Qld Premier Rugby 2013

[Zander]

GPS or Easts?

 

[light]

Easts 21 d GPS 6 at Ballymore.

 

[tigerland12]

UP THE TIGERS!! You beauty!

Great game, will post my thoughts tomorrow, but all I need to say is: Michael Gunn, freak.

 

[FilthRugby]

I think Brothers played really well today. Tested/Matched Uni in every facet of the game. Only difference was the Students discipline and hands. Brothers dropped the ball too much. If they held it, it would have been a different outcome in my opinion. The score-line doesn't reflect the game. But well done to Uni. Watched a bit of Easts v Gps. Easts were stronger, and it just seemed like they wanted it more. GPS defence is good, however, I question some of their attacking options. If the Students improve on some areas from today, they could most likely face Easts in the final.

 

[Pauly]

Easts' defence was outstanding tonight at Ballymore. GPS backs looked threatening every time they threw the ball around but the Tigers were up to the task. Matt Brandon had what was arguably his worst day this year with his goalkicking but made up for it with a terrific performance in general play. Easts were just too determined for Jeeps and every man in that team should take a bow - great game boys.

How good was Sam Cox tonight? What a champ.

It's pretty obvious that no matter who makes it through after next week's preliminary final we are in for one great Grand Final again this year. Go Tigers!

 

[Tigers Tale]

Easts' defence was outstanding tonight at Ballymore. GPS backs looked threatening every time they threw the ball around but the Tigers were up to the task. Matt Brandon had what was arguably his worst day this year with his goalkicking but made up for it with a terrific performance in general play. Easts were just too determined for Jeeps and every man in that team should take a bow - great game boys.

How good was Sam Cox tonight? What a champ.

It's pretty obvious that no matter who makes it through after next week's preliminary final we are in for one great Grand Final again this year. Go Tigers!

They say defence wins premierships - Easts defence today was outstanding they have now played 160 minutes (Wests & GPS) without having their line crossed - if they keep that record intact on GF day they will go a long way to securing Easts 4th premiership('97,'99, '08).

Will the same group of subscribers who hailed me down regarding Aidan Toua's injury at Sylvan Rd defend the right of the GPS no.5 to play in the GF. He was sent for a spear tackle on Brando - referee was pretty swift in reaching for the Red card. Any thoughts boys?

Who will the tigers face in the GF?

Brothers were pretty brave today. The big news for the filth though was that their gun Prem Colts got beaten for only the second time this year.

The tigers can now sit back and hope for a brutal prelim.

This Easts side is well supported as shown by the no. of juniors in the tigers tunnel today well done lads and well done to their parents for taking them to Ballymore tonight.

 

[Tigers Tale]

They say defence wins premierships - Easts defence today was outstanding they have now played 160 minutes (Wests & GPS) without having their line crossed - if they keep that record intact on GF day they will go a long way to securing Easts 4th premiership('97,'99, '08).

Will the same group of subscribers who hailed me down regarding Aidan Toua's injury at Sylvan Rd defend the right of the GPS no.5 to play in the GF. He was sent for a spear tackle on Brando - referee was pretty swift in reaching for the Red card. Any thoughts boys?

Who will the tigers face in the GF?

Brothers were pretty brave today. The big news for the filth though was that their gun Prem Colts got beaten for only the second time this year.

The tigers can now sit back and hope for a brutal prelim.

This Easts side is well supported as shown by the no. of juniors in the tigers tunnel today well done lads and well done to their parents for taking them to Ballymore tonight.

I don't think one Anthony Herbert looked too happy this evening - is he ok.

 

[FilthRugby]

Was the red card warranted?
And I'm sure the Students are keen to keep the Trophy at St Lucia.
Would have to say I'm tipping Easts at this stage.

 

[Tigers Tale]

Was the red card warranted?
And I'm sure the Students are keen to keep the Trophy at St Lucia.
Would have to say I'm tipping Easts at this stage.

Deserves more than Carter got for kicking Parry in the head in round 8 @ Crosby.

The Easts boys thought it quite deliberate.

 

[Xavier jenkins]

Carter deserved a season for his disgraceful stomping. A poor tackle doesn't really come close to intentional harm. Sure GPS will use Charlie freneys footage from last years major final as evidence seeing as he only got 1
Week

 

[FilthRugby]

Carter deserved a season for his disgraceful stomping. A poor tackle doesn't really come close to intentional harm. Sure GPS will use Charlie freneys footage from last years major final as evidence seeing as he only got 1
Week

Was it as bad as Freney's tackle? I'll watch the replay to find out.

 

[Cat_A]

Freney didn't get one week, he got time served (sent off after 60secs). No suspension at all.

Having said that, GPS seem to have attracted the ire of QRU officials over the past few weeks.

 

[TheBigDog]

Easts definitely played better on the day. Backs were outstanding, especially UJ who I thought kicked very well and took some great options. Forwards a bit outplayed in my opinion, even after Gorman was sent off the GPS boys seemed to get over the advantage line very easily but struggled to maintain pressure when it went wide. Samu was used off the bench too late, sure he was under an injury cloud but why not use him from the start, get a some points and give him a week off if they won the game, he looked very dangerous with the ball and nearly scored off his second touch.

GPS will appeal the red card, trying not to be biased but in a ruck situation when someone is trying to get rid of a player things can easily go wrong and I think it was more a poorly executed 'clear out' then anything malicous. Red card not needed, yellow card yes for the carelessness.

Uni vs GPS next week will be very tough game.

 

[tigerland12]

I thought both games were very high quality although they both took a while to get going, as is the case for most finals games.

In the Uni vs Brothers match, it looked like Uni was going to give Brothers another hiding, but credit to the Filth they really came back and gave it a fair dig in the second half. Michael Bond (playing fullback) was brilliant and looked dominant everytime he ran the ball. Luke Beauchamp was a menace at the breaking down, grabbing a few turnovers. So credit to Brothers, they stood up a lot more than most people thought they would.

But University were pretty devastating in attack at times. New reds signing JJ Taulagi was brilliant, either making a break or offloading in the tackle everytime he ran the ball. He finished off two slick tries and had some dazzling line-breaks. Remember the name because it won't be too long before you see him in a Reds jersey. In the pack I thought Uni were all over Brothers. Browning, Mitchell and McDuling were all standouts. Conor Mitchell tends to get overlooked a fair bit, but every time I see him play he is one of the best on the field. I got a lot of time for him, he plays well above his weight and is a terrier at the breakdown. Finally, Mike Harris was pretty devastating in defence with a few big shots.

I think University were always going to win this one, and with a dominant first half it was beyond Brothers. But to their credit, lead by Bond, they gave it a real shot in the second half. One thing Uni will need to work on is their discipline for next week. They gave away far too many break-down penalties and were lucky not to have a man sent to the bin as a result.

Onto the main game, and it was a quite tense first 30minutes, with it standing at 6-3 to Easts. Both teams were very strong defensively, with GPS backs in particular keeping the likes of Brandon and White quiet. The try late in the half really upped the anti. Blake Enever stole a clean line-out on Easts 22, broke a tackle and broke the line before running 30m's to offload to Michael Gunn who raced the rest of the field to put Tigers up by 8 at the break.

Defensively both teams were pretty good. But Easts really show that you can win premierships on defence. That's now two games in a row where they haven't had their line crossed and have only conceded 9 points. Their discipline and line speed is second to none. Whoever has drilled them defensively this year has done a great job.

Easts scrum was devastating, and demolished the GPS front row on several occasions. It does not bode will for Phil Kite, someone who would be looking for a professional contract, when it gets worked over by lesser-known clubman Parker and Randall. This lead to Easts final try to Jarrad Buttler, who had grabbed one earlier from a pick and go, as the scrum earned a tighthead on GPS line.

GPS were tough throughout but couldn't really seem to put together a large amount of phases on attack. They really struggled at the set-piece, with the scrum and line-out under a lot of pressure. They will need to fix this drastically in time for next weeks match.

For GPS, Jono Ellis defiantly lead from the front. He was very strong in contact and broke tackles every time he ran the ball. In the backs, Chris Kuridrani certainly showed why he got a EPS spot for next season. This is the first time I've seen him really stand-out, but boy he was very strong in attack. Fortunately Johnny Wilder had a brilliant game and was able to keep him contained. Samu Kerevi was very strong when he was introduced, but still not sure why he brought on so late, even with an injury cloud.

Nick Frisby was everywhere for the Gallopers, and showed how important he is for them. His positional play was great and he kicked well. Would of liked to see him have a few darts with the ball though.

For Easts, Michael Gunn was an absolute stand-out again. This kid (and he still is a kid, not even sure if he's turned 18 yet) has been the best on field for the past 3 games he's played. Strong in contact, a pest at the break-down, but it was his tackling that makes everyone notice. I lost count of the amount of times he belted a GPS ball runner, and he probably made at least 4 solid tackles on Phil Kite, who is very strong when he gets a head of steam. Even the GPS supporters around us were impressed with him. I heard rumblings that he is on the Brumbies radar for next year, the Reds must really make sure he is not lost to QLD rugby.

Other stand-outs were Blake Enever, the front row at scrum time, winger Sam Cox, and UJ Seuteni. UJ has had his critics over the past two seasons, myself included, but he has really stepped up the past few months. This was his best game I've seen, strong running, good hands, and his kicking game was very impressive.

Very excited to see the Tigers run out for the final in two weeks. They really showed that they are the real deal. GPS will have to really lift their game if they want to beat Uni, who looked strong across the park.

In regards to the Red Card, it was pretty bad. I got a poor view of it, but even what I could see looked nasty. Definitely a straight red, and should be the season over for him.

Finally, the atmosphere at Ballymore all afternoon (I got their at the end of the Premier Colts game) was great. Was very impressed by the size of the crowds for both games. Was great to see such a large amount of support for all sides. Let's just not have 50mins between games next time!

Me and few of my mates somehow got surrounded by GPS supporters in the stands, but it was great having a bit of banter with the three elderly gentlemen behind us. Always great when you can have that friendly banter during a game and then be able to say "good luck against Uni, hope you to see you in two weeks", to which the 80yr old gent replied "Mate, we're screwed".

Can't wait for two weeks. Up the Tigers!

 

[Cat_A]

Great wrap up tigerland12 - just a note on the reason for the 50min between games.

Drawn finals (grades) play 10 min extra time each way, then if scores are still level, sudden death up to 10min. The 50min break was to allow for that scenario. Add that in to the 10min injury time which is incorporated into the kick off times and it quickly gets up to that 50min.

It's annoying, but it's probably less annoying for the teams playing last having only a rough idea when they will kick off.

The 50min break won't happen again - Colts don't play extra time and the game before Prems next week will be Prem Colts. The long gap between games will still be in place for all games leading in to the Colts game.

 

[Mike Jones]

I thought both games were very high quality although they both took a while to get going, as is the case for most finals games.

In the Uni vs Brothers match, it looked like Uni was going to give Brothers another hiding, but credit to the Filth they really came back and gave it a fair dig in the second half. Michael Bond (playing fullback) was brilliant and looked dominant everytime he ran the ball. Luke Beauchamp was a menace at the breaking down, grabbing a few turnovers. So credit to Brothers, they stood up a lot more than most people thought they would.

But University were pretty devastating in attack at times. New reds signing JJ Taulagi was brilliant, either making a break or offloading in the tackle everytime he ran the ball. He finished off two slick tries and had some dazzling line-breaks. Remember the name because it won't be too long before you see him in a Reds jersey. In the pack I thought Uni were all over Brothers. Browning, Mitchell and McDuling were all standouts. Conor Mitchell tends to get overlooked a fair bit, but every time I see him play he is one of the best on the field. I got a lot of time for him, he plays well above his weight and is a terrier at the breakdown. Finally, Mike Harris was pretty devastating in defence with a few big shots.

I think University were always going to win this one, and with a dominant first half it was beyond Brothers. But to their credit, lead by Bond, they gave it a real shot in the second half. One thing Uni will need to work on is their discipline for next week. They gave away far too many break-down penalties and were lucky not to have a man sent to the bin as a result.

Onto the main game, and it was a quite tense first 30minutes, with it standing at 6-3 to Easts. Both teams were very strong defensively, with GPS backs in particular keeping the likes of Brandon and White quiet. The try late in the half really upped the anti. Blake Enever stole a clean line-out on Easts 22, broke a tackle and broke the line before running 30m's to offload to Michael Gunn who raced the rest of the field to put Tigers up by 8 at the break.

Easts scrum was devastating, and demolished the GPS front row on several occasions. It does not bode will for Phil Kite, someone who would be looking for a professional contract, when it gets worked over by lesser-known clubman Parker and Randall. This lead to Easts final try to Jarrad Buttler, who had grabbed one earlier from a pick and go, as the scrum earned a tighthead on GPS line.

GPS were tough throughout but couldn't really seem to put together a large amount of phases on attack. They really struggled at the set-piece, with the scrum and line-out under a lot of pressure. They will need to fix this drastically in time for next weeks match.

For GPS, Jono Ellis defiantly lead from the front. He was very strong in contact and broke tackles every time he ran the ball. In the backs, Chris Kuridrani certainly showed why he got a EPS spot for next season. This is the first time I've seen him really stand-out, but boy he was very strong in attack. Fortunately Johnny Wilder had a brilliant game and was able to keep him contained. Samu Kerevi was very strong when he was introduced, but still not sure why he brought on so late, even with an injury cloud.

For Easts, Michael Gunn was an absolute stand-out again. This kid (and he still is a kid, not even sure if he's turned 18 yet) has been the best on field for the past 3 games he's played. Strong in contact, a pest at the break-down, but it was his tackling that makes everyone notice. I lost count of the amount of times he belted a GPS ball runner, and he probably made at least 4 solid tackles on Phil Kite, who is very strong when he gets a head of steam. Even the GPS supporters around us were impressed with him. I heard rumblings that he is on the Brumbies radar for next year, the Reds must really make sure he is not lost to QLD rugby.

Other stand-outs were Blake Enever, the front row at scrum time, winger Sam Cox, and UJ Seuteni. UJ has had his critics over the past two seasons, myself included, but he has really stepped up the past few months. This was his best game I've seen, strong running, good hands, and his kicking game was very impressive.

Very excited to see the Tigers run out for the final in two weeks. They really showed that they are the real deal. GPS will have to really lift their game if they want to beat Uni, who looked strong across the park.

In regards to the Red Card, it was pretty bad. I got a poor view of it, but even what I could see looked nasty. Definitely a straight red, and should be the season over for him.

Finally, the atmosphere at Ballymore all afternoon (I got their at the end of the Premier Colts game) was great. Was very impressed by the size of the crowds for both games. Was great to see such a large amount of support for all sides. Let's just not have 50mins between games next time!

Me and few of my mates somehow got surrounded by GPS supporters in the stands, but it was great having a bit of banter with the three elderly gentlemen behind us. Always great when you can have that friendly banter during a game and then be able to say "good luck against Uni, hope you to see you in two weeks", to which the 80yr old gent replied "Mate, we're screwed".

Can't wait for two weeks. Up the Tigers!

First time poster, so be gentle..

Great report, but I cant help but think that east scrum dominance had more to do with the excellent locking duo that Easts have rather than the work of the front row. Stolberg (?) and Enever were immense and and really showed up GPS decision not to go into the game with a recognised pair of locks. East locks at scrum time and line outs were just too good.
Also, having Gorman sent off also resulted in GPS going at it with 7 blokes for most of the second half - when Easts really started to get on top.
All in all though, East fully deserved the win - Guys to stand out for me were Stolberg, Enever and Butler (deadset took at least three guys to subdue/tackle him whenever he ran!)
Next week should an good match, hopefully GPS start with Sean McMahon next week as he was very good once he got on.

 

[tigerland12]

Yeah fair call about the second rowers having a big influence. Blake Enever was great all round I thought, and he is pretty renowned for being strong in the scrums. And Jarrad was his usual strong self. Bit quiet in the first half though. They used him a lot more in the line-outs, which was pretty smart as GPS aligned themselves mostly on Stollberg at the front.

I'm a big Stolberg fan, but I thought he had a poor game. Aside from the line-outs, where he was strong, I thought he was quiet ineffective. His tackling in particular was too high and he didn't get his hands on the ball as much. Be he has had a great season, and will bounce back.

 

[thierry dusautoir]

tigerland12 was it parker or parraka at LHP?

 

[FilthRugby]

tigerland12 was it parker or parraka at LHP?

Parker, he had great body position which he managed to get underneath Kite, which caused a few problems for the Gallopers.

 

[twenty seven]

Tigerland 12, I thought the same thing about Stolberg's tackling until it was pointed out to me that he wraps them high and brings them to the ground - thus no chance to off load. Also he holds them up whenever possible to cause a maul option. It was also pointed out to me the work in the rucks he did. Shifted lots of bodies to cause turnover or clear the ball. Sitting with forwards helps you see things not always noticed. It was that side of the scrum that presented Butler with great ball to score the last try.
Thought all Easts players played well because they played as a team and thats what is getting them over the line.