Home ground advantage proved decisive in Round 8 of the Men’s Fortescue Premier Grade Competition, with all five home sides securing victories in a weekend of tight contests and high-scoring rugby.
At UWA Sports Park, the home side strengthened its hold on second place with a 30-19 win over Wests Scarborough. In a hard-fought contest played in warm conditions, UWA crossed through Mahood, Short, Lyons and Iose, while Young added two conversions and two penalty goals. Wests stayed within striking distance through tries to Hulme, Munro and Tia, but UWA’s composure proved the difference as they continued their strong season.
Wanneroo and Joondalup Brothers produced one of the games of the round, with the hosts prevailing 31-27 in a thrilling match. Mulama was the standout performer, scoring a hat-trick for Wanneroo, while Buli also crossed the line. Ale was perfect from the tee with four conversions and a penalty goal. Brothers pushed the hosts all the way through tries to David, Hemi and Nell, but fell just short in a contest that went down to the wire.
Associates edged out Kalamunda 12-5 in a gritty defensive battle. Tries from Faoagali and Andrewartha, along with a conversion from Drummond, proved enough for the home side, while Toki crossed for Kalamunda’s sole try.
At Harvey Field, ladder leaders Cottesloe maintained their unbeaten run with a hard-fought 21-17 victory over Perth Bayswater. Bishop scored twice for the hosts, with O’Grady, Koroi and Mounsey also getting on the scoresheet, while Taylor added three conversions. Perth Bayswater stayed in touch through tries to Heuer, Saulala and Binnion, but Cottesloe held firm to secure another important win.
The highest-scoring match of the round came at Charles Court Reserve, where Nedlands defeated Southern Lions 49-32. De Lange delivered a remarkable individual performance with five tries, while Avito, Koteka, Stewart and Marshall also crossed in a nine-try display. Innes and Robson added the extras for the hosts. Southern Lions fought bravely through a double from Rafaele and further tries from Naborisi and Hardwick, with Lamatoa and Hardwick contributing conversions and Lamatoa adding two penalty goals. Despite the visitors' efforts, Nedlands' attacking firepower proved too much to contain.
With both sides coming off strong performances, attention now turns to a blockbuster clash between Wests Scarborough and Wanneroo this weekend. The match will be streamed live on Stan Sport, while all other fixtures can be viewed on Rugby Xplorer.
Men’s Fortescue Premier Grade Round 8 Results
UWA (30) d. Wests (19)
Wanneroo (31) d. Joondalup Brothers (27)
Associates (12) d. Kalamunda (5)
Cottesloe (21) d. Perth Bayswater (17)
Nedlands (49) d. Southern Lions (32)
