Two finals positions are up for grabs in an enthralling penultimate round of the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership across three venues on Saturday.
Despite suffering just their second loss of the season last Sunday, going down to a prowling Wests Panthers 36-20, Waves Tigers on 22 points and with a points differential of +266 have the minor premiership secure prior to their meeting with second placed Wallaroos at their home fortress at Eskdale Park at 4pm.
Honours are split between the pair in 2024, with 'Roos inflicting Waves only other loss this campaign 24-22, also in Maryborough on May 11, but the Tigers roared back at headquarters 46-10 when they last matched motors on June 8.
Wallaroos are on 18 points but even if they win their last two games and Waves lose both – which seems highly unlikely given that they play lowly Hervey Bay in the last round – they have a points differential of just +52, and it appears impossible for them to make up Waves’ massive advantage in that department.
Reigning champions Past Brothers are third on 15 points, but they have not won in their past four outings, suffering a hat-trick of losses, before being surprisingly held to a 26-all draw by their hosts Hervey Bay last week.
They are now only one point clear of Wests, and third position is up for grabs in the showdown between the pair at Salter Oval at 2.45pm.
A Brothers victory would clinch them a top-three finish before their last round home clash with Easts next Saturday, but if the Panthers purr, they will still need to also beat Roos in Maryborough in the last round to shore up a berth in the qualifying final.
Despite their current position on the ladder, Wests’ record of nine wins and four losses is superior to Brothers’ seven wins, one draw and five losses, but the Panthers were cruelly stripped of four competition points for repeated infringements in relation to suspensions.
They also defeated Brothers 30-24 in their 2023 grand final return clash on May 11 and were right in the match until having two players sent off late and ultimately going down 34-6 at their last duel.
But Wests just keep rising to the challenge and after reigning supreme in the “Battle of the Big Cats”, they are daring to dream of ending a 10-year drought.
They had six individual try scorers against the Tigers and coach Corey Tanner lauded a highly spirited team effort, again in the face of adversity.
“Defensively Tyson Douglas was our best – he was the smallest man on the field and Waves were sending some big boys at him wide and he stayed strong and kept knocking them over. We had to shift him to half as Clinton Horne pulled out with an illness in the morning,” Tanner said.
“And in attack I was pleased with our entire forward pack, they laid a solid platform early and was the difference between the two teams.
“It was a good win for us. Losing Clint and Caleb (Noovao), also on the morning, and Bruce Ikamanu in the warm-up, we showed plenty of resilience and fight to get the win using only 16 players, but the job is not done yet – we have to do it week-in-week-out, starting with Brothers.”
Meanwhile, fifth place and the last finals berth could be decided when Seagulls host Magpies in the “Battle of the Birds” at Stafford Park at 4pm tomorrow.
Hervey Bay moved to three points, courtesy of their draw with the Brethren, one in front of Easts, who played their hearts out against 'Roos in their best performance of the season so far.
The score is also 1-1 between the Bay and Easts this season, with the Magpies getting the chocolates 26-14 on May 11, but the Seagulls prevailed 46-34 on June 8, both in Bundaberg, and they will have a big and boisterous home crowd behind them adding to what is certain to be an epic do-or-die battle.
Main image: Wallaroos hooker Bailey Robertson ignites another attacking raid in his side's win over Easts Magpies on Sunday.
