Incisive inside centre and Coach Tommy Akers let his actions do the talking, bagging his first ever hat-trick of tries in the Rugby Bundaberg Elders Insurance Spring Cup.
Tommy scored the match winner in the dying minute as Waves Falcons recorded his first victory in almost two years, defeating East Bundaberg Pythons 17-10 in their fifth round clash at Jubilee Park on Saturday.
The match marked the half-way point in the season and both sides went into it without a win, and in a titanic duel, scores were locked together until Tommy finished strongly for his third try and Bailey Brown converted.
In the early game on the program, Turtles Brothers came from behind to outgun West Barbarians 22-17 to move into outright second place on the ladder behind the unbeaten Fraser Coast Mariners, grabbing three tries to two, with their two Queensland Country Heelers stars Josh Saua and Alex McClymont among their scorers.
Falcons were unable to field a team last season, but Tommy was instrumental in recruiting players this season, but with a new side, they had lost their first three matches, while being competitive, against Turtles, Barbarians, and Mariners respectively.
Tommy said it was “awesome” to break through.
“We needed the win really badly – both teams had been bottom of the ladder winless, and to beat a quality side was a really big confidence booster for us before our next game next week,” Tommy said.
Tommy predictably received the Man of the Match award.
“But the boys really got me in positions to score tries, and as coach, I would have given the award to some of the other boys who played very well, such as (hooker and vice-captain) Sealing Fonua, Jayden Nadilo and (Tight-head Prop) Luke “Froggy” Scully – he is good value,” Tommy said.
They are now one win behind Barbarians, and with all five teams to play each other once more before the semi-finals, Tommy just wants to finish in the top four, even though the fourth placed team will have to beat the minor premiers to advance to the grand final, and two-times defending champions Mariners look on track to clinch pole position.
“We want to play finals football, and wherever we finish, we know we will have done our best – we are a tough team with plenty of ticker and we will need that to get into the big dance,” he said.
“Our main goal is to just continue to get better each week but first we have to wrap up at least fourth place and Pythons are also a good team who could come up if we drop our guard, so the ball is in our court.”
CRICKET: Big guns Arden Lankowski and captain Dale Steele each produced dynamic doubles as East Bundy Magpies again proved themselves as the real deal, recovering from early trouble at 3-28 to reach 199, then bowling reigning champions Waves out for 192 in their Bundaberg Cricket Rum City Foods Division 1 Premiership first-round clash at Salter Oval on Saturday.
Norths, whom they will meet in the Tallon-Giles Division 1 T20 Trophy final this Saturday, also continued their good form, defeating Brothers by five wickets.
Arden top-scored for the Magpies with 52, while Dale posted 37, and newcomer Paulson Antony also shipped in with 34.
Arden and Dale also claimed two wickets each, along with opener Martin Green, with Arden dismissing Waves’ top scorer Michael Loader 58, while spinner Ben Davey claimed three of the last five wickets in his 3-35.
Meanwhile, Brothers were bundled out for 126, with Queensland over-60 representative spinner Bruce Worthington and young seamer Laird McKay sharing the bowling honours with three wickets each.
Opener Brendan Handley then led the Norths run chase with 37, and while they lost five wickets, they were always in control, cruising home with 23 overs to spare.
SOFTBALL: It was business as usual for Brothers United Firesticks in their quest for a hat-trick of Coral Coast/Hervey Bay Softball Associations A Grade Ladies’ titles with a 14-1 demolition of Terrors in their third round clash in Hervey Bay on Saturday.
In Bundaberg, Waves Tsunamis, who have been runners-up for the past two seasons, also had a good win against Bargara Bullets 8-3.
In A Grade Men’s, newcomers Maryborough West, who had won their first three games, were given a reality check, swamped by Waves Schooners 13-3.
But 2019-20 champions and 2020-21 minor premiers Brothers United Heat are still without a win after four games, after slugging out a 3-all draw with Terrors, then forfeiting the second match of their double-header to Misfits.
Here are all the scores:
CRICKET BUNDABERG
RUM CITY FOODS DIVISION 1 PREMIERSHIP
Round 1:
Norths 5/127 (Brendan Handley 37, Nathan Van Eekeren 29, Josh Winen 25, Josh McInnes 2/17, Dylan Heycox 2/26) d Brothers 126 (Nithin Shetty 32, Bruce Worthington 3/22, Laird McKay 3/31, Shannon Smith 2/8).
East Bundy Magpies 199 (Arden Lankowski 52, Dale Steele 37, Paulson Antony 34, Mitchell Waters 2/19, Lachlan Modrow 2/39, Mat Fleming 2/44, Chris Duff 2/63) d The Waves 10/192(cc) (Michael Loader 58, Mitchell Waters 39, Luke Owen 26, Ben Davey 3/35, Martin Green 2/27, Arden Lankowski 2/28, Dale Steele 2/33).
RUM CITY FOODS DIVISION 2 PREMIERSHIP
Round 2:
The Waves 3/51 (Noel Stitt 30, Hayden Pope 2/14) d East Bundy Magpies 50 (Brody Coates 3/6, Lachlan Modrow 3/22, Matt Pozzebon 2/7).
Norths 5/254(cc) (Josh Winen 102no, Richie Sharman 40, Dan Hunt 37, Shaun Pinney 28, Jack Rea 2/20, Oliver Mathiesen 2/51) d Brothers 120 (Jackson Rehbein 33, Shaun Pinney 5/36, Matthew Parker 2/10).
TALLON-GILES DIVISION 3 T30 TROPHY
Round 5:
Norths 3/274(cc) (Shaun Pinney 130no, Jade Hyde 104) d Isis 8/175(cc) (Jack Rowan 44, Scott Rehbein 42, Tim Hart 28, Ken Milliken 3/30, Garion Gibson 2/27 ).
The Waves 8/152(cc) (Daniel Unwin 36 retired, Brendan Prossliner 32, Oliver Boge 2/11, Clinton Honor 2/24) d Brothers 136 (Anthony Rehbein 29, Angus Rehbein 27, Chris Munro 3/25, Brendan Prossliner 2/13, Troy Coates 2/26).
East Bundy Magpies 7/252 (Will Barritt 103, Evan McLean 69, Richmond Felstead 4/25, Logan Woodward 2/37) d YMCA 179 (Logan Woodward 50, River Felstead 44, Will Barritt 3/26, Nathan Findlay 2/43).
RUM CITY FOODS JUNIOR CRICKET 3-16S
The Waves 3/222(cc) (Kori Pope 148no, Lucy Hamilton 51) d Isis 99 (Tarah Staines 2/3, Dane Zardus 2/13).
YMCA/Norths Marauders 3/217(cc) (Ned Jenner 122no, River Felstead 65) d Maryborough 91 (B Jones 32no, Louis Webster 3/9, Josh Kelly 2/29).
Brothers Pumas 4/217(cc) (Patrick Marshman 81, Toby Lamond 46, Angus Rehbein 36no) d Hervey Bay Colts 9/98(cc) (Beau Marshman 2/5, Simon Millett 2/6, Oliver Boge 2/11).
RUM CITY FOODS JUNIOR CRICKET 2-14S
North Bundy Power 4/188 (Jack Tyers 51no, Travis Kapernick 31, Oliver Wendt 26, W Sanders 3/17) d Maryborough 7/162(cc) (T Brewer 46no, Travis Kapernick 2/9, Shannon Boyd 2/11).
Waves 5/176(cc) (Alex Stuchbery 39no, Tahj Coates 36no, Tully Dorgan 32, Lachlan McDonald 2/22) d Norths Choppers 6/141(cc) (Jordan Mather 31, Tahj Coates 2/14).
Hervey Bay Colts 4/189(cc) (B Kington 52no, J Hazelden 38no, C Barr 25no, Henry Hirst 2/5) d Isis Brothers Mustangs 8/114(cc) (Ryley Gibbs 34no, Rory Folker 6/25).
RUM CITY FOODS JUNIOR CRICKET 2
Norths SEI Strikers 6/223(cc) (Beau Donnison 120no, Zayde Kitching 26, William Holzberger 3/12) d Brothers 6/136(cc) (Cale Anderson 36, Connor Wright 2/21).
Norths Avengers 8/154 (Jack Juster 39no, Harry Elphinstone 36, Luhan Erazmuz 2/13, James Baker 2/21) d YMCA 7/59(cc) (Samson Juster 2/5).
Isis 6/178 (Zak Onoprienko 58no, Charles Higgins 27no, Khoda Sippel-Casey 2/31) d The Waves 4/176(cc) (Henri Clegg 50no, Thomas Delacy 30no, Xavier Childs 28no).
WIDE BAY JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Round 2:
UNDER-14
Bundaberg 5/333(cc) (Tahj Coates 134, Nicholas Delacy 101no, Jordan Mather 28, T Brewer 2/30) d Fraser Coast 9/64 (H Murree 28, Travis Kapernick 4/12, Jimmy Gear 3/12).
UNDER-12
Bundaberg 4/214 (Corin Driver 46no, Beau Donnison 41no, Samson Juster 37no, W Sanders 2/29) d Fraser Coast 11/150 (D Scheltinga 37, Bailey Bowman 3/28).
RUGBY BUNDABERG
ELDERS INSURANCE SPRING CUP
Round 5:
TURTLES BROTHERS 22 (Perry Gorlick, Josh Saua, Alex McClymont tries; Dylan Harradine-Hall 2 conversions & penalty) d WEST BARBARIANS 17 (Folau Kovi Ki Tasimenia Latu, Wade Hinschen tries; Maka Taliauli 2 conversions & penalty).
WAVES FALCONS 17 (Tommy Akers 3 tries; Bailey Brown conversion) d EAST BUNDABERG PYTHONS 10 (Try; Jackson Paulson conversion & Penalty).
SOFTBALL CORAL COAST/HERVEY BAY
Round 3:
A GRADE LADIES
WAVES TSUNAMIS 8 d BARGARA BULLETS 3; BROTHERS UNITED FIRESTICKS 14 d TERRORS 1.
A GRADE MEN
WAVES SCHOONERS 13 d MARYBOROUGH WEST 3; TERRORS 3 drew BROTHERS UNITED HEAT 3; MISFITS d BROTHERS UNITED HEAT ON FORFEIT.
B GRADE LADIES
WAVES TIDAL WAVES 10 drew BARGARA BANDITS 10; WAVES BREAKERS 13 d WAVES SEASHELLS 3; BROTHERS UNITED INFERNO 6 d MISFITS 5; TERRORS BLUE 18 d BROTHERS UNITED CROSSFIRE 1.
B GRADE MEN
BARGARA BULLS 10 d WAVES CRUISERS 9; WAVES CUTTERS 12 d WESTERN SUBURBS LYNX 5; TERRORS 18 d BROTHERS UNITED IGNITE 1.
UNDER-16
WAVES DRIFTERS 6 d BARGARA BRONCS 5; WAVES WAVERIDERS 13 d WESTERN SUBURBS LIONS 5; TERRORS 11 d BROTHERS UNITED TNT 8.
UNDER-14
WAVES RIPTIDES 14 d BARGARA BANDICOOTS 3; WAVES TORPEDOES 11 d WESTERN SUBURBS TIGERS 3; TERRORS 9 d BROTHERS UNITED BLAZE 4.
UNDER-12
WAVES MARINERS 14 d BARGARA BEARS 7; TERRORS 5 d BROTHERS UNITED SPARKS 3.
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