A classic grand final win by Wests Panthers and a Wide Bay Premier League championship update feature in this week’s Sports Talk alongside the latest from basketball, cricket and softball.
Wests Panthers take out Under-18 grand final
Co-captains Joel Baldwin and Jensen Deamer co-starred as Wests Panthers returned the Bundaberg Rugby League Under-18 Shield to its home-town, capping a dominant season with a 22-18 win in a classic grand final in Maryborough on Saturday night.
Joel scored a try and kicked the team’s only goal and took out the Player of the Grand Final Trophy, while Jensen laid the platform with the opening try in the fourth minute and also claimed their only second half try in an outstanding all-round display, but coach Rick McMaster said there were many stars in a robust team performance.
“Joel was great as always, I’m hard on Jensen as my step-son but he went really well too, (front rower) Flynn Purkis also really stood up in his best game for us,” Rick said.
“Marcus Tanner is always good, also fullback Brad Clarke returned the ball and made many yards and was one of our best.
“Then there are unsung heroes like Brendan Grills, and the Roma boys Torey Kirby and Damon (Qualischefski) – both drive seven and a half hours home the night before all games.”
While Joel, Jensen, Marcus, Brendan and others will step up to seniors next season, Flynn, who is still eligible for under-18 next year when he will be in Grade 12 at Shalom College, is looking forward to being one of the senior players in the Wests team.
“Hopefully too I will get to play a few games of footy with my Dad (Mick), who retired in 2000 but made a comeback with South Kolan in 2017 when they needed players but tore his bicep, but he thinks he has got another season left in him,” Flynn said.
Flynn dedicates every game to his mother Leisa and sister Emerson who were tragically killed in a car accident in which he was also a passenger in November 2018.
He has set his sights on a place in the Regional Queensland under-18 and Wide Bay Schools teams, and down the track, he would like to play at the highest level.
Congratulations to the two other Bundaberg teams which claimed titles, Grizzlies (under-16) and Brothers (under-14), and Hervey Bay Seagulls who claimed the under-13-15 double.
Football
Bingera have the Wide Bay Premier League championship secure on 45 points prior to their last-round clash with third placed Across The Waves (ATW) (38) at Martens Oval tomorrow, while second seeds Brothers-Aston Villa (39) will head to Maryborough to take on Sunbury.
Waves will meet Villa in next week’s semi-finals regardless of whether they swap finishing positions after tomorrow, while United Park Eagles (UPE) (33) will finish fourth regardless of the outcome of their clash with Bargara also at Martens Oval.
In the other match of the round, wooden spooners Diggers will be playing for pride when they host Granville at John Cullen Park.
In the Ladies League, there are a full round of matches tonight and one game next Tuesday to complete the rounds.
Diggers will be hoping to bounce back from a 10-0 white-wash by UPE on Wednesday night when Sophie Zipf led the charge with four goals and Lucy Hamilton picked up a double.
Junior semi-finals will be played in all divisions from under-12 to 16 tomorrow with the league champions to take on the fourth placed team and second and third to battle it out, with the winners to advance to next week’s grand finals.
After the fixture rounds, Finlay Bath, of UPE, topped the under-14 goal scorers with a Football Bundaberg junior season high of 50, from 12 matches, with Zye Cory (ATW Hot Spurs), second with 34.
Finlay’s elder brother William finished fourth in under-16 with 17, behind Preston Cox (ATW Rangers) 31 and Luke Darcy (UPE) 24.
Matthew Grima (ATW Saints) racked up 34 to edge out Liam Loudon (UPE) (30) in under-13, while Nathan Saffioti (ATW Hammers) topped the under-12 count with 23.
Cycling
Good luck to all riders when the Bundaberg and Fraser Coast Cycling Clubs co-host the 2020 Wide Bay Cup this Sunday, starting and finishing at the former Childers Royal Mail Motel.
Under-13 and 15’s start at 9am, with under-17, Elite and Women to follow at 9.30am.
Basketball
Bundaberg Bulls and Bears face a long road trip to meet Mackay in the second round of the ConocoPhillips Central Queensland Cup tomorrow.
The Bulls and Bears both suffered home losses against Gladstone last Saturday, albeit the latter being beaten in extra-time.
The Meteors and Meteorettes will both take a power of beating after each starting with away wins over Rockhampton in the first round.
Cricket
Betta Heat will be aiming to bounce back from their first-round defeat at the hands of Takalvans Taipans when they suit up against Searle’s RV Centre Vikings in the Aussie Bundy Big Bash at Salter Oval tonight.
Tomorrow in the Rum City Foods Division 1 T20 Competition, Norths, who have won only one match so far, will need to beat East Bundy Magpies at 10.30am and the high flying Waves at 2pm to be any chance of qualifying for next Sunday’s final.
In the other early game tomorrow, Brothers will take on Hervey Bay, who will back up in the afternoon against the Magpies in the afternoon.
Rugby
After their big win over Rugby Bundaberg (RB) Renegades last week, West Barbarians will face a tough test when they take on the might of Fraser Coast Mariners in the third round of the Elders Insurance Spring Cup at the Waves Sports Complex at 7pm tomorrow.
Earlier at 5pm, after being overpowered by Mariners last week, Turtles Brothers will look to bounce back against Renegades.
Meanwhile, the “Old Boys” are rolling in with RB in conjunction with the Rumruckers, to welcome players from Southern and Central Queensland who are converging on Bundy to have a run, with over 35’s registrations starting from 12:30pm and games from 1.30pm.
RB president Luke McCloskey has encouraged everyone to “bring your family and friends to enjoy a burger, a laugh and a beverage”.
But due to Covid restrictions, you must bring your own seating.
Softball
There is just one A Grade Ladies clash in the second round of the Hervey Bay Softball League tomorrow with first-up winners Bargara Bullets to travel to the Bay to slug it out with Terrors.
In the A Grade Men’s, it will be a battle royale at Brothers Sports Club between first round victors United Heat and Waves Schooners, while at Hervey Bay, Bargara Bombers meet Misfits and Terrors and Maryborough will cross swords.
Netball
The second round of the Bundaberg Netball Spring Cup will take place at the Super Park tomorrow with rounds of matches from 4.30pm, on the hour through to the 7.30pm group.
Of the six Pool A matches, two feature match-ups between opening round winners with Natives Eagles to rumble with Brothers Thunder at 6.30pm, and Alloway Blue and Waves Crushers squaring off at 7.30pm.
Greyhounds
Bundaberg trainer Paul Burgess claimed a double at this week’s meeting at Thabeban Park, getting the money with Andrew’s Shadow in the Masters 5th Grade and Velocity Tonelli in a Fifth Grade.
Three other district trainers were also successful on the program, Narelle Mulcahy with Dr Outlander in the Novice, Allen Kelly with Courtois in the Mixed 2nd/3rd Grade, and David Raines with Rock on Roxy in the Restricted Win event.
One of the state’s top trainers, Gary Keep, of Burpengary, made a rare visit to the Rum City, and he went home with one winner, Mista Kick in the Fifth Grade Pathway Non-Penalty.
- Other news: Burnett River yielding some nice barra
