Finals are here and while it may not be September just yet, for the Mal Meninga Cup April and May mean just the same - a chance to write their name in glory.
David Fifita, Blake Mozer, Deine Mariner, Jye Gray, Reece Walsh and Xavier Coates have all been to this stage of the season and the class of 2025 now have their chance.
Tweed Seagulls and Redcliffe Dolphins have the week off which leaves Burleigh Bears to play Souths Logan Magpies and Mackay Cutters to play Norths Devils.
The Bears are on the hunt to make up for their disappointing finals campaign last year when they looked in as good a position as you could be beating Wynnum 34-20 and Redcliffe 42-10 before falling just short in the Grand Final against Tweed.
Revenge will be on the mind of these Bears.
The Bears got to play the Brisbane Tigers last week in a tune-up match, they blew the Tigers away 30-6 with Bailey Trew scoring two tries in the first six minutes.
Once the Tigers wised up to the danger of Trew it was then over to Disharne Tonihi in his first game in a month, to score his double.
Tonihi finished with a game high 166 metres for the Bears.
That’s the danger of the Bears, the strike can come from either side at any time.
This finals series has some class at number 9 with Hayden Watson for the Bears being important to everything they do.
The Magpies got to do some work last weekend as well and dealt with the Clydesdales 44-12.
The Magpies fly under the radar but that won’t bother them, they haven’t made the Finals of the Mal Meninga Cup since they won the competition in 2022.
The Magpies have a simple formula that will be well tried and tested in finals.
Massive, hardworking forwards and prolific outside backs.
Xzavier Timoteo is at the heart of the massive hard-working forwards.
He was suspended earlier in the season, so he is still finding his way but his seven games this year have been quality.
After Timoteo has created confusion and pain then it will be over to David Bryenton to bring the speed and attacking arrows that pierce a side.
Bryenton will have three targets in mind when he runs with the ball, his fullback Siosaia Poese who made 190 metres against the Clydesdales and two-line breaks and his centres, Joseph Tupuse and Finn Kendall.
Tupuse has six tries in six games and Kendall has five in nine games. Poese has eight in nine games.
The Mackay Cutters made the finals last year but got beaten by the Jets 38-32.
Now they’re back again and only time will tell if they've learnt from past failures.
Mackay is in a good junior position in the State Wide Competitions at the moment, making the Mal Meninga Cup finals as well as the Cyril Connell Cup Grand Final.
When the Cutters last played it was a 24-16 win over the Clydesdales with Jack Thornburn leading the Cutters from the edge.
Cutters hooker Ryan John will love the challenge of facing off against his opposite number, with Lachlan McCall possessing the same penchant for a dummy-half sneak try.
John has scored three tries this year.
The Devils will be aiming to do just that and add the detail later.
Norths gave the Dolphins too much of a lead last week and couldn’t run them down despite them giving it a real shake.
Two tries in the final three minutes will give the Devils hope if they come across their North Brisbane mates again in the next fortnight.
To be 10-6 up at half time to conceding three tries unanswered, is not something which will fly in a finals series, and the Devils will be well aware of that fact.
It was through Charlie Dickson that the comeback both started and finished.
It was their crafty hooker Lachlan Mccall that put Dickson over for a try that started the comeback.
Dickson’s play the ball speed is a work of art and should be hanging in the National Art Gallery.
The lock forward gets tot his front and allows everyone else to go from there.
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