1. NORTHS IN YOUR SHORTSNorths registered their second victory of their season over the weekend with an upset 47-13 win over the Tigers at Hugh Courtney Oval.
After holding a narrow one-point lead early in the second-half, the Eagles attack kicked into gear in the second stanza and laid on 33 unanswered points to shock Easts in front of the Shaw Road faithful.
St.George Queensland Reds playmakers Matt McGahan and Duncan Paia’aua starred for the side, with Paia’aua crossing for a brace and McGahan setting up two tries, scoring one and slotting five conversions for a personal tally of 15-points.
Winger Versa Mataitini also continued his strong form, finding the line twice from long range as the Eagles fired on all cylinders.
The Tigers had the chance to leap into the top four with a win in Round 7, however with skipper Matt Gordon, Rhys van Nek, Seru Uru and Landon Hayes missing for the side, they were no match for the Eagles.
Easts return to Tigerland this weekend to host Sunnybank in the Rick Tyrrell Cup, while Norths will be full of confidence as they aim to make it two-straight when they meet with Bond University on the Gold Coast.
2. BROTHERS RUN AWAY WITH WIN NUMBER SIX
Last weekend’s bye failed to halt any of the Brethren’s momentum as they made it six victories from six games in 2019, securing a 48-20 over traditional rivals the University of Queensland in Round 7.
Things didn’t all go to plan for the men in the butcher’s stripes however, with the Students leading 20-15 after 26 minutes, before a dominant second half secured the side a 28-point win.
In front of a packed house at Crosby Park it was Reuben Wall who starred for the Brethren, with the scrumhalf’s threatening running game delivering him two tries, while new recruit Seb Wileman was also strong, scoring a try and having a hand in a number of others.
UQ will be left to question their second-half defence as the Heavies let in 33 points in the second stanza, while the improving performance of halfback Jacobus Van Eeden is one major positive for the team.
The side has a bye this weekend to recover, before they host GPS in a rematch of last year’s Grand Final in Round 9.
The win further stretched Brothers’ lead at the top of the competition ladder, while it also sets up a mouth-watering clash with the second-placed GPS this weekend at Yoku Road.
3. GALLOPERS MAKE IT FIVE ON THE TROT
GPS claimed their fifth consecutive victory in Round 7 with a 33-21 win over Sunnybank at Oldmac Oval, whilst also sporting their annual Ronald McDonald House themed charity jerseys.
The Bankers lead 14-0 early on in the clash through tries to Peter Lee and Neal McNamara, before Jeeps hit back with five tries of their own to seal a 12-point victory.
The defending premiers set piece was again a focal point of their win, while speedster Josh Collins crossed for his first try of 2019 in his second Premier Grade appearance of the year.
Sunnybank will take plenty from the contest, with the Dragons staying with the competition heavyweights for much of the game, but the side will be desperate to snap a three-game losing streak this weekend when they play Easts for the Rick Tyrell Cup at David Wilson Field this Saturday.
GPS will clash with competition-leaders Brothers at home this weekend, where they’ll look to make it six wins straight.
4. WESTS OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE
After three consecutive losses, the Bulldogs returned to the winners’ circle in Round 7 with a 13-point win over Bond University on the Gold Coast.
The sides traded tries for much of the match and Bond still had the opportunity to snatch victory after the siren, but a Jerry Lynch intercept try doused any hopes of a comeback and sealed a 40-27 victory for the Bulldogs.
Moses Sorovi made immediate impact off the bench for the Bulldogs with a pair of tries in the second-half, while Zach Moimoi also crossed for a double for the home side.
The loss further compounds the woes for the Bullsharks, who after a positive start to the season have now lost four-straight matches and are languishing in eight-place on the ladder.
Things don’t get much easier for the Gold Coasters this weekend when they travel to Shaw Road to face the red-hot Eagles, while the Bulldogs will host Souths at Sylvan Road.
5. TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH FOR ROUND 8
With both sides recording wins in Round 7, the stage has been set for a heavyweight battle this weekend between Brothers and GPS.
Brothers have won all six of their games to sit outright top of the ladder, while Jeeps have dropped just one game in 2019 to narrowly trail the Brethren in second position.
The match has been marked in Premier Rugby fans calendars for much of the season so far, and the result could go either way this weekend at Yoku Road.
GPS boast the competition’s most imposing set-piece and have dominated teams at scrum-time all year, while the young Brothers outfit have laid on a huge amount of points with some fantastic running Rugby.
The Gallopers have one major aid this weekend with home ground advantage, and their fans in the Glue Factory should be pumping come Saturday.
Both sides are competition favourites for a reason and this one should be a cracker.
