Statewide score wrap: Sharks' brotherhood taking them to new heights

Showing his teammates it's OK to be vulnerable, Travin Baumann believes his Caloundra Sharks have more togetherness than ever as they climb the Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League ladder.

The livewire fullback (pictured above) broke the deadlock with a try just after half time in a critical Round 9 clash with Nambour Crushers on Saturday, helping them pull away to a 28-16 win to put the Sharks into third spot.

But Baumann's passion for mental health is much more powerful than anything he can do on the field, creating a safe space for teammates to tackle common issues.

"I don't expect everyone to pour their heart out, but just showing that vulnerability just makes that space a bit safer for the boys to open up and show they're not alone," he said.

"Everyone is the main character of their own life, and, 'it's all happening to me, all happening to you, why isn't this happening to anyone else?'. You just feel alone in it.

"Showing them you do face those issues that are so similar, you realise, 'I'm not the only one in this boat', which is good."

Baumann, originally from Hervey Bay, had the realisation he could help people leaning on how he overcame his own mental health challenges.

"Just with my own upbringing and a few years of a bit of a traumatic event... brought me to face my own mental health issues and I didn't know where to turn.

"My better half, God bless her, helped me push through that and I ended up seeking professional help and through that with some counselling and therapy I've got the toolkit to be able to recognise when I'm spiralling and overcome it now.

"I think it has helped me and other boys in the club with relationship issues and I gravitate towards that and hold that space for a lot of the blokes in it."

Working as a diesel fitter - a job provoking in-depth conversation - helped Baumann become more aware of the unhealthy ways people dealt with their issues, leading him to put his skills into youth work with the Department of Youth Justice.

"A lot of what I give and the space I hold in mental health outside of the club, I think it comes from what I do with my own self. Every Tuesday, there's a men's mental health group I attend by Zoom and it's people from overseas, Cairns, Sunny Coast, down to Brissy, we all meet up every Tuesday and just go through and have a chat and hold that space for each other," he said.

Baumann's message to men, especially those with a footy team around them, was to not put so much pressure on yourself, and don't wait to be prompted to check in on your teammates.

"When work's going s***, they might turn to football, but if they're not making hay or they feel like they're training hard and someone else is in the jumper they want, everyone always seems to turn back on themselves and think, 'what am I doing wrong?'," he said.

"Just a message goes such a long way, if it's outside of work, outside of football, if it is football, it all seems to trickle down into other aspects of the boys' lives.

"I love the men's mental health weeks or months, like Movember and that, but I hate that we wait around for them to come up each year."

The Sharks' brotherhood will be needed more than ever in the next couple of weeks when they face the defending premiers Beerwah Bulldogs, 2023 runners-up Kawana Dolphins, the unbeaten Noosa Pirates and the second-placed Coolum Colts in successive weeks.

QRL Central region

Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League Men's A grade

Round 9 results

Caloundra Sharks 28 def Nambour Crushers 18

Kawana Dolphins 20 def Beerwah Bulldogs 10

Noosa Pirates 24 def Coolum Colts 10

Maroochydore Swans 44 def Stanley River Wolves 16

Ladder

Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League Open Women

Round 11 results

Caboolture Snakes 22 def Noosa Pirates 18

Kawana Dolphins 30 def Caloundra Sharks 4

Maroochydore Swans def Beerwah Bulldogs (forfeit)

Ladder

South Burnett Rugby League Men's A grade

Round 5 results

Kingaroy Red Ants 32 def Nanango Stags 16

Murgon Mustangs 30 def Wondai Wolves 24

Ladder

Toowoomba Rugby League Hutchison Builders Men's A grade

Round 9 results

Warwick Cowboys 40 def Dalby Diehards 10

Southern Suburbs Tigers 38 def Oakey Bears 14

Gatton Hawks 36 def Pittsworth Danes 22

Wattles Warriors 36 def Goondiwindi Boars 22

Highfields Eagles 34 def Toowoomba Brothers 8

Valleys Roosters def Newtown Lions (forfeit)

Ladder

Toowoomba Rugby League Toowoomba Sports Club Open Women

Round 9 results

Valleys Roosters 24 def Newtown Lions 18

Highfields Eagles 58 def Toowoomba Brothers 0

Oakey Bears def Southern Suburbs Tigers (forfeit)

Ladder

Border Rugby League Men's Competition

Round 4 results

Texas Terriers 40 def Inglewood Roosters 28

Ladder

Bundaberg Rugby League Men's A grade

Round 7 results

Past Brothers 34 def Wests Panthers 6

Waves Tigers 46 def Wallaroos 10

Hervey Bay Seagulls 46 def Easts Magpies 34

Ladder

Wide Bay Open Women's Competition

Preliminary final

Fraser Coast Crushers 32 def Cherbourg Hornets 14

Next week: Grand final - Wondai Wolves v Fraser Coast Crushers

Central Highlands Rugby League Emerald Industrial Supplies Men's A grade

Round 8 results

Bluff Rabbitohs 36 def Dysart Bulls 26

Clermont Bears 36 def Emerald Brothers 28

Emerald Tigers 64 def Peak Downs Pirates 12

Middlemount Panthers 72 def Springsure Mountain Men 4

Ladder

Central Highlands Rugby League Sentinel Group Women's Competition

Round 5 results

Dysart Bulls 16 def Bluff Rabbitohs 6

Emerald Tigers 50 def Middlemount Panthers 10

Ladder

Rockhampton Rugby League Men's Premiership

Round 8 results

Emu Park Emus 26 def Yeppoon Seagulls 14

Brothers Gladstone 10 drew with Valleys Gladstone 10

Norths Chargers 56 def Tannum Sands Seagulls 10

Ladder

Rockhampton Rugby League Women's Premiership

Round 8 results

Tannum Sands Seagulls 40 def Norths Chargers 14

Brothers Rockhampton 20 def Fitzroy/Gracemere Sharks 16

Gladstone Wallabys 52 def Valleys Gladstone 6

Ladder

Northern Districts Rugby League Men's A grade

Round 10 results

Calliope Roosters 38 def Gin Gin Hawks 32

Miriam Vale Magpies 36 def Isis Devils 26

South Kolan Sharks 50 def Avondale Tigers 18

Ladder

QRL South East region

Brisbane Rugby League Premier A grade

Round 9 results

Bulimba Bulldogs 38 def Wynnum Manly Juniors 30

Valleys Diehards 48 def Souths Juniors 16

Beenleigh Pride 34 def Brighton Roosters 26

Redcliffe Juniors 46 def Normanby Hounds 4

West Brisbane Panthers 40 def Carina Tigers 32

Ladder

Rugby League Gold Coast A grade

Round 7 results

Currumbin Eagles 32 def Tugun Seahawks 18

Helensvale Hornets 31 def Runaway Bay Seagulls 28

Burleigh Bears 30 def Southport Tigers 28

Ladder

South East Premier Grade Women

Round 7 results

Burleigh Bears 16 def Mustangs Brothers 8

Currumbin Eagles 38 def Aspley Devils 10

Pine Central Holy Spirit 18 def Beenleigh Pride 16

Runaway Bay Seagulls 30 def Valleys Diehards 16

Goodna Eagles 32 def Waterford Demons 6

Ladder

Ipswich Jets A grade

Round 8 results

Ipswich Jets 32 def Fassifern Bombers 30

Brothers Ipswich 96 def West End Bulldogs 12

Redbank Plains Bears 28 def Swifts 4

Ladder

QRL North region

Rugby League Mackay & District Men's A grade

Round 7 results

Mackay Brothers 44 def Whitsunday Brahmans 22

Sarina Crocodiles 36 def Wests Tigers 24

South Sharks 68 def Carltons Devils 8

Moranbah Miners 26 def Mackay Magpies 22

Ladder

Rugby League Mackay & District Women's A grade

Round 3 results

Moranbah Miners 10 def Mackay Magpies 0

Mackay Magpies 26 def Sarina Crocodiles 14

Ladder

Rugby League Townsville & District Men's A grade

Round 9 results

Herbert Rivers Crushers 36 def Burdekin Roosters 4

Western Lions 48 def Norths Devils 18

Charters Towers Miners 40 def Centrals Tigers 22

Souths Bulls 36 def Brothers Townsville 26

Ladder

Rugby League Townsville & District Women's A grade

Round 9 results

Burdekin Roosters 14 def Herbert River Crushers 10

Centrals Tigers 52 def Charters Towers Miners 0

Western Lions def Norths Devils (forfeit)

Ladder

FNQRL Men's A grade

Round 11 results

Ivanhoes Knights 32 def Yarrabah Seahawks 24

Cairns Kangaroos 54 def Southern Suburbs Cockatoos 28

Mareeba Gladiators 62 def Tully Tigers 6

Cairns Brothers 46 def Edmonton Storm 24

Innisfail Leprechauns 28 def Mossman-Port Douglas 16

Ladder

FNQRL Women's Competition

Round 11 results

Atherton Roosters 40 def Edmonton Storm 10

Ivanhoes Maidens 24 drew with Yarrabah Seahawks 24

Outback Senior Muster

Men

Central West 24 def Northern Outback 16

South West 24 def Central West 6

South West 18 def Central West 14

*South West wins 2024 Outback Senior Muster - Men's

Women

Northern Outback 18 def Southern Outback 4

Northern Outback 8 drew with Southern Outback 8

*Northern Outback win 2024 Outback Senior Muster - Women's