Influential Brothers No.8 Harry Wilson is relishing a return to Sunday week's club grand final in Brisbane to purge the pain of a misfire four years ago.
The Brethren stormed into the StoreLocal Premier Rugby grand final at the new Ballymore with a comprehensive 42-17 victory over Bond University today.
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The six-try effort at Ashgrove to dominate the minor premiers in the preliminary final is valuable confidence for an even bigger task against 2022 premiers Wests in the title decider.
Wilson was just a big kid of 19 in 2019 when Brothers endured a tough 31-26 grand final loss to University of Queensland.
“That loss has hurt for four years. It was very emotional by the end of that night in 2019 and there’s nothing better than getting back to another grand final,” Wilson said.
“There’s a chance now to win one and write some new history for the club.”
Wilson’s big frame as a Queensland Red and 12-Test Wallaby has been serious X-factor in Brothers’ run past Easts (46-29) and now Bond in the finals series.
Better still against Bond were inside centre Hamish Stewart, 21-year-old prop Jaiden Christian and flyhalf Lawson Creighton, who has been at his playmaking best at the right end of the season.
Western Force centre Stewart was the standout in the multiple areas he contributed. He ran hard, distributed neatly, banged several smart kicks, did unsung work at the breakdown and scored one of the key tries of the match.
Bond led 10-5 midway through the first half before the second try of Brothers hooker Dom Fraser earned a lead.
Just before half-time, Creighton and dapper veteran Paddy James put Stewart into a little hole. Stewart pumped two right foot sidesteps and dashed over from 20m out for the 19-10 half-time lead.
Wilson fed backrow teammate Noah Nielsen for the first try after the break for 24-10.
With their season on the line, Bond flanker Tomas Grenon found a strikeback for his side with the break that set up centre Kalione Nasoko in the corner.
Bond felt they were back in the game at 24-17 down approaching the hour mark but the Brethren had other ideas with a strong finish.
Burly tighthead Christian is learning to use his size and has added consistency at scrum-time as well. He scored just the second try of his season on the end of a James’ pass after Stewart had again got Brothers’ rolling.
Brothers stalwarts like Tony Shaw, Paul McLean and grey nomad Paddy McGrath were enjoying every step closer to a shot at the club’s first premiership since 2016.
New Queensland Reds coach Les Kiss should be smiling. He this week signed Junior Wallabies winger Tim Ryan, 19, who gave everyone at Ashgrove a glimpse of his potential.
Late in the game, he put through a kick and a cruel bounce sat the ball up perfectly for his chase and the final try.
He has speed and urgency in a lean frame and good DNA as the son of Sean Ryan, the former Brothers winger who scored the kick-and-regather try that sunk Wests in the 1990 finals series.
Vanquished Bond University halfback Spencer Jeans could only lament.
“It’s a frustrating end to the season. Our execution was off but credit to Brothers because we just couldn’t get enough good field position,” Jeans said.
“Lawson did a top job controlling the game and he’s been fantastic for them over the past four games based on how hard he works.”
A bumper crowd is expected for the grand final in the first major game played at Ballymore since the new 3010-seat McLean Stand was built and the venue’s facilities upgraded.
BROTHERS 42 (D Fraser 2, T Ryan, J Christian, H Stewart, N Nielsen tries; L Creighton 3 con, 2 pen goals) by BOND UNIVERSITY 17 (K Nasoko, G Blake tries; H Roberts 2 con, pen goal)
