Round 9 of the Hastings Deering Colts dished up some of the closest competition seen in 2023, with three matches decided by a field goal.
Here is a wrap of Round 9 of the Colts competition.
Games of the week
In a round that saw a number of teams step up to challenge the heavyweights of the competition, there are three matches that take the mantle for “game of the week”.
The Wynnum Manly Seagulls and Western Clydesdales kicked off Round 9 on Saturday with an absolute nail-biter, that saw Wynnum Manly halfback Jordan Davies claim a 35-34 victory with less than two minutes left on the clock.
Davies kicked a field goal to claim the two points over the 13th-placed Clydesdales, who showed a lot of guts to push the fifth-placed Seagulls to the limit.
Then, later on Saturday, Tweed and Mackay engaged in a blockbuster showdown at BB Print Stadium.
With the Seagulls up 14-10 right before halftime, halfback Elliott Speed kicked a field goal to give his team an edge.
Both teams kept coming in the second stanza but, despite Mackay’s efforts, they heartbreakingly missed a conversion right on fulltime, handing Tweed the 21-20 win.
The round was then wrapped up with one final field goal victory, in a blistering rivalry showdown between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
In an end-to-end match, the Falcons handed the Tigers their first loss of the season, with captain Blake Ginman kicking the winning field goal with eight minutes left on the clock.
The Falcons then withstood an onslaught from the Tigers in the remaining time, producing thrilling scenes at Totally Workwear Stadium.
The Sunshine Coast finished with the 31-30 victory.
Other scores
Townsville Blackhawks 56 def Ipswich Jets 6
Redcliffe Dolphins 42 def Norths Devils 8
Central Queensland Capras 38 def Northern Pride 14
Byes: Burleigh Bears and Souths Logan Magpies
Mover of the week
The Tigers’ first loss of the season has seen them slip two places on the ladder, with Redcliffe back in the lead.
Tweed also leapfrogged Brisbane with their one-point win over Mackay to sit in second.
The battle between the top five remains red-hot, with Townsville also moving into fourth ahead of Wynnum Manly.
Shout outs
In a close round, there were a number of standout players.
Tweed No.7 Elliott Speed was the match winner for the Seagulls, kicking a field goal while also scoring a try and making 26 tackles. Wynnum Manly’s halfback Jordan Davies also claimed the victory over the Western Clydesdales with a field goal.
Davies also scored a try, ran 100 metres, made four tackle busts, kicked for 171 metres and made 28 tackles. For Sunshine Coast, lock Blake Ginman kicked the winning field goal in a huge game for the Falcons skipper.
Elsewhere, Mackay Cutters fullback Kane Simon set up a try, ran for 263 metres and made 13 tackle busts in an effort worthy of this week’s Heavy Lifter title while Townsville prop Jeremiah Matautia scored a try, ran for 223 metres, had seven tackle busts and two line breaks against Ipswich.
Heavy lifter: Kane Simon
Ragarive Wavik, Jai Hansen and Cathane Hill all scored doubles for Townsville, as did Nathaniel Tangimataiti for Wynnum Manly, while Kealhan O’Brien made 40 tackles for Norths Devils.