The Burleigh Bears will enter their bye week fresh off a convincing 22-18 victory against the Norths Devils at home.
After a close first half, the Bears were up 12-8 after Jordan Lipp failed to convert either of the Devils' two tries.
After a crash play saw Justin Makirere boulder his way over the tryline, the Devils regained the lead early in the second half.
However, the final quarter of the match belonged to the Bears, as halfback Guy Hamilton took control of the match.
After first setting up a line break which led to a Blake Scott try, Hamilton would then engage the line, creating space for a hard running Adam Christensen to sprint away for his second try of the day.
A late try to Devils stalwart Jack Ahearn would reduce the margin to four, which is how it would remain come the full-time whistle.
As the Bears mount a minor premiership charge, the Mackay Cutters have well and truly launched their top 8 charge, with a monstrous 54-14 victory over the Sunshine Coast Falcons at BB Print Stadium.
In the first half alone, the Cutters put 36 points on their opposition, with winger Luke Pietzner securing a hat-trick in only 23 minutes.
Pietzner would finish with four tries on the day, as fullback Raydan Burns secured a hat-trick of try assists to go along with his two tries.
In five weeks, the Mackay Cutters have gone from 12th place with a points differential of -67, to now sitting in 7th place with a points differential of +15.
Only one point behind the Cutters sit the Brisbane Tigers, who pulled off a miracle in the final minutes to secure a vital 34-30 win over the Souths Logan Magpies at Davies Park.
Following an early period of Magpies dominance, the Brisbane Tigers would bounce back from a 12-nil deficit to enter the sheds at halftime tied at 18 apiece.
The second half began in similar fashion, with tries to Phranklyn Mano-Le-Mamea and Byron Johnson giving the Magpies a 30-24 lead with fifteen minutes left in the match.
However, with the match in the balance, interchange player Tom Rafter would take the moment with both hands.
First scoring a try in the 73rd minute, Rafter would pull off the biggest play of the match in the final minute.
With one minute remaining in the match, the Tigers would lose possession on the Magpies’ goal line.
With the game seemingly secured for the Magpies, Rafter would rip the ball from Kienan Tempest, holding on to the loose ball and giving his side one more shot at victory.
The Tigers would capitalise on the chance provided to them by Rafter, as a quick ball from dummy-half sent second rower Asher O’Donnell crashing over for the game sealing points.
The Ipswich Jets also secured victory with 34 points, though in a much more one-sided affair, defeating the Central Queensland Capras 34-12 at North Ipswich Reserve.
Despite a somewhat close first half, the Jets would runaway with victory in the final 40 minutes.
The duo of Alofiana Khan-Pereira and Jaylan De Groot were able to show off their breakneck speed to a home crowd, with both players pulling off runaway tries.
Khan-Pereira has been tearing up the Hostplus Cup since his return in Round 15, already sitting in the top 50 try scorers for the season, scoring five tries in two matches.
His other Titans teammates in Arama Hau and Josh Patson also had a day out, with the two edges combining for three line breaks, 289 metres and 14 tackle breaks.
The Jets now sit in fifth place, only one competition point behind the Burleigh Bears.
The PNG Hunters have snapped their three-game losing streak, upsetting the Townsville Blackhawks 34-16 at Santos National Football Stadium.
After conceding 104 points in their last three games, the Hunters returned from their bye week seemingly rejuvenated, as they overwhelmed the league leading Blackhawks.
Overcoming an early 12-nil deficit, the Hunters first struck through their prodigal son Judah Rimbu, before club debutant Khaiya Waiembi scored a brilliant try to level the match.
Taking a 16-12 lead into the second half, the Hunters would continue applying pressure, as a stellar solo effort from Douglas David would set up a try for Gairo Voro to open the second half.
From there, Sanny Wabo would score a late double, as the lead proved unassailable for the Blackhawks, who leave Port Moresby with two consecutive defeats.
The final match of Round 16 saw the Tweed Seagulls hand the home Western Clydesdales a devastating 42-12 defeat.
Seagulls’ five-eighth Lindon McGrady continues to age like a fine Bordeaux, converting all seven of his side’s tries in addition to making two line breaks and assisting two tries.
On the opposite end of the age spectrum, 19-year-old Cooper Bai continues to impress in a new level of competition, this week running for 167 metres and scoring yet another try.
The young Tweed brigade as a whole performed superbly, with Zane Harrison and Sam Stephenson both crossing for tries in a day out for the Seagulls.
Currently sitting in 13th position, the Tweed Seagulls can’t afford another loss if they are to secure a finals berth in 2025.
ROUND 16 RESULTS
SATURDAY 5 JULY
Burleigh Bears 22 def Norths Devils 18 at UAA Park, Gold Coast
Mackay Cutters 54 def Sunshine Coast Falcons 14 at BB Print Stadium, Mackay
SUNDAY 6 JULY
Brisbane Tigers 34 def Souths Logan Magpies 30 at Davies Park, Brisbane
Ipswich Jets 34 def Central Queensland Capras 12 at North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich
PNG Hunters 34 def Townsville Blackhawks 16 at Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
Tweed Seagulls 42 def Western Clydesdales 12 at Toowoomba Sports Ground, Toowoomba
