A tearaway bench hooker who toiled through the grades has given Bulimba Bulldogs the spark to overcome West Brisbane Panthers for the second time this year.
Coming on midway through the first half, diminutive Will Hobbs “changed the game” according to his coach Mitch Edwards, fuelling a 22-20 win over the reigning premiers.
The Bulldogs were up to the challenge from the opening whistle and raced out to a 12-0 lead, which the Panthers ran down to square it up at halftime.
West Brisbane then took a 16-12 lead after halftime, but then Bulimba scored on their next set to tie it up again, then getting it to 22-16 with five minutes remaining.
There were some nervous moments for the home side after they went down to 12 men in the first hit-up off the kickoff – losing a player to injury having used all their interchanges – and the Panthers pounced by crossing the stripe, but the conversion missed and the Bulldogs held on.
Despite just a handful of A grade games under his belt this season, Hobbs helped sway the momentum when he broke the line in his first run out of dummy-half.
A member of Bulimba’s under 20s in 2021, he started the season in reserve grade where he scored five tries in two games and soon earned a Hastings Deering Colts contract with Brisbane Tigers.
Hobbs said he “came on and just played footy, did my job and got stuck in there with the boys”.
“Mitch (Edwards) just said to not overplay my hand, go out and do my job and when something pops up, have a crack,” he said.
“I caught a couple of offloads off the forward and there were a couple of fast play-the-balls to help get us on the front foot for attacking sets.
“It’s great to be taking the field with Bulimba, it’s a great club, a great culture there.
“I’ve been working for this for three years at Bulimba and finally being able to have a crack at A grade is really good and then getting a Colts contract is definitely something I’ve been working towards.”
Bulldogs coach Edwards said Hobbs “changed the game for us”, rising to the challenge he issued to the players ahead of a game that was crucial to them staying in the mix with the leading teams.
“We were up for it, basically. They’re the bullies of the competition, so we wanted to make a point we wouldn’t let them come here and bully us,” he said.
“It was a really good time to lean on some emotional energy and see how hard we could get up for the big dogs of the competition, knowing that if we want to get up and be able to compete for the title, we can beat them.
“The test for us is to acknowledge we used a bit of emotional energy and see if we can come back up for Wynnum.
“It’s a massive game for us. Being the only team to beat Wests in the last two years, doing it twice now, should give us a lot of confidence but Wynnum and Valleys are still two teams you’ve got to be able to get over and we haven’t beaten either of those teams this year either, so it’s a big game in the context of us being able to back up, repeat efforts and also understanding playing a top quality side that plays a different brand of footy.”
They may need to do it without Hayden Herbert, who could be in doubt with a groin issue, someone Edwards was full of praise for the way he had taken his game to another level in 2023.
“Hayden’s footy has stepped up to probably the best footy he’s played since coming to Bulimba. It started at Brighton, he was starting to find line breaks, looking dynamic, adjusting himself well,” he said.
“I think what Darren (Ferricks) did with him with Brisbane Red (in the XXXX Chairman’s Challenge) gave him a lot of confidence, which has worked well for us.”
Main image: Will Hobbs on the ball against Brighton Roosters earlier this season. Photo: D&T Sports Photographer/@_dt_sports
South East region
2023 Brisbane Rugby League Premier A grade
Round 9 results
Wynnum Manly Juniors 38 def Carina Juniors 8
Bulimba Bulldogs 22 def West Brisbane Panthers 20
Normanby Hounds 26 def Valleys Diehards 18
Brighton Roosters 44 def Souths Juniors 12
Ladder
2023 South East Women’s Holcim Cup
Round 7 results
Goodna Eagles def Wynnum Manly Juniors (forfeit)
Runaway Bay Seagulls 24 def Nerang Roosters 10
Ormeau Shearers 46 def Beenleigh Pride 0
Currumbin Eagles 30 def Valleys Diehards 20
Ladder
Ipswich Jets A Grade Cup
Round 9 results
Brothers Ipswich 40 def Fassifern Bombers 16
Redbank Plains Bears 18 def Swifts Bluebirds 16
Ladder
North region
2023 FNQRL Men’s A grade
Round 9 results
Cairns Brothers 26 def Ivanhoes Knights 14
Mareeba Gladiators 38 def Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks 28
Edmonton Storm 30 def Atherton Roosters 24
Tully Tigers 62 def Southern Suburbs 26
Yarrabah Seahawks 37 def Cairns Kangaroos 36
Ladder
2023 FNQRL Open Women’s
Round 7 results
Edmonton Storm 18 drew with Atherton Roosters 18
Cairns Kangaroos 52 def Yarrabah Seahawks 12
Ladder
2023 Northern Peninsula Area Rugby League
Round 1 results
Alau Eagles 18 def Bamaga Roos 4
Injinoo Crocs 24 def New Mapoon Warriors 22
Ladder not available
2023 Rugby League Townsville District Men’s A grade
Round 8 results
Brothers Townsville 50 def Western Lions 6
Burdekin Roosters 26 def Centrals Tigers 20
Souths Bulls 30 def Herbert River Crushers 16
Charters Towers Miners 18 def Norths Devils 16
Ladder
2023 Rugby League Townsville District Women’s A grade
Round 8 results
Western Lions 4 def Brothers Townsville 0
Centrals Tigers 26 def Burdekin Roosters 0
Charters Towers 20 def Norths Devils 18
Ladder
2023 NQBE Mackay Men’s A grade
Round 7 results
Carltons Devils 32 drew with Moranbah Miners 32
Mackay Magpies 40 def Mackay Brothers 8
Sarina Crocodiles 22 def Whitsunday Brahmans 14
Wests Tigers 34 def Souths Sharks 18
Ladder
2023 Mackay Airport Women’s A grade
Round 3 results
Mackay Brothers 32 def Carltons Devils 16
Mackay Magpies 38 def Sarina Crocodiles 10
Moranbah Miners 30 def Souths Sharks 0
Ladder
Central region
2023 4BU/HITZ FM Bundaberg Rugby League A Grade Men
Round 9 results
Wests Panthers 36 def Wallaroos 10
Waves Tigers 38 def Hervey Bay Seagulls 8
Past Brothers 30 def Easts Magpies 18
Ladder
2023 Central Burnett Rugby League Men’s A grade
Round 7 results
Monto Roos 64 def Eidsvold Eagles 22
Mundubbera Tigers 24 def Gayndah Gladiators 20
Ladder
2023 Emerald Industrial Supplies Central Highlands Men’s A grade
Round 9 results
Emerald Tigers 20 def Peak Downs Pirates 12
Clermont Bears 56 def Emerald Brothers 0
Dysart Bulls def Bluff Rabbitohs (forfeit)
Springsure Mountain Men 34 def Middlemount Panthers 28
Ladder
2023 Wellshot Hotel Central West Rugby League Men’s A grade
Preliminary final
Blackall Magpies 26 def Barcaldine Sandgoannas 24
Blackall to play Longreach/Ilfracombe in the grand final
Northern Districts Rugby League 2023 Men’s Premiership
Round 9 results
South Kolan Sharks 42 def Miriam Vale Magpies 12
Avondale Tigers 30 def Gin Gin Hawks 16
Ladder
2023 Rockhampton Men’s A grade
Round 9 results
Yeppoon Seagulls 42 def Fitzroy-Gracemere Sharks 12
Emu Park 30 drew with Brothers Rockhampton 30
Ladder
2023 Intersport Yeppoon Rockhampton Women’s A grade
Round 9 results
Fitzroy/Gracemere Sharks 24 def Yeppoon Seagulls 14
Emu Park 54 def Brothers Rockhampton 4
Wallaby RLFC 52 def Norths Chargers 0
Ladder
2023 Roma District Rugby League Men’s A-grade
Round 7 results
Miles Devils 28 def Roma Cities 16
Chinchilla Bulldogs 20 def St George 18
Mitchell Magpies 20 def Wallumbilla/Surat Red Bulls 6
Ladder
2023 Rugby League Gladstone Men’s A grade
Round 6 results
Valleys 24 def Brothers 22
Tannum Sands Seagulls 64 def Wallaby RLFC 4
Ladder
South Burnett Ken Mills Isuzu Men’s A grade
Round 5 results
Cherbourg Hornets 32 def Wondai Wolves 30
Kingaroy Red Ants 34 def Murgon Mustangs 28
Ladder
Toowoomba Rugby League Hutchison Builders Men’s A grade
Round 8 results
Warwick Cowboys 34 def Pittsworth Danes 24
Toowoomba Valleys 62 def Toowoomba Brothers 10
Oakey Bears 54 def Newtown Lions 6
Dalby Diehards 36 def Goondiwindi Boars 26
Gatton Hawks 38 def Southern Suburbs 14
Wattles Warriors 44 def Highfields Eagles 20
Ladder
Toowoomba Rugby League Toowoomba Sports Club A Grade Women 2023
Round 8 results
Oakey Bears 8 def Newtown Lions 6
Gatton Hawks 50 def Southern Suburbs 0
Ladder
2023 Border Rugby League Men’s A grade
Round 7 results
Texas Terriers 32 def Tenterfield Tigers 16
Eastern Suburbs Hornets 44 def McIntyre Warriors 18
Inglewood 26 def Stanthorpe Gremlins 18
Ladder