Griffith University’s Logan Redbacks claimed their second premiership in club history with a hard-earned 18-12 victory over QUT’s Trouts.
QUT jumped the gun and were out to a flying start in the Universities Rugby League Queensland (URLQ) grand final, scoring the first try of the match after defending Logan out for an extended period of time.
They were able to convert the goal, taking the side to a 6-0 lead.
After a lengthy stalemate with both sides missing golden opportunities, QUT finally began building pressure on the Griffith Logan side, going on the attack inside their 20 metre zone.
After three a tackles, a well worked backline movement from QUT that shift to the left was enough to slip past the big defenders, taking a 12-0 lead into oranges.
Both sides came out for the second half like they did in the first, in a fiery battle of attrition.
When two wingers came together, a push and shove seemingly sparked the Redbacks into form with both five eighths in the sin bin.
Logan went down and used their brute strength to rack up two very quick tries on the depleted QUT side who were dropping like flies across the ground.
At 12-12 the QUT side gave away too many penalties that allowed Logan to go on the attack.
Player of the Grand Final Joshua Afoa from Logan managed to barge his way past multiple defenders before offloading for his side to score the crucial blow.
As the siren sounded the Redbacks were overcome with emotion in the middle of the field as the realisation that they had gone back to back came over them.
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Logan Captain Tyrone Girle said that he had faith in his side throughout their roller coaster campaign that saw them finish fourth before announcing they could do it again.
“Let’s go back to back to back next year” he said.
The Universities Rugby League Queensland competition will be back in 2015 as the Logan side will look to make it three in a row.
Griffith Logan University Redbacks 18 (Taniela Ilangana, Ben Ah-Sam, Dwayne Urquart tries; Javann Atu-Daniel 3/3 conversions) defeated QUT Trouts 12 (Alex Nicholson, Tevita Senituli Peu tries; Richard Kay 2/2 conversions) at Davies Park, West End.
