Statewide score wrap: Wests prowl on the rest

The West Mackay Tigers roared home to victory in their top of the table blockbuster against Townsville Brothers, earning them the minor premiership as the tropical city's A Grade competition heads into finals.

The going won't get any easier for last year's grand finalists, as they are faced with a re-match against the Brethren, who will be hungry to avenge the loss of top spot to the men in orange.

There's only a few weeks left of the three southeast Queensland competitions, with the hotly-contested A Grade competitions going down to the wire as teams battle it out for all-important finals spots at the pointy end of the season.

In North Queensland, the Lightning Challenge wrapped up in Cairns at the weekend with the Northern Pride Reef Kings crowned champions of the one-off spectacle; meanwhile, Wanderers and Townies will battle it out for the ultimate prize in Mount Isa on Saturday.

In Safe Hands Cup - Brisbane

There was plenty of interest at Emerson Park as two proud Brisbane clubs faced off in a high-scoring, tough tussle.

At the end of 80 minutes, it was the Valleys Diehards who were able to grind out West Brisbane with a gritty display by the ladder-leaders.

The affair also saw Jayden Corrigan reach double digits, leading the top try-scorer's tally, thanks to another double at fullback.

It was another day, another win for Wynnum as Matt Milson, Junior Pauga and Rahkeem Auda all troubled the scorers twice each in their 58-10 demolition of Normanby.

In the battle between the two Easts affiliates, Carina ascertained the three competition points against Bulimba for the second time this year, with the Tigers sharing the tries among eight different players.

And on Brisbane's north side, Pine Rivers took back fifth-spot from Brighton, downing the Roosters 44-28.

Round 8 results

Wynnum Manly Seagulls 58 defeated Normanby Hounds 10
Valleys Diehards 38 defeated West Brisbane Panthers 28
Carina Tigers 43 defeated Bulimba Bulldogs 16
Pine Rivers Bears 44 defeated Brighton Roosters 28

Round 8 ladder

QTOP A Grade Premiership - Gold Coast

This year's QTOP Cup is full of intrigue... in a week where many thought Burleigh would bounce back, it wasn't to be, with Runaway Bay keeping the Bears in their cage with a 13-6 win to remain undefeated.

The top-of-the-table clash was a fiery one as Runaway Bay scored the opening two tries in the brutal affair.

It wasn't until late in the match that Burleigh scored their only points of the match through Shawn Anderson, but Guy Hamilton added the cherries on top with a field goal to secure victory and remain on top of the ladder with three rounds to play.

In other matches, a Joshua Bukowski treble and two more tries to Will Brimson allowed Mudgeeraba to easily crawl over Currumbin, 38-14; and Ormeau recorded their first win of the season with a 24-16 triumph over Southport.

Round 7 results

Mudgeeraba Redbacks 38 defeated Currumbin Eagles 14
Ormeau Shearers 24 defeated Southport Tigers 16
Runaway Bay Seagulls 13 defeated Burleigh Bears 6
Tugun Seahawks - Bye

Round 7 ladder

Volunteers Cup - Ipswich

In a cracking final match of the round, the Norths Tigers starred in a thrilling come-from-behind victory to upset and inflict the first loss of the season upon competition heavyweights, Goodna Eagles.

Flying 24-6 just before the break, that's the moment in time when Goodna's points dried up and the Tigers began roaring, starting with a try from Tonga Mounga.

Norths' relentless defence in the second half is what won them the game, forcing the Eagles to make a number of uncharacteristic errors, allowing the home side to capitalise.

Earlier, Valleys put their foot down in the second 40 to get a 36-14 win over neighbours Souths, and a Jessie Zampech hat-trick was the headline act in West End's 54-14 thrashing of Gatton.

A big win like this was brewing for the Bulldogs, being ahead or behind by eight or less points at full-time each round, but the Dogs really made a statement, crediting their win to their ball control.

With only three weeks left of the hard-fought competition, every win counts for a spot in the top four.

Round 7 results

Valleys Roosters 36 defeated Souths Tigers 14
West End Bulldogs 54 defeated Gatton Hawks 14
Norths Tigers 28 defeated Goodna Eagles 24

Round 7 ladder

Components Only Cup - Mackay A Grade

After a short, but sweet seven round home-and-away season, it's finals time in the tropical north.

The match of the season certainly lived up to expectation with a top-of-the-table clash between the two undefeated heavyweights, West Mackay and Townsville Brothers going down to the wire.

Down 14-6 at half-time, the Tigers fought back at home, scoring to put themselves only two points behind with 25 minutes to go, and then with 15 to go, the Tigers struck again underneath the posts to eventually secure the minor premiership with an 18-14 victory.

The clash was a matinee for what's to come this weekend, with the two to square off once again for the first spot in this year's grand final.

It was an agonising wait for Mackay Brothers who were reliant on other results whilst serving the bye, and they sadly watched their finals hopes slip away when the Souths Sharks and Carltons Devils both dispatched their opponents by a considerable margin.

It was an impressive display by both the Sharks and Devils who have hit their straps at the right time of the year, but now face each other in a do-or-die knockout this weekend.

A special mention must go to Townsville Norths, who made the commitment to travel and compete in the Mackay competition in 2020. Even though they didn't manage to chalk up a win, they kept teams honest and will benefit from the season leading into the resumption of next year's Townsville A Grade competition.

Round 7 results

Souths Sharks 62 defeated Norths Devils 0
West Mackay Tigers 18 defeated Townsville Brothers 14
Carltons Devils 52 defeated Mackay Magpies 6
Mackay Brothers - Bye

Round 7 ladder

Mackay Airport Cup - Mackay Women

Mackay Brothers are firming to go back-to-back this season after finishing the regular season undefeated.

They'll face the Magpies, who lost both matches against the Brethren this season; however, finals are a completely different ball game - as many would know.

In the knockout semi-final, Townsville Brothers will face off against West Mackay for the second week in a row after beating them comprehensively 28-4 at the weekend.

Round 7 results

Townsville Brothers 28 defeated West Mackay Tigers 4
Mackay Brothers 48 defeated Norths Devils 0
Mackay Magpies - Bye

Round 7 ladder

Mount Isa A Grade Premiership

Results pending.

Lightning Challenge - Cairns A Grade

The final round of the Lightning Challenge kicked off in Tully on Saturday, with the Northern Pride Reef Kings taking home the title, remaining undefeated across the six-week competition.

The challenge was a once-off competition between the Cairns District Rugby League and Northern Pride to promote and offer game time for players during the disjointed 2020 season and allowed players to state their case for potentially Pride selection in next year's Intrust Super Cup season.

Round 6 results

Northern Pride Giants 28 defeated Cairns Brothers 22
Northern Pride Reef Kings 46 defeated Tully Tigers 18

Final ladder