Quiet achievers Wests Panthers are one win away from a grand final berth after taming Waves Tigers 16-10 in the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership qualifying final at Salter Oval on Saturday night.
They will now meet all-conquering minor premiers Hervey Bay Seagulls in the major semi-final at the same venue this Saturday.
The Tigers will get another chance in the minor semi-final against reigning champions Past Brothers, who hung on to beat Wallaroos 24-20 in the elimination final.
Waves went into the match with high expectations after winning four of their previous five matches and being magnificent in defeat against the Seagulls 18-8 in the penultimate round.
They were also first to score in the 14th minute, via ultra-talented Under 18 winger Jackson Paulson, but after that, their coach Antonio Kaufusi was disappointed as they were outgunned by a very committed and well drilled Panthers.
The Panthers continue to exceed expectations and public perception after a year which started disastrously with their sports club shut down by receivers and the club having to hurriedly find an alternate training ground.
Their spine of fullback Matt Tanner, halves Quentin Olive and Josh Garden and hooker Bevan Page stamped their marks and lock Josh Tanner was the leader of a hard working pack.
Wests will now take on the might of the Bay and will have to produce something special if they are to be a chance after being beaten 30-22, 26-16 and 50-0 in their three meetings so far in 2016.
It was a good day all-round for Wests with their Reserve grade side eliminating Waves 34-26 with hooker Willie Nagas bagging a hat-trick of tries before playing his part well off the A Grade bench.
Meanwhile, Wallaroos had not beaten Brothers all year, but the Brethren's title defence looked shaky when the Maryborough marauders opened up a 10-0 lead in better than even time.
Brothers did not get on the board until Under 18 forward dynamo Brendan Stewart plunged over in the 27th minute, but they edged ahead 12-10 by oranges with fullback and newly crowned BRL A Grade Player of the Year Jake Carl scooping up a perfectly placed grubber and grounding the ball with three seconds left on the clock, then landing a sideline conversion.
Carl produced a carbon copy try and conversion to extend their advantage to eight points 10 minutes into the second stanza.
There was no further score until star Roos centre Paul Shillingsworth finished off a superb length of the field try with nine minutes left on the clock, and Jack Horder's conversion got them back to within two points.
Brothers looked to have the game within their keeping when inspirational captain and front rower Kevin Sherriff plunged over with less than four minutes remaining and Carl again added the extras, but Roos regained the ball from the kick-off and Roger Rainbow crossed in the corner with 90 seconds to go.
Still trailing by four points, they opted not to take the conversion, needing at least a try to stay alive, but Brothers' defence rallied to hold them out, before they hung on by the skin of their teeth.
Both teams finished with four tries but Carl's perfect record from his four conversion attempts was the ultimate difference.
Brothers were however beaten by their Maryborough counterparts in the Reserve grade qualifier with centre Brad Browne-Lewis a match winner with a hat-trick of tries, while their Women downed Easts 34-18 in their qualifying final with seven individual try scorers, including fullback Bonnie Coolee, who also slotted three goals.
Results
Elimination final
Past Brothers 24 (Jake Carl 2, Kevin Sherriff, Brendan Stewart tries; Jake Carl 4 goals) def Wallaroos 20 (Luke Waters, Ethan West, Paul Shillingsworth, Roger Rainbow tries; Jack Horder 2 goals)
Qualifying final
Wests 16 (Bevan Page, Trent Seeds, Kane Chapman tries; James Prichard 2 goals) def Waves Tigers 10 (Jackson Paulson, Robert Nona tries; Zak Bainbridge goal)
Round 21:
Wallaroos 52 (Shaun Collins 4, Paul Shillingsworth 2, Ethan West, Tyrone Tanna, Sjaak Balk Tries; Jack Horder 8 goals) def Easts 14 (Cem Rohdmann, Daniel Ambrum, Dylan Taylor tries; Andrew Mason goal)
Wests 60 (Quentin Olive 2, Danny Moran 2, Joel Turaga, Josh Tanner, Tyrell Priestley, Bevan Page, Willie Nagas, Robert Telfer, Isaac Tabuai, Ian Ell-Balalas tries; Olive 4, James Prichard, Ilaiasi Pongi goals) def Isis 26 (Cruze Codrington 2, Peter Grant, Tim Cole, Asafo Alafaapae, Raymond Stahn tries; Stahn 2,Tyrone Ward goals)
Waves Tigers 42 (Jackson Paulson 3, Peni Tuakalau, Jake Zaina, Liam Saumalu, Ben Garrett tries; Zak Bainbridge 6, Peni Tuakalau goals) def Past Brothers 22 (Francis Pearson, Brent Kuskey, Jayden Alberts, Mat Templeman tries; Jake Carl 3 goals)
