With three rounds remaining of the Bundaberg Broadcasters men's A grade Premiership, the Waves Tigers have all but sealed their second minor title in three seasons after outclassing a brave Hervey Bay Seagulls 42-14 at Salter Oval on Saturday.
It was the Tigers' cubs who roared the loudest as teenage fringe A grader Daniel Cavanagh relished a rare opportunity in the starting side, and in an unfamiliar position of wing, as he bagged a hat-trick
Regular fullback Brad Clarke, who was filling in for injured halfback Brendan Grills, and inspirational captain and lock Reece Maughan each picked up doubles, while another Under 18 star Ryan Bugeja also filled in with aplomb at fullback and additionally kicked four conversions.
The rampaging Tigers, who have lost just one match all season (two point loss to Wallaroos on May 11) moved to 22 points and are now six clear of Roos who remained in second position despite going down to Wests 38-20.
The Panthers were buoyed by the return of 32-year-old human wrecking ball and 2013 premiership hero Joel Turaga who powered his way to three tries in his first game for the club in years.
Reigning champions Past Brothers are next on 14 points after they received an easy two points courtesy of a late Easts Magpies’ forfeit, while the Panthers are snapping at their heels on 12 despite having won eight games to Brothers’ six after being stripped of four competition points for repeat breaches with suspensions last month.
The Seagulls and Magpies each have just one victory for the season – against each other – and they are both on two points, with the former having a slightly better negative points differential to the latter of -318 to -328, with the battle for the fifth position and a spot in the finals likely to be decided when the Bay hosts Easts in the penultimate round on August 3.
For Roos to claim top spot they would not only have to beat Easts, Waves and Wests in their run home, and for Waves to also lose against Wests this Saturday and Hervey Bay in the last round, but also have some massive wins to claw back the Tigers’ hugely superior points differential of 282 to 44.
Still, Tigers master coach Antonio Kaufusi is taking nothing for granted.
“Footy’s a funny game, and if you start to think that we’ve won it, strange things happen,” Kaufusi said.
“We were minor premiers two years ago and finished second last year by one point, but we did not make the Grand Final in either.
"The Minor Premiership is nice but I know the boys are excited with what comes after that and we have to right wrongs and perform a lot better if want to be in the Grand Final.”
QRL Central region
Bundaberg Broadcasters Men's A Grade Premiership
Waves Tigers 42 def Hervey Bay Seagulls 14
Past Brothers def Easts Magpies on forfeit
Wests Panthers 38 def Wallaroos 20
Central Burnett Rugby League Titan Industries Men's A grade
Gayndah Gladiators 76 def Mundubbera Tigers 12
Monto Roos 70 def Eidsvold Eagles 34
Central Highlands Rugby League Emerald Industrial Supplies Men's A grade
Emerald Brothers def Blackwater Crushers on forfeit
Middlemount Panthers 42 def Peak Downs Pirates 22
Bluff Rabbitohs 32 def Clermont Bears 20
Dysart Bulls 42 def Springsure Mountain Men 28
Roma District Rugby League Men's A grade
Taroom-Wandoan Battlers 26 def Miles & District 12
St George 20 def Mitchell Magpies 12
Wallumbilla-Surat Red Bulls 32 def Chinchilla Bulldogs 6
Rockhampton Rugby League Men's A Grade Premiership
Emu Park Emus 62 def Tannum Sands Seagulls 6
Brothers Rockhampton 44 def Brothers Gladstone 12
North Chargers 52 def Valleys Diehards Gladstone 20
Rockhampton Rugby League Women's A grade
Norths Chargers v Valleys Gladstone Diehards (forfeit)
Brothers Rockhampton v Wallaby Women (forfeit)
Emu Park Emus 10 def Tannum Sands Seagulls 4
Northern Districts Rugby League Men's A grade
Isis Devils 42 def South Kolan Sharks 40
Gladstone Wallabys def Gin Gin Hawks (forfeit)
Miriam Vale Magpies def Agnes Water Marlins (forfeit)
Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League Men's A grade
Beerwah Bulldogs 32 def Noosa Pirates 24
Coolum Colts 30 def Maroochydore Swans 10
Kawana Dolphins 38 def Nambour Crushers 22
Stanley River Wolves 40 def Caboolture Snakes 20
Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League Open Women
Semi-Finals Game 1: Caboolture Snakes 34 def Caloundra Sharks 26
Game 2: Kawana Dolphins 30 def Maroochydore Swans 18
Toowoomba Rugby League Hutchison Builders Men's A grade
Gatton Hawks 24 def Brothers Toowoomba 16
Toowoomba Valleys 38 def Wattles Warriors 10
Highfields Eagles 24 def Pittsworth Danes 18
Dalby Diehards 74 def Oakey Bears 0
Warwick Cowboys 40 def Southern Suburbs Tigers 12
Toowoomba Rugby League Toowoomba Sports Club Women's A grade
Oakey Bears 26 def Dalby Diehards 8
Gatton Hawks 36 def Brothers Toowoomba 6
Toowoomba Valleys 28 def Southern Suburbs Tigers 0
Highfields Eagles 32 def Newtown Lions 8
Border League Men
Texas Terriers 34 def Inglewood 32
QRL South East Region
Brisbane Rugby League Premier A grade
Souths Juniors 66 def Normanby 9
Bulimba Bulldogs 38 def Beenleigh Pride 8
Wynnum Manly Juniors 34 def Redcliffe Juniors 10
Valleys Diehards 28 def Carina 26
West Brisbane Panthers 40 def Brighton Roosters 34
Rugby League Gold Coast Earth Fleet Cup Men's A grade
Tugun Seahawks 24 def Currumbin Eagles 18
Burleigh Bears 28 def Southport Tigers 18
Runaway Bay Seagulls 32 def Helensvale Hornets 14
South East Premier League Women
Currumbin Eagles 46 def Valleys Diehards 6
Mustangs Brothers 32 def Runaway Bay Seagulls 22
Pine Central 50 def Aspley Devils Waterford Demons 26 def Beenleigh Pride 20
Goodna Eagles 26 def Burleigh Bears 8
Ipswich Jets A grade
Brothers Ipswich 36 def Norths Tigers 28
Redbank Bears 48 def Fassifern Bombers 26
Ipswich Jets 44 def West End Bulldogs 22
QRL North region
FNQRL Men's A grade
Yarrabah Seahawks 52 def Southern Suburbs Cockatoos 16
Tully Tigers 28 drew Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks 28
Cairns Kangaroos 30 def Edmonton Storm 20
Innisfail Leprechauns 34 def Atherton Roosters 10
FNQRL Women
Semi-Final 1: Atherton Roosters 20 def Cairns Kangaroos 14
Semi-Final 2: Ivanhoe’s Maidens 40 def Yarrabah Sea Hawks 28
Mt Isa Rugby League
Men’s Semi-Final: Wanderers Mt Isa 46 def Brothers Mt Isa 30
Women’s Semi-Final: Wranglers Mt Isa 20 def Cloncurry Eagles 14
Rugby League Townsville & District Men
Brothers 22 def Central Tigers 16
Charters Tower Miners 32 def Burdekin Roosters 26
Souths 40 def Western Lions 18
Herbert River Crushers 34 def Norths Devils 10
Rugby League Townsville & District Women
Central Tigers 34 def Brothers 4
Burdekin Roosters 28 def Charters Towers Miners s0
Herbert River Crushers 30 def Norths Devils 6
Rugby League Mackay & District A Grade Men
Sarina 16 def West Tigers 12
Brothers Mackay 18 def Whitsunday Brahmans 6
Souths Senior Sharks A 66 def Carltons Devils 6
Magpies Mackay 46 def Moranbah Miners 14
Rugby League Mackay & District Women
Brothers Mackay 26 def Sarina 4
Magpies Mackay 44 def Moranbah Miners 0
