Brothers Ipswich will wrap up the 2019 Rugby League Ipswich A Grade competition’s minor premiership - if they can defeat Goodna & Districts Eagles this Sunday.
Five points clear at the top of the ladder, a win over the second-placed Eagles would give Brothers an unassailable lead with just two more rounds to come in the regular season.
It has been a stellar season so far from Brothers who have scored more points than any team in the competition and have won their past six consecutive games.
The most recent Brothers victory came last weekend when they ran in eight tries and handed fourth-placed Redbank Plains a 46-28 defeat.
They come up against an Eagles side who have rediscovered their best form with four straight wins, including a 40-26 win over Norths last weekend which ended any chance the Tigers had left of playing finals in 2019.
Goodna are perhaps the team best equipped to challenge Brothers this season, with a better defensive record and just seven fewer points scored.
With a bye up their sleeve still to come in Round 21, the Eagles can put pressure on Brothers and finish with as many as 55 competition points if they can win this week.
These sides have met twice already this year, with Brothers picking up wins on both occasions, 21-10 in Round 5 and 28-22 in Round 12.
Their Round 19 clash will take place at Blue Ribbon Motors Field at 3pm this Sunday afternoon.
Elsewhere in Round 19 of the RLI A Grade competition, the Swifts Bluebirds face West End Bulldogs in a game they cannot afford to drop if they are to hold on to third place for another week.
Consecutive losses for the Redbank Plains Bears have seen the Bluebirds move back into third, but with the Bears having the bye this week, a Swifts loss would see them switch places again.
The final game of the round sees Norths Tigers host the Fassifern Bombers on Sunday afternoon.
* Main image courtesy of Bruce Clayton Photography
Rugby League Ipswich A Grade competition Round 19 fixtures
West End Bulldogs v Swifts Bluebirds – Saturday, August 3 at Daniel’s Park - 5pm
Brothers Ipswich v Goodna & Districts Eagles – Sunday, August 4 at Blue Ribbon Motors Field - 3pm
Northern Suburbs Ipswich Tigers v Fassifern Bombers – Sunday, August 4 at Keith Sternberg Oval - 3pm
Redbank Plains Bears - bye
Ladder
| Pos | Team | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brothers Ipswich | 305 | 50 |
| 2 | Goodna & Districts Eagles | 317 | 45 |
| 3 | Swifts Bluebirds | 116 | 43 |
| 4 | Redbank Plains Bears | 92 | 43 |
| 5 | Northern Suburbs Ipswich Tigers | -94 | 36 |
| 6 | Fassifern Bombers | -306 | 28 |
| 7 | West End Bulldogs | -430 | 25 |
Round 18 results
Brothers Ipswich 46 def Redbank Plains Bears 28
Fassifern Bombers 46 def West End Bulldogs 0
Goodna & Districts Eagles 40 def Northern Suburbs Tigers 26
Swifts Bluebirds - bye
