COAST SHORTLIST REVEALED

Eight nominated for 2021’s Bob Sinclair Medal

EIGHT players are in contention to take home the Gold Coast District Rugby Union’s most valuable player award, the 2021 Bob Sinclair medal.

One player from each club has been nominated by their coach as their candidate to take home Coast rugby’s top individual accolade.

The players nominated were: Lesi Semi (Colleges), Reno Gerrard (Helensvale), Tom Coombs (Nerang), Ethan Lolesio (Palm Beach Currumbin), Bradley Plant (Bond), Indiha Saotui-Huta (Surfers), Tyrell Forbes (Coomera) and Caleb Saunders (Gold Coast Eagles).

Four forwards and four backs have been nominated, including a prop for the first time since candidates were released publicly, in Colleges star Semi.

The Bob Sinclair Medal will be presented in a ceremony immediately following the grand final on September 18, hosted by Helensvale.

The Dr Rod Thomson Trophy will also be presented to the district’s captain of the year.

No nominees from the 2020 season have returned to the shortlist which means the medal will be presented to a third player in three seasons.

Colleges captain Jaye Paton was the award’s inaugural winner in 2019 while Palm Beach Currumbin scrum half Rodney Pita received the medal in 2020.

Deciding the final winner this year will be a panel of referees.

It will be the toughest vote in some time with excellent nominations from each club.

Caleb Saunders and Ethan Lolesio will not have the chance to impress judges in the final round of the regular season on Saturday because injury and the border lockdown forced the Eagles to withdraw from the season a week early.

That news was welcomed warmly in some camps as it meant the race for the competition’s leading tryscorer had all but officially been decided.

Colleges winger Blake Griffin (15 tries) will end the season as the district’s top tryscorer, after PBC winger Sai Bakata (13) was denied the opportunity to add to his tally.

Third placed Jaye Paton (12) and fourth placed Indiha Saotui-Huta (11) have not been selected to play.

Helensvale Hogs skipper Scott

Stokes took to social media this week blasting the district’s decision to play out the final round of the regular season but his side has the most to play for of any club.

If Helensvale defeat Coomera and Nerang falter against Bond, Stokes’ Hogs will advance to second on the table and earn a finals lifeline.

Whoever finishes second on the ladder will take on undefeated Colleges in the major semi-final, with the loser to play the winner of the minor semi-final.

With four weekends of rust to shake off that second chance could prove the difference between a grand final and being washed out entirely.

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