TGS skipper in top squad
RUGBY: It may have been a sprint, not a marathon, but there was still enough GPS First XV rugby played in term 3 to work out who was who in the zoo.
Five matches were possible – two at the start and three at the end – after a COVID-19 lockdown tore the middle part of the season away from us.
As a result the GPS association could not proceed with official premiership winners, but no one will argue that St Joseph’s Nudgee College were not the best side, particularly after beating The Southport School.
In those five matches we were able to gauge a player pecking order and have come up with this group as a team of 2021.
Toowoomba Grammar skipper Charlie Wigan was a standout for the Tigers during the shortened.
Wigan, who signed off his O’Callaghan Cup career by scoring a try with his last touch of the ball, earned a spot on the bench.
Fullback Jye Grey (TSS) Diminutive fullback who has speed to burn. He is a footballer first, don’t worry, who can ball play and read the play, but his best quality is his pace.
Wing Oska Boyd (Nudgee)
Boyd started the season with three tries and never lost a beat. More than anyone Boyd seemed to enjoy the First XV experience and was like a child in a lolly shop at match end, smiling broadly to his mates.
Outside centre Rob Toia (Nudgee)
Toia was the No. 1 back in the GPS First XV this season. An outside centre, there were times when he was like a man playing among the boys.
Inside centre Campbell Watchirs (Brisbane Grammar School)
Watchirs was like a train crossing guard from yesteryear, steadfastly swinging a lantern making sure it was safe for his mates to cross. He led BGS’s recovery from a round 1, 70 point mauling against TSS and was consistently in Grammar’s top three players across the five games.
Wing Blake Raymond (TSS)
It was a toss of the coin for the remaining wing position between Raymond and his teammate Jack Denson, with Denson named on the bench.
Fly-half Syris Schmidt (TSS)
Schmidt was both a tactical kicking genius and attacking ace who could set his backline alight or damage the opposition’s defensive line with his own incursions.
Halfback Brayden O’Sullivan (IGS)
The leadership skills of the Ipswich Grammar School No. 9 came to the fore across the season, while also using his skills to help his teammates milk metres from the opposition with quick, timely passing.
No. 8 PJ Su’a (Terrace) Su’a started the season like a runaway road train and finished the season the same way – by challenging the massive TSS pack with fearless, effective charges. Flanker Zac Hough (BBC) Hough played just one and a half matches but who would argue that he was not the best open side flanker in the competition? He evokes memories of a young Jeff Miller, David Wilson or David Croft – all of whom were champion open side breakaways for Queensland.
Flanker Joe Liddy (Terrace)
The hotly contested second flanker could have gone to five or six suitors, but we went for Terrace skipper Liddy whose leadership, work rate and courage to put his body where angels would fear to tread won him the role – but not by much.
Lock Stuart Tualima (BSHS)
Tualima was multi-talented lock who plays with the vigour of a tight forward and the mobility of a loose forward – he is really one and a half players in one.
Lock Daniel Maiava (Nudgee)
Maiava was the best lock, and arguably the best forward in the competition. He is a modern day marvel who bounds around the field like a loose forward while fulfilling his tight forward responsibilities. This bloke is a top gun. The front row Macarius Pereira, Oahu Davey-Phillips, Natiana Winikerei (all Nudgee)
If like lined up TSS prop pair Carson Patu and Massimo de Lutiis as individuals, you’d pick them over Pereira and Winikerei on the strength of their pace, power running and ball skills.
But as a front row unit Pereira, Winikerei and their hooker Oahu Davey-Phillips were the unsurpassed, juggling scrums with damaging go forward, ball skills and astute mauling off attacking lineouts. Nudgee’s entire, impressive game started in the engine room and the trio were simply terrific.
RESERVES: Carson Patu (TSS)
A more promising front rower you’d rarely see in a day’s march. This bloke has everything.
Massimo de Lutiis (TSS) Only his front row partner Patu surpasses de Lutiis as the most thrilling front row talent in the competition.
Charlie Wigan (TGS) Wigan wins the reserve hooking position narrowly from Churchie’s Max Craig after being a model of consistency for Toowoomba Grammar School
Jock MacPherson (Churchie)
MacPherson is the No. 8 and lock cover. Churchie’s resurgence this season had much to do with the ball winning and go forward of McPherson.
Will Sullivan (IGS)
As strong as an ox with a burning desire to win one-onone battles, flanker Sullivan was a tower of strength for IGS.
Nudgee player Byron Smith. Picture, John Gass
Nudgee player Byron Smith. Picture, John Gass Byron Smith (Nudgee) Smith was the model flyhalf, a perfect link between his backs and forwards while also possessing a killer tactical kicking game.
Kaleb Ngamanu (TSS) Ngamanu was the complete inside centre whose power running gave TSS a platform to work off while also contributing to one of the most lethal back divisions in the competition.
Jack Denson (TSS winger)
The try-scoring winger missed the starting side on the toss of a coin but deservedly finds a place as outside back cover.
Blake Davis (BBC)
Davis was BBC’s Mr Consistency in an evolving side, a dependable fullback who shone in good times and in bad.