Two Brisbane schools have surged into the boys’ Confraternity Shield semi-finals as they attempt to end a 21-year-old capital city drought at rugby league’s most famous schools carnival.
St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane and Iona College, Lindum booked semi-final berths at the ACU Confraternity Carnival today as “Heartbreak Tuesday” delivered its usual stunning turns at Marist College, Ashgrove.
The Brisbane teams will face St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon and The Cathedral College, Rockhampton in Thursday’s semi-finals.
St Brendan’s College is the only previous champion still in the race for the Confraternity Shield, which hasn’t been won by a Brisbane school since Padua College’s epic 2005 finals win. Padua College has been brave in losses in the last two Shield finals.
Since 2005, central and north Queensland have dominated the carnival which brings together teams from 56 Catholic and Independent boys’ schools and teams from 16 girls’ schools from across the state.
This is the 46th Confraternity Carnival, run by Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League and sponsored by Australian Catholic University.
Games went down to the final minutes on a day known as “Heartbreak Tuesday”. That’s because the effort of three pool matches in two days is followed by a quarter-final that decides which teams remain in trophy contention after tomorrow’s rest day. The highlights included:
- St Laurence’s College, in its first attempt at Division 1, outlasting Cameron Smith’s Marymount College, Burleigh Waters team 10-6 in a gripping quarter-final. Every player in the St Laurence’s College squad had switched from the school’s rugby union season, which finished two weeks ago. They will meet The Cathedral College in Thursday’s semi-final.
- Iona College took their chances before a huge crowd cheering on a valiant Marist College, Ashgrove, Iona College scored twice in the second half for a 10-4 win.
- The 2023 champions St Brendan’s College rolled into the semi-final against Iona College with a polished 14-4 win over a gritty Padua College which continues to be a Confro force.
- In Division 2, Marist College, Emerald under the coaching of former State of Origin back Steven Bell remained unbeaten as they surged into Thursday’s semi-finals alongside St James College, Spring Hill, Villanova College, Coorparoo and St Edmund’s College, Ipswich.
But the surprise of the day came from The Cathedral College, guided by a former NRL premiership winner who kept his players calm after their winless first day in Division 1.
Tony Martin, who was part of the Melbourne Storm’s 1999 triumph, is in his fifth year coaching The Cathedral College. Martin admitted his players had to ride their luck today, sweating on the results of the final pool match before they qualified for the quarter-finals.
They turned that luck into a bruising 16-8 win over powerhouse Ignatius Park College. The Townsville team conceded only two tries in its three pool matches before The Cathedral College unloaded three tries in the quarter-final.
“That was a really physical game and I was proud of the way that our players just kept going against a very good team,” Martin said.
“We knew it would be tough after the first day but we just got together last night and said ‘what’s done is done’. We had plenty of reasons to keep going and we had to wait on a result but it worked out. We get a chance to rest tomorrow and then to come back and go again.”
Martin had to wait to see if Marymount College, coached by another former Storm champion in Cameron Smith, could topple St Laurence’s College and reach the semi-finals. But the Brisbane school, which was promoted to Division 1 after claiming Division 2 last year, held its nerve in another grind on fields dampened by regular showers.
St Laurence’s College coach Paul Boase said his team had focused on its defence in a two-week window to convert from rugby union to a shot at some of the best league schools in the state. They outduelled Marymount College who were again a force at Confraternity Carnival.
“We just had to make the most of those two weeks and we worked hard on defence to get ready,” Boase said. “We’re not a big side but we tried to play to our strengths and our players kept matching it against a good team.”
Smith said he was proud of the Marymount College team which set up a thrilling finish when they scored late in the second half.
On Field 1, Iona College also continued its conversion from its rugby season in another tense clash with Marist College, Ashgrove.
Iona College coach Michael Lambert helped 16 players adjust from the union season. They took advantage of two Marist College errors that gave Iona College field position to score two decisive tries.
“We played Ashgrove in an opposed session two weeks ago. They were far better than us that day so it was a reality check for us,” Lambert said. “The group has been built on unity and school spirit. I t is a very young group and it’s a privilege to coach them.”
St Brendan’s College fell to Padua College through a late penalty goal in last year’s semi-final but the Yeppoon team finished too strongly today. St Brendan’s has been unbeaten this year and coach Scott Minto, another former NRL regular, said his players had made the most of the challenging conditions.
“The fields are wet because of the rain and that’s been tough for all players, particularly with four games in two days,” Minto said. “Having some strong players off the bench becomes important and we have some more maturity in the squad this year also.”
The Division 3 semi-finals will include Chanel College, Gladstone, Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville, St John’s College, Roma and St Michael’s College.
The Division 4 play-offs will feature Good Counsel Catholic College, Innisfail, Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mt Isa 30, Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs 30 and St Mary’s College, Cairns.
Photo by QISSRL / Bradley Kanaris
Boys’ Day 2 results
DIVISION 1
Pool A
Ignatius Park College, Townsville 8 d Marist College, Ashgrove 0
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 6 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 0
Pool B
Padua College, Kedron 20 d St Patrick’s College Shorncliffe 4
Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 10 d St Augustine’s College, Cairns 8
Pool C
St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 18 d Shalom College, Bundaberg 16
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 30 d St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane 0
Pool D
The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 36 d St Peter Claver College, Riverview 0
Iona College, Lindum 12 d Rockhampton Grammar School 6
Confraternity Shield quarter-finals
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon 14 d Padua College, Kedron 4
St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane 10 d Marymount College, Burleigh Waters 6
Iona College, Lindum 10 d Marist College, Ashgrove 4
The Cathedral College, Rockhampton 16 d Ignatius Park College, Townsville 8
Bob Lindner Trophy quarter-finals
St Mary’s College, Toowoomba 34 d St Patrick’s College Shorncliffe 0
St Patrick’s College, Mackay 18 d St Peter Claver College, Riverview 4
Rockhampton Grammar School 24 d Emmaus College, Rockhampton 12
Shalom College, Bundaberg 12 d St Augustine’s College, Cairns 10
DIVISION 2
Pool A
Blackheath and Thornburgh College, Charters Towers 20 d Aquinas College, Ashmore 14
Marist College, Emerald 20 d Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers 0
Pool B
All Souls St Gabriel’s College, Charters Towers 18 d Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay 8
Villanova College, Coorparoo 22 d Ryan Catholic College, Townsville 6
Pool C
Clairvaux Mackillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt 22 d St Thomas More College, Sunnybank 6
St James College, Spring Hill 38 d Holy Spirit College, Mackay 0
Pool D
St Edmund’s College, Ipswich 22 d St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie 0
Assumption College, Warwick 18 d St Columban’s College, Caboolture 12
Plate quarter-finals
Marist College, Emerald 28 d St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie 6
St Edmund’s College, Ipswich 18 d Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers 6
Villanova College, Coorparoo 20 d Holy Spirit College, Mackay 6
St James College, Spring Hill 24 d Ryan Catholic College, Townsville 6
Bowl quarter-finals
Assumption College, Warwick d Aquinas College, Ashmore 16
Xavier Catholic College, Hervey Bay 24 d Clairvaux Mackillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt 4
St Columban’s College, Caboolture 30 d Blackheath and Thornburgh College, Charters Towers 8
All Souls St Gabriel’s College, Charters Towers 26 d St Thomas More College, Sunnybank 0
DIVISION 3
Pool A
St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 16 d Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham 6
St Michael’s College, Merrimac 6 d Chanel College, Gladstone 0
Pool B
Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Dalby 6 d St John’s College, Roma 4
Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 12 d McAuley College, Beaudesert 10
Pool C
Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 8 d Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 0
Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 4 d Unity College, Sunshine Coast 0
Pool D
Emmaus College, Jimboomba 12 d St Patrick’s College, Gympie 4
Trinity College, Beenleigh 18 d St John’s College, Nambour 16
Cup quarter-finals
Chanel College, Gladstone 10 drew with Trinity College, Beenleigh 10
Southern Cross Catholic College, Townsville 12 d Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Dalby 6
St John’s College, Roma 12 d Mt Maria College, Mitchelton 6
St Michael’s College, Merrimac 8 d Emmaus College, Jimboomba 0
Challenge quarter-finals
St Patrick’s College, Gympie 12 d St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba 0
Unity College, Sunshine Coast 30 d Chisholm Catholic College, Cornubia 6
Faith Lutheran College, Plainland 10 d McAuley College, Beaudesert 6
St John’s College, Roma 34 d Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham 6
DIVISION 4
Pool A
Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mt Isa 28 d Siena Catholic College, Bli Bli 10
Good Counsel Catholic College, Innisfail 8 d St Anthony’s College, Townsville 0
Pool B
Good Samaritan Catholic College, Bli Bli 14 d Burdekin Catholic High School, Ayr 6
St Mary’s College, Cairns 28 d St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 0
Classic quarter-finals
Good Counsel Catholic College, Innisfail 42 d St Augustine’s College, Augustine Heights 6
Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mt Isa 30 d Burdekin Catholic High School, Ayr 8
Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs 30 d Good Samaritan Catholic College, Bli Bli 0
St Mary’s College, Cairns 22 d St Anthony’s College, Townsville 10
