By Glyn Rees
An imposing up front performance by back-row enforcer Tyson Stevens and a blistering right side try hat-trick by wing flyer Joe Willett were among the highlights on a cool and breezy Saturday night at Clifton’s Platz Oval in the Wattles Warriors 62 – 12 dismantling of the Brothers Leprechauns.
The Round 13 fixtures across the Toowoomba Rugby League featured the 2024 season Indigenous Round celebrating first nations culture and history and honouring past and present Indigenous players.
All attending Platz Oval on Saturday were honoured with a ‘Welcome to Country” delivered by local Kambuwal elder Selena Griffin and Shakoba Pratt prior to the A Grade match.
The A Grade teams wore Indigenous designed jerseys which were auctioned post-match.
Joining Joe Willett as Wattles multiple try scorers were centre Matt Christensen and Tyson Stevens collecting a double each.
While Brothers held Wattles at bay across the initial twenty minutes of play to have the scoreboard locked at 12 – 12, the sterling performance up front by form forward Stevens, along with halves Matt Duggan & Braydan Paix who dictated terms in the middle, inspired the home side in an overwhelming winning result.
Stevens shone with his polished performance in a forward pack of achievers, and was rewarded with the first of his two tries in the 23rd minute.
Wattles eased into the halftime break leading 28 – 12.
It was also Stevens who set the scoreboard in motion in the second stanza when he gathered a Jackson Green pass to touchdown after just five minutes allowing Wattles a 34 – 12 lead.
Including the Stevens’ four-pointer, Wattles ran in six unanswered tries across the final forty minutes.
The Warriors one sided result over Brothers adds weight to their position on the Hutchinson Builders A Grade Premiership ladder, still level on nineteen points with the Valleys Roosters. The Roosters sit in third place on for and against above Wattles, both behind the Gatton Hawks and the top of the table undefeated Warwick Cowboys.
That balancing act will be addressed in the upcoming Round 14 TRL fixtures when Wattles and Valleys clash at Toowoomba’s John McDonald Sports Complex on Sunday July 21st, a must win fixture for both teams.
Wattles 62 (Joe Willett 3, Tyson Stevens 2, Matt Christensen 2, Jackson Green, Braydon Paix, Lachlan Watt, Nick Van Der Poel tries; Braydon Paix 9 goals)
Brothers 12 (Bryce Whale, Garrad Brewer tries; Tony Clevin 2 goals)
Reserve Grade
Wattles 38 (Marley Tunstead 2, Braydon Wilson 3, Tim Duggan, Mitch Duff try; Tom Morris 5 goals)
Brothers 0
Under 19
Brothers 24 (Matthew Schultz, Amdes Saunders, Shaun Hinch, Tom McDonald, Kail Eustace, Harry Eyers, Jared Castle tries; Shaun Hinch 3, Angus Canning goals)
Wattles 4 (Sunnie Tunstead try).
