Austbrokers Canberra CRC First Grade
Queanbeyan Blues 13 (Tries: A Misios, K O'Donnell; Goals: T Campese 2; Field Goal: T Campese) d Queanbeyan Kangaroos 6 (Tries: T Aroha-Tuinauvai; B Crisp goal)
A late try to Queanbeyan Blues prop Kyle O’Donnell has seen his side claim the Austbrokers Canberra CRC First Grade Grand Final 13-6 over the Queanbeyan Kangaroos at Seiffert Oval on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues led 7-6 after captain-coach Terry Campese kicked a 55th-minute field goal before O’Donnell crashed over from close range as the Blues assumed one hand on the Cup.
Campese was awarded man-of-the-match after a performance in which he was involved in everything, playing a hand in a number of tries, blasting a 40/20 and proving a deadeye from the tee.
The Blues went agonisingly close to nabbing first points after Campese slammed home a 40/20 eight minutes in.
They spread the ball left in the ensuing set and found winger Brendon Taueki, but a desperate Kangaroos cover defence extinguished the flames of the promising attack as Taueki bundled into touch.
But the Blues again found themselves in Roos territory just moments later and this time would pick the lock, halfback Adam Misios tearing through to plant a Campese grubber in the 14th minute.
The former NSW Blues playmaker added the extras to hand his side a 6-0 buffer, but the Roos would waste no time in striking back.
Les McIntyre Medallist Brent Crisp sent the Steeden swirling into the heavens that Taueki was not able to contain, spilling the high ball before Roos winger Tolokana Aroha-Tuinauvai raced through to clean up the crumbs and dot down 17 minutes in.
Crisp made things six-apiece from the tee before the Roos went tantalisingly close to stealing the lead just moments later, halfback Josh Essex crashing over the line but spilling his lollies.
The Roos thought they had broken a six-apiece half-time deadlock early in the second term when winger Jedidiah Simbiken tore up the right edge to snatch up a Crisp punt.
But the Papua New Guinean flyer was deemed to have brushed the sideline and the Blues would rub salt into the wound when Campese made a cunning move to pocket a field goal and hand his side a 7-6 lead.
Aroha-Tuinauvai barnstormed the Roos into Blues territory with a full-throttle linebreak up the middle, but Campese and centre Tyler Stevens would hunt down the former West Belconnen Warrior in a desperate chase.
O’Donnell barraged his way over just after the hour mark to extend the Blues’ lead to more than a converted try ahead, a buffer that would see his side stave off the Roos in a hard-fought local derby for the ages.
Watch the highlights in the video above
Katrina Fanning Shield
Queanbeyan Blues 36 (Tries: R Hart, Y Meakes, K Kapea, S Carter, S Wood, R Wilton, I Macarthur; Goals: S Wood) d Goulburn Stockmen 16 (Tries: P Rakete 2, J Ottaway; Goals: L Kelly 2)
A barrage of second-half tries has propelled the Queanbeyan Blues to a 36-16 victory over the Goulburn Stockmen to claim the inaugural Katrina Fanning Shield at Seiffert Oval on Sunday.
The Blues took a slim 16-6 lead into the break before running in four tries in the second stanza to the Stockmen’s two to complete an undefeated season.
The Blues’ Yasmin Meakes starred for the hosts with a try and a wealth of metres, while teammate Sammie Wood bagged a try of her own and kicked well from the tee all day.
Queanbeyan drew first blood when winger Keesha Kapea iced a sweeping passage of passes to cross on the left edge to hand the Blues a 4-0 lead 12 minutes in.
The Blues had a second when Sarah Carter put the finishing touches on a right-edge linebreak before Wood added the extras to hand her side a 10-0 buffer.
But the Blues then opened the door for a Stockmen rampage when they spilled their lollies off the kick-off.
Goulburn’s first points followed when captain Pearl Rakete crashed over in the ensuing set before Lauren Kelly made no mistake from the tee to make things 10-6.
But Queanbeyan would waste no time in striking back, storming up-field before Regan Hart sliced through under the posts.
Wood put the ball over the black dot to extend the Blues’ lead to 16-6 before her side took the 10-point cushion into the break.
Queanbeyan continued to pile on the pressure early in the second half when Irene Macarthur swooped from dummy-half from close range and bustled her way over to the left of the uprights in the 35th minute.
Wood made no mistake from the tee as the Blues shot out to a 22-6 lead, before the star playmaker again found herself among the points just three minutes later.
Goulburn dropped the Steeden in Queanbeyan’s own 30-metre area and Wood cleaned up the crumbs with open pastures ahead and pace to burn before adding the extras again.
The Blues continued to surge when Meakes channelled the balance of a gymnast on the balance beams, hurtling down the right touchline from 60 metres out and exercising remarkable calm at full pelt to avoid the white line.
The try made things 32-6 eight minutes from full-time before the Blues crossed for another four-pointer in the first set off the kick-off.
The Stockmen pocketed two tries late in the game but the game had well and truly been put to bed.
See all the highlights here
In Reserve Grade the West Belconnen Warriors completed a second half comeback to defeat the Blues 18-16.
The Woden Valley Rams claimed the U18s premiership with a 20-16 win over the Goulburn Workers Bulldogs, while West Belconnen also claimed the Ladies League Tag title with a 14-8 win over Goulburn.
