SAINTS RISE UP
TOUCH: Saints capped off a stellar year in style at the weekend.
With teams competing in seven of Toowoomba Touch Football’s eight grand titles – Saints secured the A-grade men’s title alongside the A, B and C-grade women’s titles.
Saints clash with Rebels Hurricanes was a thrilling affair with 17 touchdowns scored in the Agrade men’s clash.
A composed Saints outfit fought back from a 2-0 half-time deficit to secure a 9-8 win over their rivals.
Sam Carmody (Saints) and Cody Green (Rebels) led the charge once again, playing key hands in their team’s attacking raids.
Carmody scored a hat-trick in his side’s win while Green went one better – scoring four and setting up other several team-mates.
Saints broke a 7-7 deadlock late in the game to set up their premiership win.
“We’ve had the nucleus of our men’s team for probably five or six years now,” Saints club president Geoff Ryan said.
“The big thing about this team is when they go out there they play for each other and never give up. Coming back from 2-0 against a very talented Rebels side is proof of that.”
In the women’s A-grade competition Saints edged out minor premiers Roosters 7-4.
Ryan said the team took great confidence into the game after a win over Roosters in the final round of the regular season.
“It was the first time they beat Roosters all season,” he said.
“They (Roosters) didn’t have all their players for that game but we took a lot of confidence away from the game.
“It was a great result for the team after what hasn’t been the easiest season. We’ve had a lot of players unavailable due to NRL Touch and rugby commitments but they came together when it counted.”
Jada Ferguson, who crossed for two tries against her former club, and Shenae Ciesiolka were Saints’ best.
Ryan attributed Saints’ big season to the mentality and culture present at all levels in the club.
“It’s been a good year for the club with more than 180 players on board,” Ryan said.
“Culture is something we’ve always pride ourselves on – it’s something we’ve always built.
“You see examples of it in all our teams. Sam Carmody has been a staple at the club for some time and his dad played for a number of years. Lachie Watt has been a standout this year and his grandfather was one of our first presidents.
“In the women’s A-grade Kellie Ryan plays alongside her daughter Chloe – that culture is a big part of our success.”