Greg Davis 22/06/2025

“Just win, baby” The catchphrase of the late owner of the Oakland/LA/Las Vegas Raiders NFL team Al Davis rang true at Bottomley Park after the Stara Easts Tigers claimed a 45-29 win over Bond University in Round 12 of the StoreLocal Hospital Cup. The colourful and controversial Davis favoured substance over style. Winning was the only thing that mattered. Your job, was to get the job done. The bottom line was the scoreline. Simple. Just like the NFL standings, the Hospital Cup ladder does not contain a column for how attractive a victory appears. Pretty doesn’t count. Gritty does. After...

Greg Davis 15/06/2025

To paraphrase the late, great US singer Meat Loaf, “don’t feel sad, nine out of 10 ain’t bad.’’ The Stara Easts Tigers suffered their first defeat in the StoreLocal Hospital Cup since 10 August 2024 when they fell to a 46-29 loss at the hands of Wests at Sci-Fleet Stadium in Round 11. The nine-game winning streak to open the 2025 title tilt came to an abrupt end for the high-flying Tigers as the Bulldogs piled on five tries after halftime to be the only team to lower Easts’ colours this season. Easts were without injured powerhouse no.8 Nuku Swerling,...

Greg Davis 25/05/2025

Eli Pilz…you little beauty. The inspirational Stara Easts Tigers co-captain produced a series of match-winning heroics to guide his side to a stunning 38-36 victory over Sunnybank in a Round 8 StoreLocal Hospital Cup thriller. With the undefeated Tigers trailing by eight points with four minutes left on the clock, the crafty halfback proceeded to score 10 points via his deadly right boot and sure hands to extend Easts’ winning streak in 2025 to seven games. With time elapsed and the sides locked together at 36-all, Pilz cut a cool, calm and collected figure on the left-hand touchline and slotted...

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...

QLD Rugby 09/08/2024

Written by Queensland Rugby Media Unit, courtesy of qld.rugby Source article SOUTHS V WESTS Sunday 11 August, 3:05pm – Souths Rugby Club Souths George Francis Callum Lauder Phransis Sula-Siaosi Jake Kurbatoff Samual Von Blanckensee Sean Farrell Kohan Herbert John Bryant Finn Hearn Harry McLaughlin-Phillips Tye James Vilikesa Raboiliku Viliami Lea Alofa Alofa Lachie Stewart Wests Jack Spencer Ethan Dobbins Tianna Tauakipulu Max Johnson Cal Hope Daniel Maiava Brad Kelegai Connor Anderson Louis Werchon Mason Gordon Henry Speight Fletcher Spicer Mosese Dawai Charlie Tupu Lachlan Kerr UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND V BOND UNIVERSITY Saturday 10 August, 12:05pm – University of Queensland Rugby...

QLD Rugby 12/07/2024

Written by Queensland Rugby Media Unit, courtesy of qld.rugby Source article View this post on Instagram A post shared by QLDPremierRugby (@qldpremierrugby) UNIVERSITY V EASTS Saturday 13 July, 3:05pm – University of Queensland Rugby Club University 1. Alex Davies 2. Jake Tierney 3. Jackson Clarke 4. Jacob Blyton 5. Jack Brady 6. Adam Korczyk 7. William Rua 8. Matt Engelbrecht 9. Flynn McDermott 10. Brad Twidale 11. Samuela Tuisau 12. Tom Molloy 13. James Simpson-Te Pairi 14. Friedrich Keil 15. Kye Oates Easts 1. Tom Fowler 2. Andrew Ready 3. Sam Finocchiaro 4. Will Sankey 5. Xavier Boyle 6. George...

QLD Rugby 05/07/2024

Written by Queensland Rugby Media Unit, courtesy of qld.rugby Source article With a host of backrowers at his disposal, Souths coach Garrick Morgan has gotten creative after the competition bye, thrusting star flanker Kohan Herbert into the centres for their clash against Easts in the StoreLocal Hospital Cup. The Magpies have welcomed back emerging Reds staple John Bryant and the experienced Sean Farrell back for the contest at David Wilson Field, while Connor Vest - who has already suited up at number 6 and 8 for Souths this season - will assume a spot in the second row. This leaves...

QLD Rugby 07/06/2024

Written by Jim Tucker, courtesy of qld.rugby Source articleEasts game-breaker Eli Pilz will have a rare week off on Saturday with a knee niggle forcing him out of the clash against GPS at Bottomley Park.Young Sam Farrar has been promoted at halfback while stalwart No.8 Henry Olsen will take over as captain while Pilz is sidelined.An 18-14 loss last weekend was both credit to Norths and the Tigers falling to their bogey team again.“It’s a mental game for us going to Norths and we have to get better at it. Norths have risen to the occasion a number of times,”...

QLD Rugby 31/05/2024

Written by Queensland Rugby Media Unit, courtesy of qld.rugby Source article Australian rugby stalwart James O’Connor will play just his third club game in the past two years as he returns for Brothers for their mammoth clash against GPS at Yoku Road in Round 9 of the StoreLocal Hospital Cup. O’Connor hasn’t pulled on the butcher’s stripes since Round 18 last year – a 13-point win over Easts – when he scored a try and played a sizeable hand in setting up one of Lawson Creighton’s 30-point haul that afternoon. That was his only Hospital Cup appearance in 2023 –...

QLD Rugby 24/05/2024

Written by Queensland Rugby Media Unit, courtesy of qld.rugby Source article Grand finalists Wests Bulldogs have taken steps to shake up their modest recent form for Saturday’s clash against Easts at Bottomley Park. Back-to-back losses to GPS (36-19) and Brothers (31-12) have left the Bulldogs searching for answers in this key match-up in Round Eight of the StoreLocal Hospital Cup. “We’ve had a couple of rough weeks and there’s definitely been some soul searching within the team,” Wests skipper Connor Anderson said. “We had a team dinner on Wednesday and got into a good training session on Thursday. The answers...