Powerhouse second rower Royce Blair claimed the Les Somerville Medal for player of the grand final as Past Brothers held off a late Easts Magpies’ attack to triumph 26-22 and clinch back-to-back Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership titles at Salter Oval.
The Brethren, who were ranked underdogs, played a near perfect first 60 minutes on Sunday to lead 24-4, but in the end, held on by the skin of their teeth on the boot of Zak Bainbridge after the minor premiers racked up four tries in a frenzied last 14 minutes.
The last try came with 27 seconds left on the clock to set up one last 12-second shot at snatching a remarkable victory from the bowels of defeat, only to lose the ball and Brothers securing it for the last few seconds.
Easts, who had dominated Brothers 38-16 in the major semi-final a fortnight earlier, finished with five tries to four but were able to convert only one of them, while Bainbridge added the extras for three of the Blue and Whites’ tries and also kicked penalties from in front of the sticks in the 46th minute to extend their 16-4 half-time lead, and in the 69th minute, which in the end proved crucial.
Brothers built their domination on a rock-solid pack, in which captain and lock Kevin Sherriff, fellow starting forwards Brendan Stewart, Tom Murray, Tyla Hodge, and 34-year-old stalwart Aaron Hall, and interchange forwards Tim Cole, Daniel Finter and Logan Tanzer, were all absolutely outstanding.
All of their backs were also brilliant, with centre Jake Thompson leading the charge, but just as he had done in their preliminary final victory over Hervey Bay a week earlier, 22-year-old first-year player and winger Mitchell Clayton scored successive tries in the 25th and 36th minutes, the first a 95-metre stunner, almost identical to his second game-defining four-pointer against the Seagulls.
Clayton fielded the ball from a grubber by Magpies captain and dual BRL A Grade player of the year Matt Craven close to their line and raced away down the right wing, turning on the after-burners and stepping out of the last ditch attempted diving tackle by Easts veteran dual premiership winning fullback Clinton Horne to put them in front for the first time, before finishing well for his second.
Easts scored first in the sixth minute through flashy winger Andreas Nona on the back of a penalty after teammate Trent Seeds and Brothers fullback Tyrell Priestley were each sin-binned after tempers flared and a scuffle broke out.
His opposite, Papua New Guinea native Benaiah Kambanei, opened Brothers’ account seven minutes later, levelling the scores.
The titanic duel continued until Brothers got the upper hand with Clayton’s twin strikes, and they were in control after Bainbridge’s first penalty six minutes into the second stanza, and a superb try to barnstorming prop Brendan Stewart on the hour.
But the Magpies picked themselves up off the canvas, and once they broke through with Seeds’ first of his two late tries, they were unstoppable, and they were ultimately beaten by the final siren.
They had been hot favourites to end a 16-year club drought, but it was more heart-ache for Easts.
For Brothers, Bainbridge had also been a match winner in their 32-28 grand final victory over Waves two years ago, kicking six goals to the Tigers’ four, before last season was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Brothers have now reigned supreme eight times since easts last got their name on the shield, also in 2008, three years in a row from 2010-12, 2015, 2017 and 2019, and for Sherriff, it was his fourth premiership, the last three as captain.
Twenty-eight-year-old Blair, in his first season with the club, played all his previous club football for Isis Devils up until 2018 after which they dropped out of the competition.
He had an ACL reconstruction at the end of that season, before making a comeback in 2021, together with former Devils stars Thompson and Cole, and re-linking with halfback Taylar Barritt, who also played two seasons for Isis, before joining the Brethren in 2019 and playing every game again this season until unfortunately suffering a season-ending knee injury in their upset qualifying final win over Wests Panthers.
Victory was also a triumph for one of Brothers’ favourite sons, Andrew Hamilton, in his first season back as coach after first captain / coaching the club as a rookie in the early 90s and last coaching them in 2009.
Maryborough club Wallaroos claimed the under 18 and Reserve Grade double with grand final victories over Wests Panthers 44-26 and 22-0 respectively.
Hooker Joel Cox bagged a double in an under 18 player of the final performance for Roos, while club stalwart front rower David Ball took out the award in Reserve Grade.
Bundaberg Rugby League grand final results
A Grade
Past Brothers Bundaberg 26 (Mitchell Clayton 2, Benaiah Kambanei, Brendan Stewart tries; Zak Bainbridge 5 goals) defeated Easts Magpies 22 (Trent Seeds 2, Andreas Nona, Matthew Ross, Clinton Horne tries; Tyrell Howard goal)
Les Somerville Medal player of grand final: Royce Blair
Reserve Grade
Wallaroos Maryborough 22 (Lawrence Muckan 2, Kurt Spicer, Kynan Watson tries; Kynan Watson 3 goals) defeated Wests Panthers 0
Player of the grand final: David Ball
Under 18
Wallaroos Maryborough 44 (Joel Cox 2, Codey Kearns, Jonah MacDonald, Kayne Cooke, Liam Doolan, Bailey Mills, Kyle MacDonald tries; Noah Dawson 6 goals) defeated Wests Panthers 26 (Lochlan Modrow, Bryden Blair, Kynan Hard, Zander Kerr, Brad Clarke tries; Chris Robinson 3 goals).
Player of the grand final: Joel Cox
