It was business as usual for Waves Tigers as they continued their outstanding form to notch their eighth straight victory with a 40-8 demolition of wooden spooners Wallaroos in Round 14.
But they still will have to win their last two matches of the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership season - against Past Brothers and Hervey Bay Seagulls respectively - to clinch the minor premiership.
The Seagulls returned to their brilliant best on Saturday, notching their first win in four games with a 60-0 whitewash of a depleted Wests Panthers side at home at Stafford Park on Saturday.
For Wests, after being third on the ladder a few short weeks ago, they have now dropped to fifth, overtaken by sleeping giants Easts Magpies, who awoke from their slumber with a come-from-behind 26-16 triumph over the hot and cold Brothers in the later match at Salter Oval on Saturday night.
But for the Tigers, it took just two minutes for them to strike at Salter Oval, with no-frills hooker Mitchell Trims driving through under the posts.
Wallaroos stayed in the fight until half-time, trailing just 16-4 at the break, and while they never threw in the towel, Waves added a further four tries to one in the second stanza.
Brad Clarke, who was moved to the wing from five-eighth to accommodate the return of Jacob O’Shea from injury, and fellow Wests Panthers junior product and barnstorming second rower Lachlan Patterson, each notched doubles, while centre Layton Chambers also continued his superb season, chalking up 16 points with one try and six conversions in a signature robust all-round performance.
The Tigers are four points clear of the Seagulls on the ladder, and they can seal top spot if they beat the Brethren this week.
But if they lose, it could come down to their last round duel with Hervey Bay to decide the No. 1, which also carries the right to direct passage to the major semi-final.
Wests had inflicted Hervey Bay’s first loss of the season, 38-24, at the same venue, back on April 23, but the Baysiders had returned service 32-16 on June 4, and with the Panthers missing many of their big guns this weekend, the Seagulls had a field day.
Tyson Miller led the charge with a hat-trick of tries and star centre Jeremiah Pati, silky skilled halfback David Woodbridge and hooker Ben Hudson each grabbed doubles.
Woodbridge also kicked eight conversions to take his season tally to 124 points, 16 more than second-placed leading points scorer, Chambers.
Hervey Bay will be expected to again cut loose against Wallaroos in Maryborough this Saturday, but they will also need for Brothers to halt the Waves juggernaut if they are to stay in contention for the minor title.
Easts had not won in six matches before edging out Hervey Bay by two points seven days earlier, a result which secured their place in the finals, but they rediscovered their mojo this week, finishing with a wet sail to re-affirm themselves as contenders.
They are now just one point behind third placed Brothers, with Wests and Wallaroos their remaining opponents.
Flashy centre Ratu Nawerecaqa, one of four recent Fijian recruits in the side, was among their try scorers and he took out the Railway Hotel Player of the Round, while two of his countrymen were each also among the four-pointers, wing fliers Josateki Masibalavu and Aisake Masiwala.
WAVES TIGERS 40 (Brad Clarke 2, Lachlan Patterson 2, Mitchell Trims, Cody Maughan, Layton Chambers tries; Layton Chambers 6 goals) d WALLAROOS 8 (Shaun Collins, David Ball tries).
HERVEY BAY SEAGULLS 60 (Tyson Miller 3, Jeremiah Pati 2, David Woodbridge 2, Ben Hudson 2, Logona Vetemotu, Nick Collins tries; David Woodbridge 8 goals) d WESTS PANTHERS 0.
EASTS MAGPIES 26 (Josateki Masibalavu, Craig Bek, Mitchell Taylor, Aisake Masiwala, Ratu Nawerecaqa tries; Andreas Nona 3 goals) d PAST BROTHERS 16 (Kevin Sherriff, Tim Cole, Mat Templeman tries; Patrick Templeman 2 goals).
Main image: Waves Tigers dual try scorer Brad Clarke breaks out of a Wallaroos tackle in their Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership clash at Salter Oval on Saturday.
