Both teams went into the Round 11 showdown as joint-leaders in the Bundaberg Broadcasters A Grade Premiership – and both were without a string of their big guns – but it was hosts Past Brothers who flexed their muscle with a 56-22 demolition of Hervey Bay Seagulls last Saturday.
Individually Under 18 centre sensation Trent Seeds stole the show, running amok with five tries as two-time defending champions Wests Panthers put Wallaroos to the sword 56-14 in the first of the two A Grade games at Salter Oval on Sunday.
But the biggest applause was reserved for the beleaguered Waves Tigers as they broke a drought of more than two years with a shock 24-14 victory over Easts Magpies.
That game was a bottom of the table clash and while the pair lacked he polish of the teams at the opposite end of the ladder, both sides had everything to play for and finally the Tigers roared with second rower Joe Misa stamping his mark with a double, although it was the boot of young fullback Dan McLennan which was the real difference between the battlers as he converted all of their four tries, while Easts managed just one of three conversion attempts.
Waves' breakthrough coincided with the A Grade debuts of two of their outstanding Under 18 prospects, Shalom College duo, the multi-talented Jacob O'Shea, who has a few NRL clubs chasing his signature, and he celebrated with a try.
Ironically O'Shea played all of his junior football for the Magpies up until this season.
Former dual state athletics medallist Rhys Lu, an outside back who slotted in nicely at halfback on his top grade debut.
The two teams are now level on six points, four behind fifth seed Wallaroos with 10 rounds to go, and while Waves have still got a long way to go if they are to challenge for a finals berth, the win will be a huge confidence booster and with more young guns waiting in the wings in under-18, they could now go on to bigger and better things.
The Magpies, on the other hand, are heading in the wrong direction despite still have some very good players and a handy roster, and they need a dramatic turn-around, similar to last year's, if they are to resurrect their season.
Meanwhile, the Panthers keep getting better and better with every outing, and they ran hot in the second half, racking up 38 points in almost even time after being ahead just 18-8 at oranges.
Seeds, a club junior product, who has been a revelation in A Grade in 2015, was unstoppable, wreaking havoc among the Roos, and he too is growing in a stature with every match.
Despite the Seagulls loss and the Panthers' triumph, the champions of the past two years moved to 14 points, equal with Isis Devils, who had the bye, and they are now four points behind Hervey Bay.
With no football this weekend due to the Queensland Divisional Championships, all Bundaberg teams will have a lay-day before resuming their hostilities next Saturday, when the Seagulls will host the Panthers in the match of the round at Stafford Park.
A Seagulls win there would shore up second spot, while the Panthers will also be hungry for the two points to enhance their top-two hopes.
Meanwhile, Past Brothers had suffered their only loss of the year so far at the hands of the Seagulls at the Bay back in round one, and both sides came out all guns blazing, and it was no surprise that their respective captain/coaches and five-eighths Mat Templeman and Tye Ingebrigtsen were sin binned in just the third minute.
But when they played football, Brothers were far superior, with their backs having a field day, scoring nine of their 10 tries, including a hat-trick to centre Tien Nguyen and doubles to fullback Jake Carl and winger John Akers.
Carl also slotted eight goals for a personal points tally of 24 points.
Halfback Joel Fagan, who was a key member of Wests' champion teams of 2013 and 2014, marked his call up into the Central Crows team for the Divisional titles with a good try.
The Brethren will have a fortnight off as they have the bye next weekend before returning to the field for what could be a danger game against the Devils at "The Furnace" at Childers Showgrounds on Saturday 20th June.
It was a perfect day for Past Brothers, starting with centre Matt Muller claiming a double as they outgunned the Seagulls 24-12 in under-18.
Their Reserve graders followed suit with a 20-16 despatch of The Baysiders, before their four-times defending premiers women finally posted their first win of 2015, shutting out top of the table Wallabies 22-0 with winger Katelyn Tewaiti crossing for a double.
Following Wallabies' loss, Calliope joined them at the top of the women's table with a 48-0 white-wash of Wallaroos at their home ground on Sunday.
Centre Kody House led the charge with four-try haul, while halfback Marlene Davies notched a hat-trick.
Brothers 56 (Tien Nguyen 3, Jake Carl, John Akers 2, Chris Rose, Joel Fagan, Kevin Sherriff tries; J Carl 8 goals) def Hervey Bay 22 (Tye Ingebrigtsen, Joel Denduck, Wesley Nau, Darren Small tries; Tyson Woodman 3 goals)
Waves Tigers 24 (Joe Misa 2, Jacob O'Shea, Con Mika tries; Dan McLennan 4 goals) def Easts 14 (Ben Schrader, Jarrod Johnson, Shane Lea tries; Baidon Cooper goal)
Wests 56 (Trent Seeds 5, James Pritchard, Leon Baldry, Ian Ell-Balalas, Rick Nagas, Leigh Eade tries; Bevan Page 8 goals) def Wallaroos 14 (David Ball 2, Sam Hutchins tries; Lincoln Willmont goal)
