Two Central Queensland schools, a North Queensland heavyweight and a gutsy Brisbane school have qualified for rugby league’s prized boys’ Confraternity Shield semi-finals after today’s play-offs took a dramatic twist in Rockhampton.
St Patrick’s College, Mackay drew its quarter-final 10-all with Ignatius Park College but that was enough to knock their Townsville arch-rivals and defending champions out of the Shield race.
Confraternity Carnival hosts The Cathedral College and their coastal neighbours St Brendan’s College Yeppoon also qualified for Thursday’s final four while Padua College, Kedron will represent the state’s south.
Padua College only played its first league match of the year in yesterday’s opening pool match after switching from its rugby union season but the Brisbane school toppled local rivals Iona College 22-12 in the quarter-final
Premier David Crisafulli visited today, bringing the jersey he wore for Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham in the 1996 carnival in Mackay.
Mr Crisafulli took in action at a packed event which includes a record 56 boys’ teams and 16 girls’ teams from Catholic and Independent schools. The carnival is run by Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League.
Today’s most dramatic ending occurred in the clash between St Patrick’s College, Mackay and Ignatius Park College.
The teams have a rich Confraternity history, spiced by Ignatius Park College’s win in last year’s semi-final and the 2022 final.
A solo act from Ignatius Park fullback Lincoln Baker decided last year’s semi-final but this year it was a brilliant moment from St Patrick’s halfback Adam McSherry that would decide the game.
McSherry, contracted by the NRL Dolphins, split the Ignatius Park defence and fended off their desperate cover tacklers to score the first try. This would be the difference when the scoreline finished 10-all. Under carnival rules, drawn quarter-finals are decided by the first scoring play.
St Patrick’s coach Shane Mau said his players had played well at the right time after taking the opening three matches to settle into rhythm.
“We’ve been building into this and that game was spot-on,” Mau said. “Ignatius Park are a very good team and we knew they would be physical. Our players stepped up and worked really hard.”
St Patrick’s College, seeking its first Shield win since 2003, will meet hosts The Cathedral College after tomorrow’s rest day.
The Cathedral College fell behind against a brave St Augustine’s College as the Cairns team put in one of their best carnivals in recent years. The large home crowd helped The Cathedral College fight back for a 15-10 win.
St Brendan’s College have conceded only one try in four matches with one of their youngest and most unheralded teams in years, shutting out a resilient Shalom College, Bundaberg 12-0 today.
St Brendan’s will meet Padua College on Thursday to reignite a rivalry that included the most recent drawn quarter-final result. Padua College advanced in 2019 in Bundaberg on the same set of countback rules that promoted St Patrick’s today.
Padua College has performed well in its switch from rugby union season. Despite losing some of its best middle forwards, the 1980 Confraternity Carnival originals have again reached the final four.
Marist College, Ashgrove is on track for its third consecutive win in the Bob Lindner Trophy which is fought out between the bottom half of Division 1. Marist College was impressive against Ignatius Park College in this morning’s final pool match, losing narrowly before a strong win in the Trophy quarter-finals.
Other Trophy semi-finalists are Marymount College, Burleigh Waters, St Peter Claver College, Riverview and Rockhampton Grammar School.
The Division 2 race for the Neil Bloxsidge Plate will come down to four southeast Queensland semi-finalists: St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane; neighbours Villanova College, Coorparoo; St Columban’s College, Caboolture and Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mount Gravatt.
The highest honour in Division 3 is the Confraternity Cup. Four teams remain in the running: St Patrick’s College, Gympie; McAuley College, Beaudesert; and Townsville schools Ryan Catholic College and Southern Cross Catholic College.
The first ever Division 4 playoffs included quarter-finals wins for Confro debutants Burdekin Catholic High School, St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights, Emmaus College, Jimboomba and Trinity College, Beenleigh.
Boys’ Day 2 results
DIVISION 1
Pool A
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 44 d Aquinas College, Ashmore 0
Ignatius Park College, Townsville 20 d Marist College, Ashgrove 10
Pool B
Padua College, Kedron 20 d St Peter Claver College, Riverview 16
St Augustine’s College, Cairns 22 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 6
Pool C
Iona College, Lindum 20 d Rockhampton Grammar School 8
The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 12 d St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 6
Pool D
Shalom College, Bundaberg 22 d Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 18
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 16 d St Patrick’s College Shorncliffe 4
Shield quarter-finals
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 10 drew Ignatius Park College, Townsville 10
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 12 d Shalom College, Bundaberg 0
Padua College, Kedron 22 d Iona College, Lindum 12
The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 15 d St Augustine’s College, Cairns 10
Trophy quarter-finals
Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 36 d Aquinas College, Ashmore 12
Marist College, Ashgrove 36 d St Patrick’s College Shorncliffe 6
St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 18 d St Peter Claver College, Riverview 12
Rockhampton Grammar School 18 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 10
DIVISION 2
Pool A
St James College, Spring Hill 10 d All Souls St Gabriel’s College, Charters Towers 6
Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay 14 d St Edmund’s College, Ipswich 0
Pool B
Villanova College, Coorparoo 32 d Assumption College, Warwick 4
Marist College, Emerald 38 d St Thomas More College, Sunnybank 0
Pool C
St Columban’s College, Caboolture 16 d St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie 8
Blackheath and Thornburgh College, Charters Towers 22 d Holy Spirit College, Mackay 4
Pool D
St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane 20 d Clairvaux Mackillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt 10
Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers 20 d St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 6
Plate quarter-finals
St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane 16 d St James College, Brisbane 14
Villanova College, Coorparoo 42 d St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie 6
St Columban’s College, Caboolture 16 d Marist College, Emerald 4
Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt 10 d Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay
Bowl quarter-finals
All Souls St Gabriel’s College, Charters Towers 12 d Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers 10
Holy Spirit College, Mackay 28 d Assumption College, Warwick 8
Blackheath and Thornburgh College, Charters Towers 24 d St Thomas More College, Sunnybank 4
St Edmund’s College, Ipswich 52 d St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 0
DIVISION 3
Pool A
Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 10 d St Michael’s College, Merrimac 6
St Patrick’s College, Gympie 14 d St John’s College, Nambour 0
Pool B
Ryan Catholic College, Townsville 18 d St Mary’s College, Cairns 10
Chanel College, Gladstone 12 d St John’s College, Roma 6
Pool C
Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 24 d Unity College, Sunshine Coast 8
Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mt Isa 22 d Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 4
Pool D
McAuley College, Beaudesert 20 d Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 0
Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Dalby 6 drew Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham 6
Cup quarter-finals
St Patrick’s College, Gympie 16 d Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Dalby 12
McAuley College, Beaudesert 20 d St John’s College, Nambour 12
Ryan Catholic College, Townsville 20 d Unity College, Sunshine Coast 0
Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 20 d Chanel College, Gladstone 6
Challenge quarter-finals
St Michael’s College, Merrimac 24 d Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham 14
St John’s College, Roma 24 d Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 0
St Mary’s College, Cairns 26 d Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mt Isa 16
Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 14 d Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 12
DIVISION 4
Pool A
St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 28 d Good Samaritan Catholic College, Bli Bli 16
Good Counsel Catholic College, Innisfail 22 d St Anthony’s College, Townsville 12
Pool B
Trinity College, Beenleigh 14 d Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs 12
Emmaus College, Jimboomba 12 d Burdekin Catholic High School 4
Classic quarter-finals
Burdekin Catholic High School, Ayr 24 d Good Counsel Catholic College, Innisfail 16
St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 18 d Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs 10
Emmaus College, Jimboomba 20 d St Anthony’s College, Townsville 0
Trinity College, Beenleigh 26 d Good Samaritan Catholic College, Bli Bli 0
