Statewide score wrap: Hervey Bay claim Bundaberg title

Bundaberg born and bred second rower Max Shorter claimed the Les Somerville Medal for the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership grand final best and fairest as Hervey Bay Seagulls stunned two-time defending champions Past Brothers 34-14 at Salter Oval yesterday to break a six-year drought.

The Blue and Whites looked to have scored first in the sixth minute, but were penalised for a double-movement, and three minutes later, the rank underdogs made them pay for kicking out on the full, with powerhouse front rower Isaac Mielczarek charging over. Crafty halfback David Woodbridge added the extras.

While the Seagulls were never headed, Brothers did reduce the gap to 6-4 with barnstorming second rower Jake Thompson forcing his way over in the 23rd minute.

Lethal lock Logona Vetemotu replied in the 32nd minute, with Woodbridge again converting, then kicking a penalty from close range 18 seconds before the break for a halftime scoreline of 14-4, exactly the same as last year’s preliminary final which they lost to Brothers 34-14 after conceding 30 unanswered second-half points.

Memories of that capitulation were revived when the Brethren levelled the scores with tries in the 46th minute to imposing centre Connor Jones, converted by Pat Templeman, and winger Benaiah Kambanei four minutes later.

The Seagulls lost their best player when Vetemotu hobbled off with a serious leg injury in the 55th minute, but their fears were allayed when fullback Ben Hudson strolled over under the posts on the first set from the restart.

Woodbridge added the extras, before the ultra-consistent lightweight halfback, who was the competition’s leading points scorer for the season with 184, scored himself from a superb 40/20 kick and a penalty, and converted his own try four minutes later for a 28-14 lead on the hour.

They continued to dominate territorially and defend magnificently, and winger Jeremiah Pati, who was absolutely outstanding throughout, put the icing on the cake when he also was rewarded with a try with just under eight minutes remaining.

Down but not out, Brothers - who were noticeably low on match fitness at their first game since defeating Waves Tigers 20-18 in the major semi-final three weeks earlier - engineered several try-scoring opportunities as the clock ticked away, but the Seagulls jealously guarded their lead to the end, and celebrated a famous victory, for just their second A Grade title since joining the BRL in 2007.

The Seagulls, who finished second on the ladder behind Waves Tigers, had dominated Brothers during the home-and-away season, racking up a half-century of points in their first two clashes, and drawing in their last meeting in the rounds. They only lost to them 42-22 in the qualifying final with a side decimated by injury and illness, so they were deserving champions.

Shorter received a two-match suspension from that game and missed both their 8-4 minor semi-final victory over Wests and epic 32-28 dispatch of Waves.

The 20-year-old, who won premierships with Wests every year throughout his junior career, now lives at the Bay with his mother Shana and works as a roofer, and it was his second year with the Seagulls.

“I managed to get back for the grand final, and they are always something special and unreal, and A Grade is the ultimate, and they are just a great group of boys and a great club to be part of,” Shorter said.

Their extremely proud coach Jacob Blanke described Shorter as “the second to none best second rower in the competition” and lauded a magnificent team performance by all players, especially after losing Vetemotu when the game was up for grabs.

“We stuck to our game plan and kicked well and defended well, and I was super-confident that we would get them at the end,” Blanke said.

Shorter still aspirations of playing at a higher level.

“I was at (Sunshine Coast) Falcons at the start of the year, but I wasn’t sure that I was ready for it, but next season I might try my luck somewhere back in Colts – I have got one more year I can play Colts,” Shorter said.

Full scores and information for all Queensland A Grade competitions for the weekend August 26-28 are below.

South East region

BRL Premier A Grade

Finals Week 1

Valleys Diehards 28 def Beenleigh Pride 16
Bulimba Bulldogs 18 def Wynnum Juniors 12

Ladder following regular season.

QTOP Premiership - Gold Coast

Finals Week 1

Southport Tigers 36 def Runaway Bay Seagulls 20
Tugun Seahawks 24 def Mudgeeraba Redbacks 12

Ladder following regular season.

A Grade Premiership – Ipswich

Finals Week 2

Swifts Bluebirds 26 def Redbank Plains Bears 18

Ladder following regular season.

Central region

4BU/HITZ FM Bundaberg A Grade Premiership

Grand final

Hervey Bay Seagulls 34 (Isaac Mielczarek, Logona Vetemotu, Ben Hudson, David Woodbridge, Jeremiah Pati tries; David Woodbridge 6 goals) def Past Brothers 14 (Jake Thompson, Connor Jones, Benaiah Kambanei tries; Pat Templeman goal)

Ladder following regular season.

Hutchinson Builders Toowoomba Men’s Premiership

Finals Week 1

Goondiwindi Boars 40 def Dalby Diehards 30
Wattles Warriors 52 def Highfields Eagles 14

Ladder following regular season.