The Griffith Dragons have finished the first half of the Universities Rugby League Queensland competition alone on top of the ladder.
After a 22-8 win over QUT last night, they are in firm position to win the minor premiership when the competition resumes after semester break in July.
They were pushed by the improving Trouts, with the score just 12-4 at halftime.
But two tries to fullback Sean Dermba were enough to see the Dragons home and separate themselves from the rest of the competition.
At St Lucia, the UQ Hounds showed they may be the main challengers to the Dragons’ premiership hopes with a 40-0 dispatch of an under-manned Griffith Gold Coast Panthers.
The Panthers had won the first three games of the year, but were no match for the reigning URLQ premiers last night.
Replacement Dom Ragonesi had some fun on the left edge, scoring twice for the Hounds.
ACU stayed in the top four with a hard-fought win over the Griffith Logan Redbacks at Banyo.
After going down in the final minute to the Trouts last week, ACU picked themselves up to nab a tight 20-18 victory.
Sam Knight scored twice for the winners, while Saaed Annewetey also crossed twice for the Redbacks.
URLQ ROUND 5 RESULTS
UQ HOUNDS 40 (Dom Ragonesi 2, Chris Hansen, Patrick Robinson, John Upton, Jesse Domic, Mitchell McPherson tries; Mitch Wells 6 goals) defeated GRIFFITH GOLD COAST PANTHERS 0 at UQ St Lucia Campus.
ACU 20 (Sam Knight 2, Jake Rowles, Tom Benham tries; Stuart Kunjip 2 goals) defeated GRIFFITH LOGAN REDBACKS 18 (Saeed Annewetey 2, Dominic Biond tries; Trent Shield 3 goals) at ACU Campus, Banyo.
GRIFFITH DRAGONS 22 (Sean Dermba 2, Allen Rau, Lucas Leggate tries; Dean Sheppard 3 goals) defeated QUT TROUTS 8 (Owen Johnson, Alex Wilkinson tries) at Purtell Park, Bardon.
URLQ LADDER
13 points – Griffith Dragons (+74)
11 points – UQ Hounds (+84), ACU (-2), Griffith GC Panthers (-26),
7 points – Griffith Logan Redbacks (-46), QUT Trouts (-80)
