QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY 2021 | SEMI-FINALS

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QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY 2021 | SEMI-FINALS
QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY

2019 | ROUND 1

QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY

2021 | SEMI-FINALS
QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY 2021 | SEMI-FINALS
QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY 2021 | SEMI-FINALS
CONTENTS
 FEATURES
 Semi-Final Snapshot                                   8

 Premier Grade Previews                                12

 Women’s Previews                                      25

 CLUB PREVIEWS
 UQ                                                    13

 GPS                                                   15

 Wests                                                 17

 Brothers                                              19

 WOMEN’S CLUB PREVIEWS
 GPS                                                   26

 Sunnybank                                             28

 Easts                                                 30

 Bond                                                  32

 TEAM LISTS
 UQ v Brothers                                         22

 GPS v Wests                                           24

 WOMEN’S TEAM LISTS
 GPS v Bond                                            35

 Sunnybank v Easts                                     37

QUEENSLAND RUGBY UNION
231 Butterfield Street, HERSTON, QLD 4006

PHONE 1300 753 733

Queensland Rugby Union is a non-profit organisation.
All profits go back into the development of Rugby
in Queensland.

                                                            3
QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY 2021 | SEMI-FINALS
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QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY WEEKLY

    UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND V BROTHERS | YOKU ROAD |                      GPS V WESTS | YOKU ROAD | SUNDAY 28 AUGUST, 3:00PM
    SATURDAY 27 AUGUST, 3:00PM
                                                                           Physicality will be the order of the day when GPS take on Wests,
    Two of the competition’s best attacking sides face off in the first    with both sides strong at set-piece and in defence.
    semi-final, with plenty of running Rugby expected at Ashgrove
    when minor premiers UQ meet Brothers. UQ have claimed victory          The two sides have only faced off once this year, with Jeeps
    on both of their meetings in 2021, although the Brethren fell by       claiming a narrow two-point victory in Round 8.
    just one-point in their last encounter in Round 10.                    GPS will have a home crowd on the side on Sunday afternoon,
    A late injury to Brad Twidale sees veteran Scott Gale move             with the semi-finals being played at Ashgrove - a rare opportunity
    into the starting number-10 jersey for the Students, with Gale         for the side to play a finals match on their home turf.
    partnering young gun Kalani Thomas in the halves.                      Emosi Tuqiri, Maile Ngauamo and Jack Straker will look to lay
    Con Foley and Lukas Ripley start in the centres, with BJ and Kye       the platform for the Gallopers and they’ll go up against George
    Oates and Mac Grealy providing firepower in the back three.            Francis, Ethan Dobbins and Latu Talakai for the Bulldogs.

    Up front, Alex Davies, Jame Hanson and Hamish Richardson will          Standout lock Tuaina Taii Tualima is out for Jeeps, seeing Ollie
    look to put their side on the front foot at scrum time, while former   Bartlett and Dan Byrne start in the second row, while captain
    Wallaby captain Stephen Moore will provide plenty of experience        Michael Richards, Matt Gicquel and Ratu Vio form a strong
    off the bench.                                                         backrow combination.

    Connor Vest and skipper Pat Morrey start in the secondrow,             James Tuttle is also out, with Josh Vuta running on with Jason
    Connor Mitchell, Sam Wallis and wrecking ball Lona Halaholo            Hofmeyr in the halves.
    round out the side.                                                    Mitch Trelevan and Josh Collins line up on the wings, with Pat
    Brothers have finished their season with momentum on the side,         Nicholson at fullback and Maaloga Konelio and Chris Kurindrani in
    the Brethren displaying their best form in the latter half of the      the centres.
    season.                                                                They’ll face off with Isaac Henry and Fletcher Spicer in the Wests
    Lawson Creighton makes his return from injury at fullback,             midfield, while Ben Navosailagi, Ilikena Vudogo and the electric
    pushing Nate Carroll to the wing alongside Billy Bulley. Hudson        Ilaisa Droasese line up in the back three for the Bulldogs.
    Creigthon and Hamish Stewart make for an explosive centre              With Moses Sorovi unavailable, Joel Atkins reclaims his spot at
    pairing, with Joe Powell and Paddy James steering the ship in the      scrumhalf and will partner Carter Gordon in the halves.
    halves.
                                                                           The experienced Rob Puliuvea and Cal Hope start at lock, as
    Rising star Jonte Connolly makes his finals debut in the backrow,      Keynan Tauakipulu, Connor Anderson and Richard Skelton round
    partnering Richard Clift and Noah Nielsen, while Reds rookie of        out the side in the backrow.
    the year Ryan Smith runs on at lock alongside Tom Jeffries.

    Harry Hoopert, Matt Faessler and Tom Moloney will pack down
    in the front row as both sides look to stamp their ticket to the big
    dance at Suncorp Stadium.

8
QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY 2021 | SEMI-FINALS
QUEENSLAND PREMIER RUGBY 2021 | SEMI-FINALS
HOSPITAL
     CHALLENGE CUP
       SEMI-FINAL
       PREVIEWS
12
PAT MORREY

UNIVERSITY OF
 QUEENSLAND
                       13
THE STORY SO FAR                                                THE X-FACTOR
     University of Queensland have again set the benchmark           IONA HALAHOLO
     in 2020, with the Students claiming the minor premiership
     as they shoot for their third title in the past five seasons.   It may be his first season of Premier Rugby, but Iona
                                                                     Halaholo has certainly made his mark for UQ.
     With supercoach Mick Heenan at the helm, the Heavies
     have again expertly weaved youth and experience                 The rampaging backrower has terrorised opposition
     throughout their squad.                                         defenders all season, scoring seven tries in an impressive
                                                                     debut campaign.
     The likes of Con Foley, Scott Gale, Pat Morrey, Sam Wallis
     and Stephen Moore provide the side with a hard-nosed,           Halaholo has the ability to change the game with one
     experienced edge, while rising stars Mosiah Christian,          play, while his metre-eating carries give UQ’s talented
     Mac Grealy and co offer plenty of youthful spark when           backline the space they need to hurt their opposition.
     required.
     Uni dropped just one game in 2021, which saw them
     surrender the Bunter Bowl and Welsby Cup in their final
     match before lockdown against GPS.
     Flying winger BJ Oates topped the Hospital Cup try
     scoring charts, with 13 five-pointers in an impressive
     induvial season as the Students ran in an incredible
     average of 42-points per game.
     They’ll face a star-studded Brothers side who pushed
     them to their very limit in the regular season, with the
     Heavies holding on to a narrow 33-32 win over their
     historical rivals in their last encounter.
     With proven and experienced winners running on across
     the park and the pain of last year’s Grand Final loss to
     spur them on, UQ again loom as one of the favourites to
     lift the trophy next week at Suncorp Stadium.

     THE INSIDE WORD
     Pat Morrey
     “The boys put a lot of hard work in during the season and
     it’s a bit of an extra reward [the minor premiership], but
     no one really remembers the minor premiers, it’s all about
     that big trophy at the end of the season.
     “A lot of our guys were there last year and a lot have been
     there multiple times before so we know the deal. Heeno
     is pretty good at getting the message across, with finals
     nothing really changes, you just have to do the basics a
     little bit better.
     “Brothers have been probably the most improved team
     this season and have come back and found their spot in
     the top four.
     “They’re a team that likes to hold onto the ball, they don’t
     give away easy possession, they attack, attack, attack.

     “We have to go out there and be really physical.”

14
MICHAEL RICHARDS

              GPS
                    15
THE STORY SO FAR                                        “We know it’s a semi-final but we’ve been pretty
                                                             consistent throughout the year, so making sure
     After an up-and-down campaign last year, GPS well       nothing really changes and we execute our plans.
     and truly returned to their best in 2021.               “It’s really special, we’re really looking forward to
     The Gallopers dropped just one game as they             playing a semi-final at home.”
     stamped their authority as the team to beat
     alongside UQ.                                           THE X-FACTOR
     Set-piece strength has again punctuated the Jeeps       Josh Collins
     game plan, with the club’s impressive depth across
     the frontrow anchoring their dominant scrum.            Few can forget Josh Collins scintillating Premier
                                                             Grade debut – a two try showing in the Gallopers
     Backrower Matt Gicquel, who missed last season          2018 semi-final victory against Easts at Ballymore.
     through injury, has been arguably the player of the
     competion this season, with his presence at the         The livewire winger has only improved since that
     breakdown and work rate proving the heart and           day, with his incredible pace and nose for the
     soul of this GPS outfit.                                tryline making him one of the competition’s most
                                                             exciting prospects.
     Jason Hofmeyr has also impressed with his game
     management and cool head in the number-10               Collins has scored seven tries in another strong
     jersey, while Josh Collins and Chris Kuridrani          campaign this year, and with his ability to score
     provide plenty of firepower in the backline.            from anywhere on the field, he’s one player to keep
                                                             an eye on at all times.
     They’ll take on a Wests side who play a similar
     style of Rugby, with both sides physical and
     uncompromising at set-piece with electric backs
     out wide.
     GPS have big game experience on their side, with
     a large contingent of their core playing group in
     successful finals campaigns in recent seasons,
     including their 2018 premiership team.
     Also on the Gallopers side is their home crowd,
     with Yoku Road playing host to the semi-final action
     this weekend.
     The Ashgrove faithful will be vocal on the sidelines
     as they bid to send their team to the big dance next
     weekend.

     THE INSIDE WORD
     Michael Richards
     “Our defence has been the most consistent part of
     our game. Week-to-week, that’s probably been the
     highlight for us and we’ve been really consistent
     throughout the year.
     “Wests have got a big strong forward pack, they’ll
     try and dominate us through the middle, it’s pretty
     obvious the game play they’ll try to implement.
     “They’ll test us on the edges as well, so it’ll be
     really physical upfront and then they’ve got some
     real speed out wide.
     “You learn from previous encounters in finals, for us
     it’s just about keeping everything the same.

16
ROB PULIUVEA

WESTS
                   17
THE STORY SO FAR                                              THE X-FACTOR
     It’s a momentous weekend for the Bulldogs, with their         Ilaisa Droasese
     Hospital Challenge Cup side returning to the finals for the
     first time since 2017.                                        You’d be hard pressed to find a quicker player than Ilasia
                                                                   Droasese.
     It’s been an up-and-down year for the men from Sylvan
     Road, who have at times been their worst enemies in           The Fijian flyer has played across wing, fullback and in the
     several close losses.                                         centres for the Bulldogs this year, adding some serious
                                                                   electricity to the Bulldogs attack.
     None of that matters now, with the Bulldogs out to make
     their mark in their return to the semi-finals.                Droasese can change the game in an instant, and with the
                                                                   likes of Isaac Henry and Carter Gordon dishing quality ball
     The Wests forward pack have established themselves as         inside him, look for him to light up the Yoku Road turf this
     one of the competition’s fiercest, both at set-piece time     weekend.
     and around the park.
     Ethan Dobbins, Liam Usher, George Francis and Bronson
     Tauakipulu have laid the platform at scrum time, while the
     Skelton brothers – Jeremiah and Richie – and skipper
     Connor Anderson provide spark and grit in the backrow.
     In the backline, Isaac Henry has taken his game to new
     heights in 2021 and will look to make his presence known
     on the big stage, while the likes of Ilaisa Droasese and
     Benjamin Navosailagi provide strike power out wide.
     The Bulldogs tested Jeeps in their last encounter, and
     although they eventually fell 33-31, the side will take
     plenty of lessons and confidence from that matchup.
     It’s been a long time between drinks for the Sylvan
     Road faithful and Wests will be raring to change that this
     season.

     THE INSIDE WORD
     Rob Puliuvea
     “It’s a really special time for the club.
     “There’s a couple of boys who have been around
     since the 2017 finals who missed out so there’s some
     redemption plans there.
     “It’s going to be a really good battle up front with Jeeps.
     They’ve always been a class above at scrum time, so
     we’re looking forward to the battle.
     “We proved last time that we are capable of hanging
     around with the top two teams and belong in the top four.
     “We’ll keep doing that to lay the platform for our backs to
     do what they do best and play some running Rugby.
     “What better way to get into the Grand Final than to
     play at Jeeps’ home ground and take the win from them
     there.”

18
HUDSON CREIGHTON

        BROTHERS
                   19
THE STORY SO FAR                                        THE X-FACTOR
     It’s been a season of two halves for Brothers, who      LAWSON CREIGHTON
     have roared into the finals series in the latter part
                                                             After breaking his leg in Round 2, Lawson
     of the competition.
                                                             Creighton makes his long awaited return in the
     After losing their first two games, the Brethren went   butcher’s stripes at fullback this weekend.
     on to win four of their last five matches, including
                                                             Creighton has spent the year with the Reds squad,
     an 83-7 drubbing against Sunnybank in their last
                                                             and will be looking to bring that experience back to
     outing, to secure their spot in the top-four.
                                                             clubland this weekend.
     Fullback Nate Carroll has again been the key man,
                                                             Look for his tactical kicking game and deft
     pulling the strings in attack and kicking goals at
                                                             playmaking skils against the Students, while is
     a high clip, while the return of the club’s Reds
                                                             combination with younger brother Hudson will also
     contingent has also strengthened their finals
                                                             be on show for the Brethren.
     campaign.
     Harry Hoopert, Ryan Smith, Hudson Creighton and
     Hamish Stewart have all seen plenty of game time
     in recent weeks, with Brothers hitting top form with
     them in the side.
     Experienced campaigners Paddy James, Matt
     Faessler and Tom Moloney have again enjoyed
     strong seasons, while youngster Jonte Connoly has
     impressed in his Premier Grade debut year.
     They’ll take on their archrivals UQ on Saturday, with
     attack set to be the order of the day for both teams.
     Brothers have shown their ability to pile on points
     in recent weeks, with their star-studded backline
     regularly racking up scores over 50 this season.

     THE INSIDE WORD
     Hudson Creighton
     “We’re hitting our straps at the right time of the
     year.
     “We’ve got some quality players back who have
     really boosted our squad.
     “Through the years we’ve had a great rivalry with
     UQ and this weekend is going to be no different.
     They’ve shown they’re a class team and if you give
     them an opportunity, they’ll take advantage of it.
     “We have to capitalise on our opportunities and not
     give them chances with silly mistakes in our game.
     “We’ve really grown in strength week-to-week,
     building on our defence and that’s our game style
     that we’re bringing.
     “Our defence is what we’ve built our game around
     and that will hold us in good stead coming up
     against a class team like Uni. Not giving them those
     opportunities and really strangling their possession
     will be the game plan this weekend.”

20
21
WATCH IT LIVE VIA 9GEM OR STAN SPORT

                                      KICK-OFF
                                    3:00PM

                UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND V BROTHERS
                              YOKU ROAD
                        Alex Davies       1      Harry Hoopert
                     James Hanson        2       Matt Faessler
              Hamish Richardson          3       Tom Moloney (c)
                     Pat Morrey (c)      4       Tom Jefferies
                       Connor Vest       5       Ryan Smith
                    Connor Mitchell      6       Jonte Connolly
                        Sam Wallis       7       Noah Neilsen
                     Iona Halaholo       8       Richard Clift
                     Kalani Thomas       9       Joe Powell
                         Scott Gale      10      Patrick James
                         Kye Oates       11      Billy Bulley
                         Con Foley       12      Hamish Stewart
                       Lukas Ripley      13      Hudson Creighton
                           BJ Oates      14      Nathan Carroll
                        Mac Grealy       15      Lawson Creighton

                      Mick Heenan       COACH    Brendan Gabbett

      REFEREE                AR 1                   AR 2                NO. 4
     James Palmer        Reuben Keane           Rohan Hoffman      Charles Marshall

22
WATCH IT LIVE VIA 9GEM AND STAN SPORT

                                        KICK-OFF
                                     3:00PM

                                     GPS V WESTS
                               YOKU ROAD
                       Emosi Tuqiri        1       George Francis
                    Maile Ngauamo          2       Ethan Dobbins
                         Jack Staker       3       Sione Latu Talakai
                         Dan Byrne         4       Cailean Hope
                      Oliver Bartlett      5       Rob Puliuvea
              Ratu Vio Batibasaga          6       Keynan Tauakipulu
                       Matt Gicquel        7       Connor Anderson (c)
              Michael Richards (c)         8       Richard Skelton
                           Josh Vuta       9       Joel Atkins
                     Jason Hofmeyr        10       Carter Gordon
                    Mitch Treleaven       11       Ilikena Vudogo
                    Maaloga Konelio       12       Isaac Henry
                     Chris Kuridrani      13       Fletcher Spicer
                        Josh Collins      14       Ben Navosailagi
                      Pat Nicholson       15       I;aisa Droasese

                      Shane Arnold       COACH     Carl Marshall

      REFEREE                 AR 1                   AR 2                 NO. 4
     Reuben Keane         James Palmer           Rohan Hoffman          Will Pugsley

24
WOMEN’S
SEMI-FINAL
PREVIEWS
             25
ADI UNAISI BIAU

                       GPS
26
THE STORY SO FAR                                                THE X-FACTOR
After falling short in last year’s Grand Final, GPS are out     Elli Mackay
to go one better in 2021 and they’ll kick off their finals      Elli Mackay is back in the saddle for GPS after missing last
campaign with a tough clash against Bond University at          year’s finals campaign through injury.
Yoku Road.
                                                                The young utility back, who has played at flyhalf and in
The Gallopers have ticked the minor premiership off their       the centres for the Gallopers previously, has been named
to do list, dropping just two games to finish on top of the     on the wing for this weekend’s semi-final.
table at the culmination of the regular season.
                                                                Mackay has spent time in the Queensland Reds Super
The side have shown their ability to win big as well as         W program and has plenty of experience to bring to the
grind out games, with this Jeeps outfit able to play several    team despite her young age.
styles of Rugby.
Elli Mackay has starred, with the backline star running in
an equal competition high 10 tries through the season,
while veteran HIilsha Samoa adds an experienced edge
to the pack.
The team have had the added benefit of some
experienced coaching in 2021, with former Queensland
Reds, Bath and Toulon coach Steve Meehan – now
Director of Rugby at GPS – helping out, while Premier
Rugby stalwart Kieren Tyler has also been involved after
suffering a season ending injury.
The side have split their two games with Bond this
season, with the Bullsharks claiming a narrow 20-17
victory in their last meeting in Round 14.
GPS will have a raucous home crowd behind them, with
Ashgrove playing host to the Saturday semi-final.

THE INSIDE WORD
Adi Unaisi Biau
“The girls are in a good head space, they come with a
positive attitude to every training session and are taking it
one week at a time.
“A few of us have been there before and felt that feeling
of losing. Winning the final has definitely been the goal
during the season and the girls are ready.
“It’s just about sticking to the game plan. Our forwards
have been our driver getting us forward, then the backs
finish off the job.
“They [Bond] have got a lot of young, elusive players in
their team, especially with Sevens experience. They’ve
got speed out wide and great ball skills from their
frontrow all the way to the backline.
“I can’t wait. Everyone is really looking forward to playing
at home in front of a home crowd.”

                                                                                                                               27
LEILANI FUIMAONO

         SUNNYBANK
28
THE STORY SO FAR                                          THE X-FACTOR
Sunnybank surrendered their five-year stranglehold        IVANIA WONG
on the Women’s Premier Rugby competition last
                                                          Ivania Wong has enjoyed another stellar season
season, and they’ll be doing everything they can to
                                                          and she’ll be looking to cap it off with a premiership
lift the trophy again this season.
                                                          at Suncorp Stadium next year.
The Bankers finished even on points with minor
                                                          The diminutive winger zips-and-zags around
premiers GPS, with the Gallopers superior win tally
                                                          defenders with ease, while her personal tally of 10
seeing them claim the first piece of silverware on
                                                          tries is the equal highest in the competition.
offer.
                                                          If Sunnybank are to claim victory this weekend,
It’s been the Dragons representative stars who
                                                          Wong will be at the heart of their efforts.
have stood up in 2021, with the likes of Christina
Sekona, Ivania Wong and Kauna Lopa among the
side’s best performers throughout the campaign.
Young gun Luisa Sekona has also impressed,
the talented utility back scoring nine tries for the
season despite spending a number of weeks on
the sidelines due to Reds commitments and injury.
They take on a star-studded Easts outfit at Yoku
Road this Sunday, with the Dragons going in with
confidence after comprehensively beating the
Tigers 53-nil in their last encounter.
As the only Sunnybank team involved in a finals
series this year, the side is flying the flag for the
entire club and is sure to have a healthy crowd
behind them on Sunday.

THE INSIDE WORD
Leilani Fuimaono
“We started off a bit slow, still finding our feet, but
from week-to-week we’ve been building really well.
In the second round we’ve really started to come
out and show what we can do.
“We know that there’s quite a few really gun
players in there for Easts, they’re a really good
team and play well together. We’re ready to come
out firing.
“We’ve always had the culture of one team, one
club. We’re pretty proud to be representing our
club and not only playing for us but playing for all
our teams, management and supporters.
“Composure and discipline will be big, we know
we’ve got the skills to get the job done but it’s
going to come down to us really focussing on our
own game and being patient.”

                                                                                                                   29
MORGAN TE OKA

                 EASTS
30
2020 WRAP                                                THE X-FACTOR
Six premiership wins across the grades was a             April Ngatupuna
Women’s Rugby’s reinvigoration at Tigerland is still
                                                         The inclusion of April Ngatupuna is a massive boost
just in its second year, but the defending premiers
                                                         for Easts. Having been recently contracted to the
finished third after the regular season.
                                                         Gold Coast Titans for the NRLW, it was uncertain
The Tigers started the season with an eight-game         whether Ngatupuna and some of her other team
winning streak, before a mid-season slump saw the        mates would be able to feature for Easts in the
side drop three consecutive games.                       finals, but they’ve been given permission and
                                                         Ngatupuna will pack down at Number 8 on Sunday
They finished strong with four wins on the trot to
                                                         afternoon.
book a place in the finals.
                                                         The former Marsden State High School student
The side will have the luxury of their full contingent
                                                         burst onto the Premier Rugby scene last year for
of Reds stars, with the Tigers naming a star-
                                                         Easts, encouraged to play by her former teachers,
studded XV to take on Jeeps.
                                                         Cobie-Jane Morgan, Asako Ono and Morgan
Rising star Destiny Brill and veteran Cobie Jane-        Te Oka, all whom she will play alongside this
Morgan return in the halves, while the frontrow of       weekend.
Maletina Brown, Laina Cooper Finau and Theresa
                                                         Ngatupuna was rewarded for her form last season
Solai is an imposing force.
                                                         with selection in the Reds Super W set up, and was
Destructive backrower April Ngatupuna starts at          one of the teams top performers in Coffs Harbour
number-eight while Cecilia Smith and Renez Bates         after making her Queensland debut on home soil
provide try scoring strike in the backline.              at Easts.
With title winning experience on the side, Easts
could very well go back-to-back in 2021 if they are
to get past the Gallopers this weekend.

THE INSIDE WORD
Morgan Te Oka
“We’ve got a really good culture and I feel like
that’s the reason why we’ve finished in the finals.
“We’ve got a lot of respect for Sunnybank. They
have some very strong ball runners and hard
workers so we’ve really looked at the way they play
and have been training really well.
“After last year winning six-from-six and having
that type of atmosphere to work with in finals, I’m
really hoping we get the same crowd down for
us this weekend. Our club are really awesome at
supporting our women so fingers crossed we get a
lot of the group down.
“It would mean a lot to go back-to-back. Last year
definitely instilled in a lot of our young girls that
they’re capable of achieving anything and this year
with the experience we have and knowing they can
be successful at this level really helps us.
“Our focus will be around composure and doing
our one-percenters right. Making sure everyone is
doing their job successfully and keeping our work
rate high.”

                                                                                                               31
MADI SHUCK

     BOND UNIVERSITY
32
THE STORY SO FAR                                        the boys and they can watch us and hopefully
                                                        celebrate some good wins.”
The Bond University women’s program is still in its
infancy, but the Bullsharks have already stamped
themselves as one of the competition’s teams to
                                                        THE X-FACTOR
beat.                                                   Sophie Holyman
The Gold Coasters were impacted by Super W              Sophie Holyman has gone from strength-to-
and Sevens commitments for a lot of the season,         strength in 2021 and will be a great asset for the
with many of their stars unavailable, but the side      Bullsharks women at the back of the scrum.
eventually claimed ten wins to finish in fourth spot.   Holyman’s year started with a successful AON
The team regularly racked up scores in excess of        University Sevens campaign, which saw Bond claim
50-points, seeing them finish with a competition        their maiden title. She was then selected for the
high 363 for-and-against tally.                         Queensland Reds Super W campaign and made
                                                        her Queensland debut against NSW in Round 1 of
Depth across positions has been the club’s              the competition.
greatest strength this year, and they’ll get to
showcase that this weekend with their full              Injury prevented Holyman from having her desired
contingent of stars set to run on at Yoku Road.         impact in the Super W competition, but the
                                                        disability support worker is now fully fit and ready
Aleena Greenhalgh, Carola Kreis, Lucy Lockhart,         to deliver for Bond.
Madi Schuck and Sophie Holyman form part of a
mobile and athletic forward pack, with the forwards
looking to lay the platform for their explosive
backline.
The likes of Diaz Seumanutafa, Emily Bass and co
make up a backline full of points and power, with
the side aiming to blow their opposition of the park
on Saturday afternoon.
They’ll do so with massive support from everyone
at the Canal, with the side expecting a large
number of supporters making the trek up the M1
from the Gold Coast.

THE INSIDE WORD
Madi Schuck
“We’re obviously a little bit more prepared this year
than we were last year and now that we’ve got our
Super W and Aon girls back we’re stronger than
ever.
“We’ve probably got the best backline in the entire
women’s competition and we haven’t been able to
field the entire starting team yet, but it should be
coming out this weekend and I can’t wait to see it
in full action.
“We beat them (GPS) in the last round which is
what we wanted heading into a knock-out semi-
final, especially after a month of COVID-lockdown.
We’re feeling really strong and ready to take them
on.
“Bond’s really supportive. They’ve organised some
buses to take us down and back so we can watch

                                                                                                               33
KICK-OFF
                            5:00PM

                  GPS V BOND UNIVERSITY
                      YOKU ROAD
            Hilisha Samoa           1       Madi Shuck
             Rita Etuale (c)        2       Tara Reed
               Shelley Fox          3       Ana Drotini
            Tina Campbell           4       Aleena Greenhalgh
                Tyra Slade          5       Grace Baker
            Adi Unaisi Biau         6       Jemma Bemrose
               Emily Byrne          7       Carola Kreis
               Ana Nasalo           8       Sophie Holyman
               Sarah Lewis          9       Chante Bates
        Gemma Schnaubelt           10       Jetaya Faifua
            Emily Wickham          11       Miya Faifua
              Wasie Toolis         12       Diaz Seumanutafa
             Neevah Ah Ki          13       Mel Wilks
               Elli Mackay         14       Emily Bass
               Isabella Coll       15       Tshinta Kendall

               Kieren Tyler       COACH     Setu Naseri

REFEREE              AR 1                     AR 2               NO. 4
Lara West         Jessica Ling              Mabel Wiki        Robert Brown

                                                                             35
KICK-OFF
                                3:30PM

                        SUNNYBANK V EASTS
                          YOKU ROAD
                  Nadia Swney         1       Tina Brown
                 Brooke Savelio       2       Laina Cooper Brown
               Christina Sekona       3       Theresa Soloai
          Lesa Kaleti Mataafa         4       Clare Akauma
    Vetekina Aho-Fangaloka            5       Annabelle Codey
                  Luana Tongia        6       Alicia Heller
         Leilani Fuimaono (c)         7       Haidee Head
               Okeroa Manihera        8       April Ngatupuna
                     Fallon Ord       9       Destiny Brill
               Monique Moeara        10       Cobie-Jane Morgan
                   Ivania Wong       11       Renez Bates
                   Kauna Lopa        12       Loretta Lealiifano
                    Vani Va’aga      13       Cecilia Smith
       Lowis-Ngarangi Blake          14       Tyesha Mikaio
                  Luisa Sekona       15       Morgan Te Oka (c)

                 Brando Vaaulu      COACH     Tyrell Barker

REFEREE                  AR 1                    AR 2              NO. 4
Jessica Ling           Lara West              Mabel Wiki        Robert Brown

                                                                               37
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