The StoreLocal Hospital Cup regular season came to a close over the weekend, with the top four locked in for semi-finals. Let’s see how Round 18 played out.
For the second week in-a-row, Sunnybank have suffered a significant loss, with Brothers outscoring the home-side eight-tries-to-four.
Reds Number 8 Harry Wilson crossed for a double, while Tayler Adams slotted six conversions and scored a try of his own to amass 17-individual-points.
Backrowers Jonte Connolly and Nick Cross were impressive with the ball-in-hand, putting each other in gaps which led to Connolly scoring the opening try of the match, while young scrumhalf Louis Werchon was impressive in his first Premier Grade start.
Evergreen centre Rex Tapuai was busy for Sunnybank, proving he can still compete with the best in business, while Rohan Saifoloi was industrious at flyhalf in his first game against his old club.
Mosiah Christian scored the try of the game in the 62nd minute, securing the impressive win for the Brethren.
The win locked Brothers into third place on the ladder, while Sunnybank have done enough to stay ahead of Souths and Norths, finishing the season in seventh on the ladder.
Wests maintained their spot on top of the Hospital Cup ladder, with a 27-10 win over Souths in Round 18.
Wests outscored Souths five-tries-to-one, but the Magpies made the minor premiers work for the win.
Souths were first to open the scoring, with Lachy Stewart slotting a penalty in the 14th minute, before Jordan Uelese scored the first try of the match in the 18th minute. Carter Gordon slotted the conversion to give Wests a 7-3 lead.
Angleo Smith crossed for the Bulldogs second to give the home-side a 12-3 lead heading into the break.
Souths would hold Wests out until the 56th minute, before Ben Navosailagi scored back-to-back tries. Hooker Ethan Dobbins scored arguably the try of the weekend in the 76th minute, collecting a cross-field kick to dot down in the corner.
Harry McMahon scored Souths’ one-and-only try in the 78th minute, which Stewart converted, to narrow the margin to 27-10.
The Red Heavies sent a message to the rest of the top four on the weekend, posting a commanding 47-17 win over GPS at Yoku Road, claiming the Halley Appleby Memorial Trophy for 2022 in the process.
The Students outscored GPS seven-tries-to-three, with Kye Oates scoring a double.
The Reds trio of Kalani Thomas, Mac Grealy and Jock Campbell were impressive, linking to score twice in the opening 13 minutes.
GPS were on the board in 16th minute through Ratu Vio, but UQ returned to the other side of the field and Oates crossed for his double to give the visitors a 33-5 lead heading into the break.
Fred Keil opened the scoring in the second half, before Thomas dove over to further extend the Red Heavies lead.
A brilliant run from Chris Kuridrani in the 60th minute lead to Mitch Trelevean’s try, but the effort was too late with the Red Heavies claiming the 47-17 win.
The match wasn’t without cost for the Red Heavies, with Josh Nasser sustaining a nasty dislocated ankle which will see him spend another long stint on the sidelines.
The Bull Sharks finished their season on a high, posting a convincing 41-19 win over Easts at the Canal.
The home-side outscored Easts six-tries-to-three, with Hamish Roberts crossing for a brace of tries and slotting four conversions to amass 18-individual-points.
Roberts opened the scoring off a cross field kick from Hayden Sargeant, before Spencer Jeans caught the Tigers defence napping off a scrum on their own line in the 20th minute.
Roberts beat two defenders to score his second, before a rolling maul saw George Blake dot down in the 35th minute. Roberts converted and slotted a further penalty before the half-time break to give his side a 27-nil lead.
Asiata scored the first of his tries in the 49th minute off a rolling maul. JP Tominiko then burrowed over from close range, which Eli Pilz converted, to narrow the margin to 27-12.
Asiata scored off a rolling maul again in the 58th minute, Pilz again slotting the conversion to put Easts within reach of Bond, 27-19.
Bond clicked back into gear and Angus Blyth scored in the 72nd minute, before Joseva Tamani dotted down in 75th minute to secure the win.
The win saw Bond and Easts swap places on the ladder, with Bond finishing in fifth and Easts in sixth.
