It’s finals time in Queensland Premier Rugby, with Brothers, UQ, Easts and Wests finishing in the top-four in the Colts 1 competition.
The Brethren finished as minor premiers, setting up a minor semi-final clash with UQ who ended the regular season just one-point adrift of the butcher’s stripes in second spot.
The sides split their two clashes one-apiece during the regular season, with Uni claiming a 29-19 victory in their last meeting in Round 14.
Brothers lock Hamish Muller said his side will be looking to lay a platform in the forwards pack to release the Brethren’s dangerous backline.
“Forward wise, we have to win the set-piece, get the ball to backs and allow them to play,” Muller said.
“If we give our backs the opportunity to play, they open up defences.
“It’s a big opportunity for us to showcase our structure, showcase how we play and we’re looking forward to it.”
Harry Grant will lead Brothers in the number-10 jersey, going head-to-head with UQ playmaker Tom Lynagh.
Jake Tierney, Fergus Nasser and Michael Van Der Schyff provide muscle in the pack for the Heavies, while the likes of Cooper Bridgeman and Leo McCarthy will be key for Brothers in the forwards.
“It’s a big game, semi-final, winner goes straight through to the Grand Final,” Muller said.
“We have to play our structure. We did that in the first nine rounds which showed in the results. If we do that, we should be fine.”
In the minor semi-final, Easts take on Wests at Sylvan Road, with the Bulldogs having the unusual advantage of a home crowd for a finals match.
Both sides finished on equal points and claimed a win each in their two meetings this year, meaning this one should be a tight affair at Toowong.
Skipper Alec Robinson and destructive centre Lebron Naea shape as key factors for the Bulldogs, while Taj Annan, Jarrod Homan, George Stoddart and Taine Roiri have been standouts for the Tigers.
