Skip to main content
Start of main content.

Season over for Bull Sharks

Kali Nasoko

Bond University have missed out on a Queensland Premier Rugby grand final berth after going down to a strong Brothers side 42-17 at Yoku Road on Saturday.

How it unfolded

Brothers secured their first points through a powerful rolling maul but Bond sharpshooter Hamish Roberts bridged the gap with a penalty goal in the opening 10 minutes.

The Bull Sharks were looking dominant in the forwards and prop George Blake crashed over from close range to take the lead 10-5 after 25 minutes. But Brothers would prove why they are a real contender by scoring two tries in nine minutes to lead 19-10 at the break. 

Brothers extended their lead five minutes into the second half following some crisp passing on the edge before the Bull Sharks responded through barnstorming backrower Tomas Grenon who got the pass away to Kali Nasoko to score in the corner. That brought the margin back to seven points with 30 minutes left to play. 

Bond became their own worst enemy through numerous errors and set-piece mistakes which saw Brothers dominate field position. They were able to capitalise by scoring 15 points in the space of 17 minutes.

In the end Brothers proved too good for the Bull Sharks, taking out the 25-point victory and ending Bond University’s 2023 campaign.

What they said

Captain Lachlan Connors was disappointed in the result but couldn’t fault the effort.

“I saw a bunch of blokes trying their absolute hardest to win and when you try too hard, mistakes happen,” Connors said.

“We pushed passes and we were not strong over the ball which led to turnovers.”

Overall, it was a solid improvement from a fifth-placed finish in 2022 to minor premiers and a finals appearance in 2023.

“It’s been a great turnaround this year but what has impressed me the most has been our ability to hang in games and have the composure to pull out some brilliance to find a way to win,” Connors said.

“That takes a lot of hard work and grit which is how I would sum up the season.”

Connors also noticed a shift in culture towards a winning mindset under coach Grant Anderson this season.  

“Ando had a big impact on the group around the style and thinking he had on the type of rugby that suited us,” he said.

“It was all about what we can do to exploit the opposition and how we can realise our own potential.

“We had tremendous buy-in from the playing group and that hard-work mindset led to the success we had throughout the year which became infectious.” 

What’s next

Although the men’s season may be over, the attention turns to the Premier Women as they prepare for their grand final match-up with Sunnybank.

The Dragons booked their place by defeating UQ to set up the enticing clash between the competition’s two heavyweights on Sunday morning at Ballymore Stadium.

More from Bond

  • What’s in a name? Plenty if you’re Indigenous

    When Associate Professor Daryl McPhee contributed to changing the name of Fraser Island to K’gari in 2022, many couldn’t understand why but the answer was and still is, simple.

    Read article
  • Don’t give up your day job even though AI is coming to a phone and business near you

    Many experts argue that while AI will reshape the nature of work, it won’t eradicate the need for human labour.

    Read article
  • Stephanie trades Bond for China

    Bond graduate Stephanie Smith has been named the overall Young Leader of The Australian Financial Review’s Women in Leadership Awards for 2024.

    Read article
  • An unexpected Century in the QAFLW

    This weekend Bond's QAFLW team will be celebrating their 100th game in the league. Current senior captain, Paris Lightfoot and Bond AFL board member, Sam Schiphorst talk reflect on the programs development.

    Read article
  • Amber's target

    Having already broken records and won World Championships, Amber Reinbott is no stranger to hitting her targets. This weekend she will aim for titles at the IFAA National Championships.

    Read article
Previous Next