Sport
24 September, 2021
Grand Final Glory Eludes the Warriors Reserves
Despite their best efforts the Wattles ‘South East Engineering Services Pty Ltd’ lineup fell short on Sunday of snaring a third TRL reserve grade premiership for the Platz Oval based club, finishing 32 – 18 behind eventual premiers the Gatton Hawks at Toowoomba’s Clive Berghofer Stadium.
On the end of his eighth year in green and gold, co-player coach Garth Lonergan showered praise on his charges who have been in shining form over the couple of months coming in to the fi nals, and rising from fourth rung on the ladder to make ‘the big dance’.
In other matches on the Toowoomba Rugby League’s blue-ribbon day the Goondiwindi Boars outlasted the Highfields Eagles 26 – 20 in the Hutchinson’s Builders A Grade clash, with Allora connected former Wattles bookend Will O’Gradey an imposing figure for the youthful Eagle.
The Gatton Hawk’s won the initial TRL Toowoomba Sports Club Open Women’s premiership on the back of a player of the match performance by Courtney Nolan overwhelming the impressive Warwick Cowboys 30 – 10.
The Dalby Diehards drew fi rst blood on the grand fi nal program with a 22 – 14 win over Highfi elds thanks to a strong second stanza in the Under 18 Grand Final.
The Wattles Warriors reserve graders have been knocking at the door of a grand final in recent seasons and Lonergan, a key cog in the Wattles line-up over that time, is upbeat about the future of the team despite some possible looming retirements.
“It was a mission to make the Grand Final” said Lonergan, “but we dropped too much ball and slid off our game plan somewhat and you can’t do that against a side like Gatton.” “In terms of the game, unfortunately it was our worst for the year, we just couldn’t get a roll on, but we were competitive and everyone put their best foot forward”. Lonergan rated Joe Morris, Mitch Bourke and front-rower Harry Shooter as the big performers in one very tough outingGatton 32 (Dean Bichel, Paul Iopu, Taylor Hawthorne, Dominic Haak, Bailey Williams, Brandon Clarke tries; Jagon Swan 4 goals) defeated Wattles 18 (Jordan Henry, Mitch Bourke, Josh Henry tries; Tom Morris 3 goals).
Wattles Reserve Grade team: Josh Henry, Mitch Bourke, Brenden Wilson, Dale McAntee, Lachlan Henry, Joe Morris, Tom Morris, Ben Duff, Jack Duggan, Jordan Henry, Garth Lonergan (c), Tim Duggan, Nick Morris. Interchange: Matt Ilijas, Will Wallace, Darby Peardon, Alex Morris, Jason Wilson, Terry Bermingham, Harry Shooter, Elie Adamson, Tim Exelby, James Wolski.
Coaches: Garth Lonergan/Nick Morris. Manager: Ted Shooter. FAO’s: Heather Hoey, Tom Hoey. League Safe: Neil Wilson, Joel Monckton.
Glyn Rees
