Gatton defeated Warwick 38-24 in a good display to win the Hutchison Builders A grade preliminary final at Clive Berghofer Stadium on Sunday.
The Hawks were tremendous early, leading 28-0 five minutes into the second half, but not before a scare from Warwick.
Warwick had good field position early but Gatton took advantage of a Cowboys penalty and went down inside Warwick’s end zone for the first time and Nick Short fell on a Cowboys mistake in their in-goal area to get the first points on the board after five minutes.
Gatton’s Tye Gray scored the easiest try right on Warwick’s try line when he went into dummy half after Nick Short nearly went into touch. Gray simply picked the ball up and went the blind with not much space and placed the ball down. Gatton 10-0.
In the 20th minute. Gatton’s Travis Turnbull beat three Cowboys defenders to score a good individual try - Gatton 16-0. The Hawks got the start they were looking for and they deserved the lead.
A great backline movement with a magic pass got Cameron Bundock over to score and get Gatton to a 20-0 lead, then Joel Hughes kicked the sideline conversion to make it 22-0 after 26 minutes, and it stayed that way until the break.
Gatton started where they left off in the first half as they capitalised on an early Warwick mistake for Tom Luhrmann to score after he pounced on a loose ball to dodge and weave his way from 40 metres out to score. Gatton 28-0.
Then, finally the Cowboys orchestrated a good try when Tui Oloapu (pictured below) barged over close to the posts to get Warwick on the board.
The Cowboys had a spring in their step when Ben Sullivan scored a good try off Harry Sullivan to help reduce the lead to 28-12 with 28 minutes remaining.
Over the next period, Warwick lifted again in intensity and were rewarded when Caleb Murphy strolled over out wide and he kicked his own conversion to make it a 10-point ball game.
Warwick got right back into the match with their fourth try when Oloapu gave a wonderful offload to Ben Sullivan, who darted towards the Gatton posts only to offload to Oloapu to score beside the posts and it was suddenly 28-24.
It was an amazing stage of the game. Warwick were very good in their execution and really had a crack. But Gatton dug deep and realised that they needed to perform to win this match.
The try of the match came 10 minutes from time when Gatton’s Leonard Thomas made a break from his 40m line and linked with Nick Short, who sent Tye Gray over for a try out wide, taking it to 32-24.
The last period of play had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Tom Luhrmann scooted on the last tackle in the 77th minute, ultimately finding Shannon Hicks, who sealed the win and the Hawks hung on.
Gatton 38 (Nick Short 2, Tye Gray, Travis Turnbull, Cameron Bundock, Shannon Hicks, Tom Luhrman tries; Leonard Thomas 4, Joel Hughes goals) defeated Warwick 24 (Tui Oloapu 2, Ben Sullivan, Caleb Murphy tries; Caleb Murphy 4 goals)
Open Women
The Highfields Eagles will play Gatton in this year’s Toowoomba Sports Club Women’s grand final after they defeated Valleys 28-6 in Sunday’s preliminary final.
Lucy Davis ran 40m to get the Eagles on the board early, before fullback of the year Morgan Prentice beat two Valleys players close to the line to take Highfields to a 12-0 lead.
Davis scored her second try in the 20th minute, finishing off a good backline move for Highfields. Valleys settled but came up empty before the half time break, with the score 16-0 to the Eagles.
Valleys started the second stanza better when Taylor Fenton set up her side for Mikeely Scott to scramble over 10m in from the western touchline. Zoe Cook kicked a lovely conversion to make it 16-6 after 35 minutes.
Then the try of the match came when Eagles prop Courtney Jackson (pictured) showed plenty of pace to run 70m and score under the posts, taking it to 22-6.
Jayla Sefo-Wallace bounced on a loose ball in Valleys in goal to seal the result.
Both sides played well but Highfields’ completion rate throughout the match saw then win the match and they now set up a tremendous grand final match against Gatton.
If last week’s game - a golden point field goal thriller - is any indication, the grsand final will be a game for the ages.
Highfields 28 (Lucy Davis 2, Morgan Prentice, Courtney Jackson, Jayla Sefo Wallace tries; Abbey Markey 4 goals) defeated Valleys 6 (Mikeely Scott tries Zoe Cook goal)
Reserve grade
The Valleys reserve grade team gets to join their A grade side on grand final day after defeating Wattles 28-10 in Sunday’s preliminary final.
Curtly Hammond scored early after a Jaren Bender chip kick to get Valleys on the board 4-0.
The game settled down with Wattles scored in the 29th minute when Brayden Wilson barged over for the warriors. A great sideline conversion from TRL reserve grade player of year Tom Morris got his side in front 6-4 and that was the score at half time.
Roosters’ Uraia Korol scored the try of the match with a wonderful individual 80m try in 40th minute to put his side in front 10-6.
The game grinded away and then Valleys second rower Jake Lawry scored the first of his two tries to get the Roosters further in front 16-6 after 50 minutes
Hammond, who played very well, grabbed his second try with 10 minutes remaining, then Lawry scored to give Valleys an unassailable lead 28-10, giving the side a chance to defend their 2023 premiership.
Valleys 28 (Curtly Hammond 2, Jake Lawry 2, Uraia Korol tries; Jaren Bender 4 goals) Wattles 10 (Braydon Wilson Jordan Henry tries; Tom Morris goal)
Under 19s
Souths have qualified for the 2024 grand final with a nail biting 22-20 win over Valleys at Clive Berghofer Stadium on Sunday morning.
Souths started the better, pressuring Valleys line, but the Roosters' defence held.
Then in the eighth minute, Valleys’ Oscar Kelly intercepted a Souths pass to sprint 95m to score the first points of the match.
Valleys finally had some possession and had time in Souths end zone, but the Tigers held on.
Souths returned to Valleys' end with some great metreage from front rower Matt Simpkin. In the 25th minute, Tigers five eight Jake Durie slipped a clever pass to Jett Day for Souths to put their first points on the board.
The Tigers hit the lead with six minutes remaining until half-time when Patrick Sanderson ran into gap from 10m out to score out wide.
Tait Cameron’s sideline conversion attempt unfortunately hit the post, but Souths had the lead 8-6.
Then in the next period of play, front rower Jack Fogarty barged over 15m to the left of the upright to stretch the Tigers lead to 14-6 at half time.
Valleys had the lion share of possession early in the second half and Roosters second rower Thomas Fenwick ran a great line to score untouched to get Valleys within two.
Valleys kept the pressure on when the Tigers handed Valleys possession from kick off and the Roosters again found themselves in Souths' red zone, but again they held firm.
In the 54th minute, Valleys’ Riccardo Burns swooped on a loose ball and ran 60m only for Tigers' Darnell Blades to mow him down 20m out.
Then some good lead up metreage from Andrew Uprichard-Green set up his captain Jack Stenzel up to grab a very important try with 13 minutes left for the Roosters to regain the lead 18-14. A penalty goal with 10 minutes to go put Valleys further in front 20-14.
From the restart, Valleys made a rare second half mistake to gift Souths possession and field position.
It had been a while since they were in Roosters half, but it was the opportunity they needed, with elimination final hero Jack Durie barging over 12m in from the western touchline to get Souths back in the match, leaving Tait Cameron to slot an important conversion to level the scores with seven minutes remaining.
Both teams threw everything at each other. A 66th minute penalty saw Tait Cameron convert for Souths to snatch back the lead 22-20.
Souths had most of the possession in the last period of the game, but Valleys defence made them earn their win and a 2024 grand final berth against Dalby.
Souths 22 (Jett Day, Patrick Sanderson, Jack Fogerty, Jake Durie tries; Tait Cameron 3 goals) defeated Valleys 20 (Oscar Kelly, Thomas Fenwick, Jack Stenzel tries; Aston Fortier 3, Will Holley goals)
