Interchange wrecking ball and perennial unsung hero James Brosnan was an ultra-popular and thoroughly deserved winner of the Les Somerville Medal for player of the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade premiership grand final as Waves Tigers broke a six-year drought with a 36-12 blitz of Past Brothers.
At Salter Oval on Saturday night, Waves made the perfect start with 23-year-old club junior product hooker Sam Tobin, who has been there through thick and thin since starting in under 10s, opening their account in just the third minute.
The Brethren hit back just three minutes later through their leading try scorer, 17-year-old winger Joseph Doyle, who had scorer the opening try in the under 18 decider a couple of hours earlier.
Scores remained deadlocked at 4-4 until Tigers got the upper hand in a five-minute window from the 23rd minute with a try to their leading try scorer for the season, centre Jensen Deamer, followed by a four-pointer to their former Brothers under 18 premiership winning fullback Layton Chambers, a minute after the reigning champions had lost their hooker Eden Hess to concussion.
Brothers fought back with a try to their Australian under 18 touch representative halfback Carter Vincent five minutes before the break.
However, the loss of captain and centre Tyrell Priestley with a shoulder injury in the 51st minute was the final straw that broke their backs, and the Tigers “went in for the kill” with four tries in an electrifying 20 minutes.
Interchange hooker Kynan Hard forced his way over in a tackle, before Deamer, Tobin and Chambers each completed doubles with Chambers’ second try coming from a pinpoint kick to the corner from their five-eighth and Brothers under 18 star of last season Zeke Monckton.
Chambers also kicked two booming sideline conversions in his four goals to complement a personal 16-point haul.
Brothers came up with a late consolation try with Doyle also snaring a double to take his season haul to 15 – equal with Deamer – and only behind Wallaroos’ Bailey Robertson with 18.
But all honours belonged with Waves, who had suffered heart-breaking preliminary final losses the previous two seasons – to Hervey Bay Seagulls and Brothers respectively - and were also beaten by the Brethren 32-28 in 2019.
Brosnan, 26, has been a loyal servant since starting with the club as an under 18 premiership winner in 2015, but he has had a number of serious injuries over the years, including missing their 2018 A grade triumph after breaking his collarbone.
He repeatedly broke the line with his fearless blockbusting runs, and his defence was also brutal, but he was humbled to receive the prestigious award.
“I love this and didn’t expect it – it was just a great team effort, and everyone contributed,” Brosnan said.
Waves coach - former NRL, Origin and Test star Antonio Kaufusi - described the feeling as “awesome”.
“This whole group of players have been fantastic, and this is a culmination of missing out the last two years,” Kaufusi said.
Captain and lock, 31-year-old Reece Maughan, truly led from the front as one of just three survivors from their premiership of 2018, along with two other interchange forward workhorses, Kiya Schnabel and another vintage veteran Ross Larsen. Tobin missed those finals after requiring knee surgery.
Maughan sung Brosnan’s praises.
“James has been one of our most outstanding players every week – we didn’t have him for a while due to concussion but when he has been there, he has been the X-factor,” Maughan said.
Maughan said defence won them the game.
“I said earlier in the week that 16 points (against) was the magical number, but we kept them to 12, which was awesome,” he said.
Kaufusi also echoed his sentiments.
“James has been great for us week-in-week-out, but our left edge was also sensational – Leyton, (second rower) Lachlan Patterson, and Jensen – and having Brendan Grills back into the side (for the first time since breaking his jaw against Brothers on July 6) also was big,” Kaufusi said.
Grills was eased back into the game, starting on the wing, but as the game wore on, he moved back into the middle, pulling the strings to perfection, constantly igniting the attack and wreaking havoc with his superb passing and kicking game.
“Our starting front rowers Flynn Purkis and Harry Kuorikoski were also fantastic in the middle, but where do you stop?”
Waves also claimed the under 14 and under 16 double with wins over South Burnett 24-20 and Wests Panthers 34-6 respectively.
Brothers also grabbed two pieces of the spoils, staving off minor premiers Waves 26-18 in under 18s, with hooker Devyn Macdonald taking out the player of the final gong with a double, including the match-sealing try in the dying minute, after the Tigers fought back from a 20-0 half-time deficit to get to within two points and going agonisingly close to another try several times.
Brothers’ reserve graders also upset top of the table Tigers 10-8 after inflicting Waves’ only other loss of the season 20-16 in the major semi-final.
Bundaberg Rugby League grand final - score summary
A grade
Waves Tigers 36 (Sam Tobin 2, Jensen Deamer 2, Layton Chambers 2, Kynan Hard tries; Layton Chambers 4 goals) d Past Brothers 12 (Joseph Doyle 2, Carter Vincent tries).
Reserve grade
Past Brothers 10 (Patrick Curtis, Daniel Finter tries; Thomas Murray goal) d Waves Tigers 8 (Viliami Maile, Samuel Rooney tries).
Under 18
Past Brothers 26 (Devyn Macdonald 2, Joseph Doyle, Levi Monckton tries; Lucas Brough 5 goals) d Waves Tigers 18 (Keenyn Lealifano, Ezekiel Bullard, Mathaniel Cuthbertson tries; Preston Walsh 3 goals).
Under 16
Waves Tigers 24 (Noah McGuire, Taj Plath, Tahj Coates, Nicholas De Lacy tries; Tahj Coates 4 goals) d South Burnett 20 (James Searle 2, Lawson Braithwaite, Damon Cooper tries; Zachary Harris 2 goals).
Under 15
Hervey Bay Seagulls 20 (Tyler Mulhall 2, Billy Roderick, Samuel Adcock tries; Caelan Barr 2 goals) d Easts Magpies 14 (Levi Hack 2, Jack Johnson tries; Billy Frohloff goal)
Under 14
Waves Tigers 34 (Koby Cross 2, Noah Watt, Cooper Carmac, Nate Griffin, Brayden Martens tries; Nate Griffin 5 goals) d Wests Panthers 6 (Tyreece Rowe try; Drew Gage goal)
Under 13
Hervey Bay Seagulls 18 (Lachlan Bradford, Angus Everitt, Brax Hudson tries; Jezra Tobane 2, Jahleal Barney-Douglas goals) d Agnes Water Marlins 12 (Archie Sunderland, Rylee Keleher tries; Archie Sunderland 2 goals).
