July 24, 2018
Hundreds of young rugby league players went home tired but happy at the weekend after another huge – and very successful – Mini Mod rugby league carnival at Wondai.
The annual carnival, organised by the Wondai Proston Junior Rugby League Club, attracted players from all South Burnett clubs as well as teams from Maryborough, Gympie, Hervey Bay and the Fraser Coast.
Junior players took over multiple fields on Saturday, competing in U7s, U8s, U10s and the competitive U12s.
The playing schedule was tight, with only a minute or two between games, ensuring a non-stop spectacle of rugby league action for the friends and family members watching on the sidelines.
Mini Mod rugby league is played with modified rules.
The games are shorter and played in only one half. As well, there are no scrums or conversion attempts.
The highlight of the weekend is always the U12s competition which is played on the main oval with 19-minute games.
This year’s competition was very close, with Hervey Bay Black finally earning the second spot in the Grand Final against the Murgon Mustangs.
And for the second year in a row, the young Mustangs galloped away with the win.
On Sunday, U14s took to the field as well as a solitary U16s game.
* * *
Final: Murgon v Hervey Bay Black
The Murgon Mustangs finished the round robin U12s games with a clear lead, but the second spot in the Final wasn’t decided until the very last game, in which Kingaroy White took on Hervey Bay Black.
If Kingaroy won, the Cherbourg Hornets would face Murgon in an all-South Burnett final.
But if Hervey Bay won, there would be a short break and they would run out again to play Murgon … which is exactly what happened.
Hervey Bay scored first in the final, but Murgon quickly responded and put on three more tries before Hervey Bay scored a consolation try just before the final siren.
The final score was Murgon 16, Hervey 6 … and for the second year in a row, the Mustangs won the u12s Mini Mod Cup.
Murgon’s Trequaan Stanley was named Player of the Final.
* * *
Action From The U12s Final
* * *
U12s Final Points / Best & Fairest Players
Five points were awarded for a win, three points for a draw and one point for a loss. Teams that scored more than four tries were awarded an extra point.
23 – Murgon – Riley Dunlop
20 – Hervey Bay Black – Jamall Nelson
18 – Cherbourg – Alonzo Purcell
16 – Hervey Bay Green – Jordan Wellington
14 – Wondai – Taya Solomon
14 – Central Burnett – Travis Larner
14 – Nanango – Cain Coutts
14 – Kingaroy Red – Sebastian Giffin
8 – Kingaroy White – Xavier Stanley
6 – Burrum Miners – Archie Davis
4 – Maryborough Brothers – Jamie Walker
4 – Gympie – Eli Bunn
* * *
Some Earlier U12s Mini-Mods Action
Nanango v Hervey Bay Green
Murgon v Gympie
Kingaroy Red v Maryborough
Cherbourg v Burrum Miners
Central Burnett v Wondai
Kingaroy White v Hervey Bay Black
