TITLE RETURNS TO BOAR TOWN
FIVE STAR ARMSTRONG LIFTS GOONDIWINDI HOME
RUGBY LEAGUE: Goondiwindi is a town of champions once again.
The Boars ended their 16year TRL Premiership drought with a 26-20 defeat of Highfields at Toowoomba Sports Ground.
Goondiwindi was near flawless in a dominant first half that saw them open up a 26-8 lead at the break.
They scored with in their first set of six, with a masterful piece of play between a charging Travis Waddell linking inside with David Armstrong, who raced 45m to score.
Highfields immediately hit back through Campbell Stewart after they regained possession from the kick-off.
It was Goondiwindi’s turn to re-take possession from a kick-off, with Glenn McGrady scoring from the ensuing set to keep the points flowing early.
Armstrong added a second, before the moment of the half.
A pinpoint kick from David McGrady landed right on the tryline, with a flying Armstrong able to outleap Blake Appo to land his hat-trick and a big lead at the break for the Boars.
Highfields was able to hit back with two second half tries to set up a grandstand finish, but the Boars held their nerve to take the TRL title back to Goondiwindi.
“It means the world to me,” David McGrady told TRL Media.
“To win this for the home town is unbelievable. The team this year is unbelievable. There’s no standouts, we work together as a team.”
UGLY INCIDENT OVERSHADOWS HAWKS
WIN
Gatton overcame adversity to claim a 32-18 victory over Wattles in the reserve grade final.
The Warriors struck first with Jordan Henry barging his way over, but Gatton was able to settle and take a lead into halftime.
They were forced to play the second half with 12 men after Paul Iopu was sent from the field, but held off a late Wattles charge to earn their place in the winner’s circle.
“Wattles are a tough side and they play for one another,” Gatton coach Mark Swan told TRL Media.
“We rallied together. Towards the end we played basic footy and ended up running away with it.”
GATTON WOMEN EARN PLACE IN HISTORY
Gatton will go down as the
first ever TRL women’s champions after an entertaining 30-10 win over Warwick.
It looked like it would be a walk in the park early for the Hawks as they raced out to a 14-0 lead at the break.
The Cowboys refused to surrender however, and some strong play saw them work their way back to 14-10 and the game was well and truly on.
Enter Courtney-Lee Nolan, with the crafty dummy half sliding her way over from close range for her second try of the afternoon to wrestle momentum back for the Hawks.
She added a third in the closing stages to cap off a worthy player of the match knock.
“It takes a whole team to win a grand final,” Nolan told TRL Media.
“We did it all for each other and we all deserved the win.” Winning coach Dom Haak praised the resurgence of his side.
“I know how far some of these girls have come,” Haak said.
“To see some of the shots they were putting on, it’s a full credit to them.”
DALBY COMEBACK DENIES HIGHFIELDS
Dalby has claimed a thrilling U18s Toowoomba Rugby League title.
The Diehards finished too strong in the second half to record a 22-14 victory over Highfields.
An intense opening quarter saw both teams engaged in a hard-fought battle in the middle, until Highfields drew first blood in the 23rd minute with Zac Brown scoring off the back of a Ryan Gill 40-20 kick.
A pair of Dalby tries, inDunrobin cluding a breakaway effort from Alexander Lindsay, saw the Diehards lead 10-8 at halftime.
Highfields again took the lead with Brown crossing for his second of the afternoon, but from that point on it was all Dalby.
Dylan Nobbs spun his way out of a tackle off the back of a Keanu Wright-Dunrobin break to put the Diehards back in front, before Wrightsealed the victory with a try in the corner five minutes from time.
It gives an insight into the promising future for the club, with Dalby also winning the U15s and U16s titles.
The win gives the Diehards redemption from earlier in the season, when Highfields edged them out by a field goal in the President’s Cup final.
Nobbs was awarded player of the match.