Three teams share top spot in the Universities Rugby League Queensland competition, after the UQ Hounds and Griffith Logan Redbacks secured valuable victories on the road in a night of exciting Round 4 action.
The Hounds had the unenviable task of travelling to a drizzling Parkwood to meet the table topping Griffith Gold Coast Panthers, and in a game of two halves, it was the Hounds that ran away with a physical 22-18 victory.
The home side took a narrow 12-6 lead into the sheds, and when lock Hayden Lewis steamrolled through five Hounds defenders to push the lead to 12 straight after the break, it looked as if the Panthers were set to record their fourth win of the season.
But the Hounds burst to life, largely thanks to the sterling efforts of hooker Ben Lanskey’s, UQ scoring three straight tries to grab a 22-18 lead.
The Panthers threw everything at the Hounds in the final 5 minutes, crossing the tryline twice but to no avail, with UQ’s four point victory seeing them grab a share of the competition lead.
Griffith Logan got their premiership defense back on track, recording a hard fought 18-12 victory over a gallant QUT Trouts side at Aspley.
In what was an enthralling match, both sides were locked up at 6-all after a brutal opening half hour, but the home side took the lead after a scintillating 80 meter movement was finished off by Trouts utility Steve Young.
A 55th minute converted try to the Redbacks Chanyn Ratu-Daniel again locked the scores back up, before a try to pacey Logan back, Ben Ah Sam, saw the visitors snatch a late 18-12 victory.
And it wasn’t a happy night for the Griffith Dragons up in a bitterly cold Toowoomba, with the USQ Ironbarks finally finding their groove, racking up a comprehensive 46-18 victory.
The home side ran rampant over the new look Dragons, posting nine tries in total and lifting themselves off the bottom rung of the ladder.
But to the Dragons credit, they never threw in the towel, notching three off their own tries.
The competition now takes a short break due to the State of Origin, with round five commencing on Wednesday June 3.
UQ Hounds 22 (Ben Lanskey 2, Kylan Lovai, Jarred Edwards tries; Lachlan Pill 3 goals) def Griffith GC Panthers 18 (Nathan Land, Sam Burgess, Hayden Lewis tries; Matthew Beaton 3 goals)
Griffith Logan Redbacks 18 (Ben Ah Sam, Tanu Tagitasi, Chanyn Ratu-Daniel tries; Javann Ratu-Daniel 3 goals) def QUT Trouts 12 (Ben Urabo, Steve Young tries; Richard Kay 2 goals)
USQ Ironbarks 46 (Russell Birkett 3, Ellis Jensen, 2, Sean Hamel 2, Patrick Dingle, Nathan Garvay tries; Nathan Garvey 5 goals) def Griffith Dragons 18 (Herschel John, Aftab Shepherd, Jude Komano tries; Omair Khan 3 goals)
