The Griffith Dragons and University of Queensland Hounds have split from the pack in the race for the Universities Rugby League Queensland minor premiership.
With the penultimate round of the competition to be played tonight, the Dragons and Hounds are four points clear of the third-placed ACU and Griffith Gold Coast Panthers.
Two closing victories will snag them a home semi-final each, with finals seedings to be sorted out by points differential.
The Dragons have snuck ahead in that area by just seven points after they defeated the Griffith Logan Redbacks 24-16 last week.
The Hounds had to fight from 20-0 down to pip an unlucky ACU 21-20 through a Chris Hansen field goal, and tonight will have to host a Redbacks outfit desperate to get back into finals calculations.
The Gold Coast Griffith Panthers will travel to play the Dragons tonight with some confidence after seeing off the QUT Trouts 24-18 last week.
That kept the Panthers in fourth place, just behind ACU.
ACU will play against the Trouts at Purtell Park tonight, with QUT aware this is their last throw of the dice.
Tonight’s matches (Wednesday, August 8):
UQ Hounds v Griffith Logan Redbacks – UQ St Lucia Campus, 7.30pm
Griffith Dragons v Gold Coast Griffith Panthers – Griffith Nathan Campus, 7.30pm
QUT Trouts v ACU – Purtell Park, Bardon, 8pm
URLQ ROUND 7 RESULTS
GRIFFITH DRAGONS 24 (Sean Dermba 2, Kyle Jones, Allen Rau, Ty McGovern tries; Dermba 2 goals) defeated GRIFFITH LOGAN REDBACKS 16 (Shaun Urquhart, Andrew Taukalo, Wade Hyland tries; Trent Shield 2 goals) at Griffith Nathan Campus.
UQ HOUNDS 21 (Chris Hansen 2, Mitchell McPherson tries; Mitchell Wells 4 goals, Hansen field goal) defeated ACU 20 (Declan Morrissy 2, Sam Knight, Ikaika Fa’aso tries; Faa’aso 2 goals) at UQ St Lucia Campus.
GRIFFITH GOLD COAST PANTHERS 24 (Matthew Currie, Neilish Maharaj, Cody Feltham, Ben Parker, Ted Anson tries) defeated QUT Trouts 18 (Tahnae McDowell, Jack Hine, Tom Packer, Owen William tries; McDowell goal) at Owen Park, Southport.
Universities Rugby League Queensland Ladder
20 points – Griffith Dragons (+102), UQ Hounds (+95)
16 points – ACU (-17), Griffith GC Panthers (-60)
12 points – Griffith Logan Redbacks (-32), QUT Trouts (-88)
