brothers, and an epic duel was expected in what many people viewed as a potential grand final preview.
However, Brothers were in a league of their own, racing to an 18-0 lead after 14 minutes, and while Wests scored the next two tries, the three-times defending champions bounced back to take a 24-10 lead to the break.
They then piled on another 20 unanswered points in even time to start the second stanza, before again dropping their guard.
Wests saved a bit of face with two late tries, but Brothers fittingly had the last say, with explosive centre Shaun Collins galloping away for his second try with three minutes left on the clock and Josh Anderson raising the flags to bring up another half-century.
Queensland Rangers five-eighth Mat Templeman and flying winger Peni Tuakalau each also notched doubles, but another of their Tongan brigade, rampaging front rower Ikuna Manuofetoa took out another Man of the match award, while second rower Tom Quill was again outstanding and halfback Matt Hall chalked up 37 tackles in a signature classy all-round display.
Regular Reserve grade Bryce Holdsworth also filled in superbly, leading the defensive charge with 22 first half grass-cutting tackles on the way to a total of 34.
The Magpies simply had too many guns for the Tigers, but Englishman Jackson Van Mierlo was a match winner, coming off the bench to wreak constant havoc and score three tries in the process.
Backing up from their 50-4 demolition of Brothers in under-18, Tigers interchange player Alex Baldwin stamped his mark with a double, while second rower and vice-captain Brendon McKeown turned in his usual big hearted performance and was rewarded with a late length of the field intercept try, as well as kicking two goals.
Seagulls bounce back in Northern Districts
Meanwhile, Hervey Bay Seagulls bounced back from their big loss to Brothers a week early to seal fifth place with a 40-38 home victory in the Dale Hopgood Memorial Shield match at Stafford Park over wooden spooners Wallaroos, who played their hearts out.
The win capped a big weekend for the Seagulls after their 40th birthday celebration dinner on Saturday night.
Isis Devils women also had a field day against Wests, with lock Sophia Fisher bagging a hat-trick of tries in a 58-4 victory.
Easts 32 (Jackson Van Mierlo 3, Jesse Tass, Josh Garden, Robert Hughes tries; Hughes 4 goals) d Waves 20 (Alex Baldwin 2, Caleb Gazzard, Brendon McKeown tries; Brendon McKeown 2 goals).
Brothers 50 (Shaun Collins 2, Peni Tuakalau 2, Mat Templeman 2, Josh Anderson, Sekope Tua, Quade McGrory tries; Nathan Moore 4, Anderson 3 goals) d Wests 22 (Tyrone Turaga, Joel Fagan, Ethan Sanders, Corey Tanner tries; Josh Tanner 3 goals).
THE towering Adam Lucke was unstoppable, powering over for four tries as the Gin Gin Hawks juggernaut rolled on with a 94-14 demolition of minnows South Kolan in their Northern Districts penultimate round clash at Tegege on Sunday.
But to claim second position, the Hawks must now beat Avondale Tigers this Sunday and also rely on hosts Agnes Water Marlins going down to minor premiers Miriam Vale Magpies.
Last Sunday, the Tigers roared back to form and breathed new life into their title quest by outgunning the Magpies 40-24.
But the Hawks still loom as the team to beat after going from strength to strength since making a predictably slow start after the club suffered severe flood damage in the last week of January.
Brendan Blair also featured against the hapless Sharks with a hat-trick of tries.
The Tigers have suffered many late fade-outs in the last few months, holding handy leads before being swamped in the closing stages on a number of occasions, but on Sunday, they finally put it all together in a robust 80-minute performance which sounded a clear warning to the top two sides, the Magpies and Marlins.
The workaholic Corey Chapman led from the front, grabbing four tries in a vintage display, and with all their big guns really aiming up, they were simply too good for Miriam Vale.
Gin Gin 94 (Adam Lucke 4, Brendan Blair 3, Phillip Lindsay 2, Brandon Galea, Shaun Proctor, S Casey, Shane Blair tries; Ashley Helmore 14, S Blair goals) d South Kolan 14 (Tom Johnson, Andrew Ratcliffe, Aden Law tries; Aaron Law goal).
Avondale 40 (Corey Chapman 4, Matt Ross, David Jones, Frank Primavera, Andrew Filo tries; Filo 4 goals) d Miriam Vale 24 (Brad Noy 2, Lloyd Wimbus, Matt Mikkelsen tries; Brendan Ziebell 4 goals).
