NOT much has changed in the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership in two months, with the weekend's round eight results very similar in the three matches to those recorded when the teams previously met in the second round.
Hosts and joint-competition leaders Hervey Bay Seagulls again plucked Maryborough's Wallaroos 38-4 at Stafford Park on Saturday afternoon after having triumphed 40-14 on 14th March.
Then at Salter Oval on Sunday, the other co-table toppers Past Brothers again put Easts Magpies to the sword 72-6 after having humbled them 94-4 in their first meeting of the year.
Isis Devils then made it back-to-back wins but they were forced to work hard by a brave Waves 28-18 after having disposed of them 50-4 in their season debut after having had the first round bye.
Down at the Bay, the Seagulls claimed the first silverware of the season, regaining the coveted George Baumann Trophy with a crushing victory, establishing an 18-0 lead by oranges and going right on with the job, finishing with seven tries to a solitary late consolation four-pointer.
Captain/coach and five-eighth Tye Ingebrigtsen bagged three tries in a signature robust all-round performance, wing sensation Billy Stefaniuk notched a double, while fresh from his selection in the Central Crows for the Queensland Divisional Championships after the 47th Battalion Trophy Carnival in Roma a week earlier, where he bagged two Man of the Match awards, mercurial halfback Clinton Horne was also again among the tries, as well as kicking five goals.
Their other Crow, highly potent fullback Alex Braun was also always a threat, although he could not get over the line.
Ingebrigtsen lauded his troops, labelling their fifth win in a row and seventh in 2015 as their best of the season so far.
They are the only team to have beaten Past Brothers – at home back on the first Saturday of March – with their only defeat so far coming at the hands of Isis.
"We rocked up to play, got them through the middle and then went out wide and our speed was too good for them, but our defence won us the game," he said.
Brothers however increased their nett points differential over the Bay, lifting their tally to 272, exactly double that of the Seagulls, who also enhanced their figure but we're not as dominant as the Brethren.
The Seagulls will venture to Salter Oval for a showdown with the Magpies this Sunday, before plotting revenge when they host the Devils, then venturing to Brothers Sports Club for what is shaping as a top-of-the-table shoot-out on 30th May.
Last Sunday, Easts were never in the contest as Brothers hit the ground running, racking up three tries in the first eight minutes, including two to captain/coach, centre and Brothers’ sole Crows representative Mat Templeman.
Star fullback Jake Carl missed all three conversions and despite each attempt being taken from close to touch, he was replaced as kicker for the rest of the afternoon by John Akers.
Despite a poor completion rate, the Blue and Whites still managed another four tries for the first half, with Akers converting three of them, and they defended stoutly to protect their line.
It was more of the same in the second stanza, despite Brothers hooker supremo Brent Kuskey succumbing to injury and not returning for the second 40 minutes.
Regardless, Brothers ran in seven more four-pointers, interrupted briefly by the Magpies' sole try, scored by interchange forward Abraham Broome in the 73rd minute.
Brothers left centre Daniel Finter, exciting under-18 five-eighth Jayden Alberts, returning journeyman lock Aaron Kuskey and Tongan interchange wrecking ball Vahiti Hopoi also featured with two tries each, while workaholic second rower Joel McCrea again headed the tackle-count with 37 bone-crunchers.
This week, Brothers will lock horns with two-times defending premiers Wests Panthers, who will be fresh from the bye.
Meanwhile, Isis moved back into third position despite being pushed all the way by cellar dwellers Waves, who put another tumultuous week behind them after club president and captain/coach Russell Thomas resigned.
Danny Moran returned from the Northern Districts to take the coaching reins and he also gave them stability at fullback, and the young team responded, with teenage centre Connor Jones and Joe Misa, who started on the bench, each grabbing doubles.
But the Devils had too many guns, scoring 14 points per half and ending with six tries to four, including two each to flashy centre Faavesi Lilo and local junior product winger Jack Rowan.
Isis will be seeking to continue to build their momentum when they play host to Wallaroos at Childers Showgrounds this Saturday night, while Waves will have the bye.
HERVEY BAY 38 (Tye Ingebrigtsen 3, Billy Stefaniuk, Clinton Horne, Amos Pelite tries; Horne 7 goals) d WALLAROOS 4 (Mark Saltner try)
BROTHERS 72 (Mat Templeman 2, Jayden Alberts 2, Aaron Kuskey 2, Vahiti Hopoi 2, Daniel Finter 2, Jake Carl, Chris Rose, Brent Kuskey, Michael Murphy tries; John Akers 8 goals) d EASTS MAGPIES 6 (Ab Broome try, Baidon Cooper goal)
ISIS DEVILS 28 (Faavesi Lilo 2, Jack Rowan 2, Zac Dann, Charlie Higgins tries; Robert O'Donnell 2 goals) d WAVES TIGERS 18 (Connor Jones 2, Joe Misa 2 tries; Dan McLennan goal)
