The Bull Sharks have plenty to play for against GPS on the final Saturday of Queensland Premier Rugby at The Canal this weekend.
A victory guarantees the Premier Men a spot in the finals while Colts 1 have top keep winning to secure a top two finish and launch pad into the grand final.
The last time the Premier Men GPS, Bond produced a dominant second half to win 31–24 at Yoku Road, but coach Mick Heenan expects another tough challenge against a side renowned for its strength at set piece.
In Colts 1, coach Rico Gear is demanding a complete 80-minute performance to tune-up for the finals. The attitude wasn’t there last time they faced Jeeps and they paid the price.
Bull Sharks v GPS
Premier Men
Last time they met
Rd 8 2025, at Yoku Road
Bull Sharks won 31-24
The Bull Sharks controlled the game really well in the second half, they were camped in the attacking 22m for the majority of the half, only allowing Jeeps into their own 22m twice.
The forward pack was under a bit of pressure all game, however the defensive lineout was pretty good.
The opposition
They've got a great front row, and their set piece is very strong. There are no surprises with GPS, we know what they do well, and we have to prepare for that.
The focus
We will do a lot of work on set piece as that will be the key area of the game. And also our maul defence. We need to tighten that up.
Shuffling the magnets
We get George Blake back which will help a lot. And Rocco Gollings will come in to play a full game.
The final word
There is a finals berth assured if we win. So, there’s a very big prize to pay for and that should be all the motivation we need.
With Mick Heenan
Colts I
Bull Sharks lost 38-36
The Bull Sharks did enough to win, but the biggest takeaway from Rico Gear was that Jeeps were just a bit more desperate, whereas we had moments where we probably just took the foot off for a little bit.
The opposition
We have to show up with the right frame of mind. We understand more about how they approach the game now. They are actually a very good side, but they get pumped by a few teams. If you look at some of the tries they put together you wonder how it happens.
The focus
I think their vulnerability is on defence. So, we will be aiming to capitalise on that. We will be really accurate with our game management and put pressure on them that way.
Shuffling the magnets
We got Jonah Rangiwai back last week, he played 35 minutes in the first half and then we gave him another seven or eight minutes in the second half. He was solid, his scrummaging was great, set piece was right up there, scrum penalties. He just needs more rugby. He hasn’t played many minutes lately.
We may play an extra forward on the bench.
The final word
We are aiming for a complete performance in terms of attitude and game management. We were close last week, but there was a 5-minute period when we were well in front in the second half where we got a bit complacent, started getting a bit too cute with how we played, and it invited them back into the game.
With Rico Gear