Only two points separate the top five teams after four enthralling rounds of the Universities Rugby League Queensland competition, with the Griffith Dragons and Griffith Logan Redbacks securing crucial home victories last night.
Griffith Nathan reclaimed the competition lead courtesy of a nail-biting 16-14 victory over an impressive Queensland University of Technology Trouts outfit at the Griffith Nathan campus.
A last-minute try to Trouts’ hooker Jonny Dore gave the visitors a chance to snatch a late draw, however the ever reliable Richard Kay’s conversion attempt just sailed wide.
A solid team performance saw the Dragons register their third win of the season, while Dore’s hat trick of tries kept the Trouts in the contest.
The Griffith Logan Redbacks continued their premiership defence with an emphatic 32-6 win over an understrength Griffith Gold Coast Panthers side in Logan last night.
The Redbacks put the bite on the Panthers early, taking a dominant 22-0 lead into the halftime break.
Many expected the Redbacks to run away with the second half, but a resolute Gold Coast side kept the home side quiet.
Logan’s Taniela Ilagana was again at his unstoppable best, crossing for a hat-trick of tries, while fullback Casey Brimalow tallied 10 points through a stunning try and three goals.
It was a solid team effort by the injury riddled Panthers, with prop Tala Hellesoe and hooker Levi Moran getting through a mountain of work in the middle.
At Banyo, the University of Queensland ran rampant early and had registered a 40-0 lead by halftime in their match with Australian Catholic University.
Challenged by coach Chris Lord, ACU came out with a much-improved defensive attitude in the second half and managed to stem the bleeding.
They couldn’t get their attack in order however, and UQ continued to click with Enoch Linton and Dominic Heidke both finishing the match with three tries.
In a dominant performance, five-eighth Lachlan Boustead kicked eight goals as UQ racked up a 60-0 victory.
The competition will take a week’s break due to the State of Origin opener next week, with round five commencing on Wednesday June 4.
Griffith Dragons 16 (Elijah Kiddie, Jesse Domic, James Smith tries; Brad Ashcroft 2 goals) def QUT Trouts 14 (Jonny Dore 3 tries; Richard Kay goal)
Griffith Logan Redbacks 32 (Taniela Ilagana 3, Casey Bromilow, Kyran Brown, Ben Ah Sam tries; Jourdyn Hollands 3, Casey Bromilow goals) def Gold Coast Griffith Panthers 6 (Reece Perkins try; Luke Southam goal)
UQ Hounds 60 (Enoch Linton 3, Dominic Heidke 3, Chris Sharpe 2, Hayden Yusia, Kane Grubb, Sam Oxley tries; Lachlan Boustead 8 goals) def ACU 0
URLQ LADDER: Griffith Nathan Dragons 10, QUT Trouts 9, Griffith Logan Redbacks 9, UQ Hounds 8, Griffith Gold Coast Panthers 8, ACU 4
