Greg Davis 14/04/2025

Easts 22 defeated Bond University 20 at Bond University IT was wet, wild and willing on the water-logged Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon. But cool, calm and collected co-captain Eli Pilz rose above the calamity to kick the Stara Easts Tigers to a gutsy 22-20 victory over Bond University. The Tigers remain undefeated in their 2025 StoreLocal Hospital Cup title tilt with their third-straight victory that was built on toughness and tenacity after torrential weather lashed Bond’s home ground to the point that the 3.05pm kick-off was pushed back. Pilz’s decisive penalty goal from 25 metres out and to the left of the...

Greg Davis 07/04/2025

AMERICAN novelist James Lane Allen never quite made it to Bottomley Park. However, the 19th century writer’s famous quote – “adversity does not build character, it reveals it” – rang loud and true around Tigerland in Round 2 of the StoreLocal Hospital Cup. It was gritty – not pretty - but the character-filled 31-28 comeback victory over Wests was a thing of beauty for the Stara Easts Tigers who remain undefeated in 2025. The visiting Bulldogs led 21-7 after 28 minutes and then held a 28-19 buffer in the second half after a host of momentum swings delivered a cracking high-quality...

Jim Tucker 20/07/2023

The upgraded David Wilson Field is back in action on Saturday for the rare return of Australia A flanker Brad Wilkin to the Easts jersey. The improvements in drainage under a full grass cover will make the main field at Bottomley Park the best July club surface in Brisbane. Playing on the main field again has been much anticipated and a headline match against premiers Wests guarantees an excellent turnout for the Paul Mooney Cup clash.  The diehard support from the can bar corner will also be corralled a little differently. The intimidating rumble that envelops rival teams in that tryline...

Jim Tucker 21/09/2022

Greg Riley’s first premiership for Easts was 20 years in the making and it tasted just as satisfying as he thought it would. [caption id="attachment_14026" align="alignright" width="225"] Easts' grand final fans came in all ages like Kohen, 17 months[/caption] Of all the victory stories and celebrations from grand final weekend, no one had toiled longer to deserve it than the 40-year-old lock from third grade. The Tigers had plenty to celebrate with premierships in thirds, fourths and fifths from Saturday’s action at Wests Rugby Club and a shared Colts 1 premiership from the club season finale at Suncorp Stadium on...

Jim Tucker 16/09/2022

Wallaroos skipper Shannon Parry has been given the all-clear to play for Easts in the quest for a third straight women’s premiership at Suncorp Stadium.   Backrower Parry has got lucky with Sunday’s decider falling between two training camps before the Wallaroos’ departure for the Rugby World Cup for women in New Zealand. It’s a huge boost of expertise and calm-headed experience for such a big game against Bond University. In all, the Tigers have five grand finals to stir club spirit over the weekend. Fifths (noon), fourths (1.30pm) and thirds (3pm) play their deciders at Wests Rugby Club on...

Jim Tucker 15/09/2022

The “Team of the Grand Finals” is finally in with club supporters voting for standout performers and club favourites in a fascinating XV.    Over the course of the season, the club has given supporters the chance to vote for their favourite high achievers in each position via social media.    Only those players with a starting role in Easts’ five men’s premiership sides were eligible which means decorated Wallabies like David Wilson and Peter McLean were not listed.    Some players like flanker Michael Gunn (2013 and 2020), Peter Murdoch (1997 and 1999) and Richard Graham (1997 and 1999)...

Jim Tucker 09/09/2022

The family vibe around the Soloai family’s enjoyment of Easts even stretches to eight-year-old Brooklyn joining mum for pre-game warm-ups. When you talk of Easts as a family club there is no better example than this nonstop household of footy boots, jerseys, socks, training kit and misplaced mouthguards. Prop Theresa is already through to the September 18 grand final at Suncorp Stadium after her try-scoring stamp for the women’s team in the tough 17-7 semifinal win over GPS. We talk of power couples in footy. The Soloais definitely fit the tag because husband Thayne will be shunting away at prop...

Jim Tucker 01/09/2022

Search the rugby dictionary for the term “club stalwart” and you find names like Easts’ fifth grade halfback Mitch Gunning.  No prime-time 3pm kick-offs for him. He hasn’t played a match in that slot since school days at Villanova College in 2009.  On Sunday morning, he’ll be just as sharp for a breakfast kick-off at 9am for the Easts-Wests minor semi-final in fifths at Ashgrove.  Gunning, 30, has almost been a Tiger from the cradle. Give or take, he’s in his 23rd season since first running around randomly in Under-7s.  He was certainly down at the club before then because...

Jim Tucker 26/08/2022

The 2008 premiership was only the start of the party that put Easts on top of Australian rugby for the first time.   Skipper Jade Ingham and his men celebrated long and loud after the 22-21 victory over Brothers to end a 19-year drought without the Hospital Cup. One of the spin-offs was entry into the Australian Club Championship clash early the following season. The annual meeting of the Brisbane and Sydney premiers was only spasmodically played during the 1990s so the Tigers’ 1997 and 1999 sides never got the chance to bid for the gong as Australia’s top club....

Jim Tucker 17/08/2022

Easts has enjoyed an international flavour few fully appreciate because the likes of Anton Toia, Richard Kinsey, Arwel Thomas, the Rauluni brothers and Grant Batty made the club their home. For some, it might have been a one-season stopover on a bigger rugby journey. For others like Toia and his family, the Tigers became a major part of a new life. The roll call of players from multiple points on the rugby map who found footy, mates for life and fun at Easts is impressive. Baby-faced young flyhalf Thomas (Wales), prop Darren Morris (Wales) and lock Stewart Campbell (England) went...