Magpies set to attack Sharks in NDRL men’s grand final, hosts Gin Gin look set to triumph in women’s league tag and Waves up for Frenchville in football champions league.
Miriam Vale Magpies will be white-hot favourites when they attempt to put the icing on their centenary season as they take on defending champions South Kolan Sharks in the Northern Districts Rugby League Men’s Premiership Grand Final at Gin Gin this Sunday at 2.45 pm.
The Magpies have lost just one game all year, going down to the Sharks 24-22 in the season opener back on 10 April, and they also drew with them 30-all on 5 June, but they blew them away 60-8 on 25 June, and 54-10 in the major semi-final a fortnight ago, after South Kolan forfeited to them on 16 July.
The Sharks booked their place in the decider, clinching a 14-12 victory from the jaws of defeat against Avondale Tigers with a try in the dying seconds in the preliminary final last Saturday.
Despite being missing from the competition for extended periods over the past 40 seasons, firstly while competing in the Gladstone League, then in a stint in limbo, the Magpies jointly head the honours’ list during that time with Avondale, each with 11 premierships, ahead of South Kolan 7, Isis 5, Rosedale and Biggenden with 2 each, and Gin Gin and Tannum Sands with 1 apiece.
The Magpies claimed the title five years in a row from 1981-85, and also regained the silverware in 1989, 2005 when they defeated the Sharks 36-20 in the Big Dance, 2008, they completed back-to-back triumphs in 2010-11, in the latter accounting for South Kolan 38-34 in a thriller, and they last raised the trophy at home in 2018 when they again downed the Sharks 18-12.
South Kolan have triumphed in 1992, 1996, 2004 in Gin Gin, 2012, defeating Miriam Vale, 2014, 2015 when they plucked the Magpies 50-14, and again in 2021 when they topped off an unbeaten season with a 22-4 dispatch of Gin Gin.
But after promising much again, winning their first four games this campaign, they have won just two of their past eight starts.
In the first game on the program at 11.30am, Avondale will battle it out with Gin Gin Hawks in the Slean Cup.
In the Women’s League Tag Grand Final at 1.30 pm, the all-conquering Gin Gin are expected to complete back-to-back titles with victory over Agnes Water Marlins, who have done well in their return season, but they are in a different class to the Hawkettes.
The Hawkettes won all of their eight round games, racking up 324 points while conceding a mere 24, while the Marlins’ only three wins have been against Avondale, the last being an 18-10 triumph in the preliminary final a week ago, after they had been whitewashed by Gin Gin 46-0 in the major semi-final.
To start the program, the last day of the inaugural Walk With Me Autism All Abilities Program Grand Final will be played out from 9.30 am.
There are no Bundaberg Rugby League games this weekend, with their preliminary finals next Sunday.
Football
Across The Waves will be banking on a big home crowd support when they host Rockhampton super-powers Frenchville in their Football Queensland Premier League Champions League Central Conference home tie at 6.30 pm tomorrow at the Waves Sports Complex.
Waves beat Frenchville 3-2 in the Football Australia Cup Fifth Round at home on 28 May, but Frenchville drew first blood in their champions league home tie, prevailing 2-1 in wet conditions on 2 July.
Another epic duel is on the cards.
In the Football Queensland Premier League Wide Bay Men’s League, Bingera will get the perfect chance to shore up fourth position when they host bottom of the table SC Corinthians this Sunday at 5 pm.
Tomorrow’s two Men’s matches are both on the Fraser Coast, with KSS Jets able to seal a top-two finish with a win over Fraser Flames, and Sunbury Blues taking on Doon Villa.
The round will conclude with Waves meeting United Park Eagles (UPE) at Martens Oval at 7 pm this Tuesday.
Waves can also clinch a top-two finish in the Women’s League with a win over UPE at Martens Oval at 8.30 pm tonight, when also the Jets duel with the Flames, while Bingera’s must-win game against Diggers will be at Martens Oval at 6.30 pm this Wednesday.
AFL
After doing it tough through the first nine rounds, being battered from pillar to post, the rejuvenated Across The Waves Eagles will be expected to book an AFL Wide Bay Marquis Macadamias Senior Men’s Premiership Finals berth with another home victory over Bay Power in their penultimate round showdown at Frank Coulthard Oval at 3.30 pm tomorrow.
Waves have defused the Power at their past two meetings, 80-50 on 25 June, and 55-41 on 16 July, and they were also far from disgraced in a last-start 67-22 loss to the high flying unbeaten Hervey Bay Bombers.
The Power have lost six in a row since their 134-27 demolition of a much depleted Eagles on 4 June, but a victory tomorrow would elevate them back into third place, ahead of their last-round home clash with second-placed Brothers Bulldogs, when the Eagles have the toughest assignment of shooting down the Bombers at NE McLean Oval, so tomorrow is a virtual semi-final.
The Bulldogs also have a home game tomorrow at 3 pm against the Bombers, and they will be aiming to strike a psychological blow before the finals, after losing their four clashes with them so far in 2022, 49-38 on 23 April, 38-2 on 21 May, 81-32 on 25 June, and 63-47 on 16 July.
Hockey
Waves Cities I and Raiders/Rovers will clash sticks in a Bundaberg Men’s penultimate round top of the table blockbuster at Hinkler Park tomorrow at 6pm, and another classical contest is expected after Cities prevailed 4-3 at their last meeting on the grass surface on 9 July.
Earlier, Cities II face off against All Blacks I at 3.20 pm, and Arrows/Athletics will aim up against All Blacks II at 2 pm.
In Division 1 Women, at 7.20 pm, confirmed minor premiers Raiders/Rovers are opposed to two-times defending champions Cities at 7.20 pm, with the Blues striving to build on their 5-0 shut-out of All Blacks last Saturday.
At 4.40 pm, Arrows will take to the field against All Blacks.
Netball
The Superpark will be a sea of Pink when Waves Netball Club holds their annual Pink Day for Breast Cancer Network Australia as part of Bundaberg Netball’s Warren Family Homes Premierships last round tomorrow.
Minor premierships in six divisions are yet to be decided, but the Division 1 positions are clear-cut, with Waves Gold on 35 points, ahead of Brothers Hurricanes 32, Natives Aim Hearing Magpies 24, Alloway Blue 22, and Waves Blue 17.
Waves Gold should be too strong for Alloway Blue tomorrow at 5pm, before the Magpies face a tough task against the Hurricanes at 6.30 pm
Week 14 results – Division 1: NATIVES AIM HEARING MAGPIES 51 d ALLOWAY BLUE 44; WAVES GOLD 55 d WAVES BLUE 29.
Division 2: ALLOWAY RED 58 d WAVES ROYALS 22; BROTHERS CYCLONES 50 d NATIVES KOKKABURRAS 28; NATIVES EAGLES 40 d WAVES SILVER 30; BROTHERS THUNDER 49 d WAVES RED 19.
Masters: NATIVES SWANS 55 d ALLOWAY GREEN 37; NATIVES MACAWS 35 d BROTHERS TSUNAMI 24.
Division 3: BROTHERS MONSOONS 28 d BROTHERS LIGHTNING 27; NATIVES ROSELLAS 34 d WAVES AQUA 20.
Division 4: ALLOWAY AQUA 39 d BROTHERS TWISTERS 27; NATIVES FIREBIRDS 42 d NATIVES PARROTS 33; ALLOWAY MAROON 46 d BROTHERS TORNADOES 35.
Division 5: WAVES PINK 33 d BROTHERS WILDFIRES 17.
Division 6: WAVES SAPPHIRES 66 d FUSION BRENDAN O’DONNELL 17; BROTHERS STORM 44 d WAVES EMERALDS 29.
Division 7: FUSION WESSEL PETROLEUM 49 d BROTHERS TYPHOONS 25; FUSION SANDHILLS 53 d ALLOWAY EMERALDS 23.
Division 8: BROTHERS WHIRLWINDS 17 d WAVES MAROON 15.
Division 9: BROTHERS AVALANCHES 25 d NATIVES HAWKS 19; FUSION SHIFT AUTO 29 d ALLOWAY LAVENDER 24.
Division 10: BROTHERS HEAT 50 d NATIVES TOUCANS 1; ALLOWAY ORANGE 43 d BROTHERS BLIZZARDS 3; FUSION PRECISION 41 d WAVES FUCHSIA 11.
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