The RugbyWA season has reached its 2024 Final Series.
This Saturday, the Fortescue Men’s Premier Grade will kick off its Quarter Finals for the 2024 season.
With a new competition structure in 2024, the Quarter Finals will see two teams from Conference A and two teams from Conference B battling it out to secure their place in the Semi Finals, hosted next weekend.
Finals Series Structure
With the top 2 teams from Conference A, Palmyra and Associates, having already secured their place in the Semi Finals, the Quarter Finals will feature Nedlands v. Cottesloe from Conference A, and UWA v. Kalamunda Districts from Conference B.
Hosting a new finals structure, the competition will also take a turn in the movement between Conferences. The winner of Quarter Final 2, referred to as the Promotion Quarter Final between Conference B teams, will move upwards to Conference A for the 2025 season, while the team at the bottom of Conference A, Wests Scarborough, will move down to Conference B.
The loser of Quarter Final 2 will also have their chance to secure a Conference A position for 2025, facing off against Perth Bayswater (Team 5) for their position in Conference A. This match will be held during Semi Finals week, as the Promotion Match.
Quarter Final 1 – Cottesloe v. Nedlands (Conference A)
After a strong season saw Cottesloe and Nedlands sitting just one point apart on the 2024 Conference A ladder, the sides are set to face off for their position in the Semi Finals.
Coming out of the regular season, Cottesloe is looking strong with eleven wins and four losses. In Round 16, they saw a 25-36 win over Wests Scarborough at Bennett Park, with tries from Kainoa Gudgeon (9’), Ethan Cayless (35’) and Mareko Fagasa-Nuku (48’, 65’), in addition to four conversions (36’, 37’, 49’, 62) and one penalty (3’) from Jamie King.
Nedlands are also emerging from Round 16 victorious, finding a 24-57 win over Perth Bayswater away from home. Tries against Perth Bayswater were scored by Tait Wylie (10’, 26’), Jesse Hutton (29’), Chris Raymond (35’, 45’), Divad Palu (37’), Callum Thomas (55’), Jack Curtin (77’) and Drake Robson (79’). Six conversions were completed by Matty Lansdown (26’, 29’, 35’, 45’, 77’, 79’).
“It feels incredibly rewarding for everyone involved at the club,” Nedlands’ Head Coach, Mike Panoho, said about the team making it to the finals.
“It's a testament to the team's dedication, resilience, and all the hard work that everyone has put in throughout the season. The team and club are very excited at the opportunity to be playing finals footy.”
The last time Cottesloe and Nedlands met was only two rounds ago, in Round 15. Cottesloe clinched the win in a tight match, keeping Nedlands at bay with only one try and conversion. A 39-32 clash at home, Cottesloe will be looking for a repeat performance as they tackle the fourth-placed side.
For Nedlands, though, performances have gotten stronger, an energy they will be looking to take into their Quarter Final.
“Our performances have got better, there were times when we had brilliant moments, ensure we maintain that high level throughout this match. We would hope for more precision in our execution, particularly at ruck time and decision-making under pressure, and to keep improving our discipline to avoid unnecessary penalties that can shift momentum.”
“Not many players get to experience finals footy, so they need to really enjoy the moment! creating lasting memories! Keen for the players to show resilience, staying mentally tough throughout, and bring that same energy and passion that got us to this point. Finals footy is about winning the small battles, to ensure they leave everything on the pitch.”
It’s been a challenging season for Nedlands, Panoho shared, meaning the upcoming match will have to feature resilience and determination.
“After a grueling season, it’s crucial to ensure that the players are physically and mentally fresh for this game while still fine-tuning certain areas. We need to find that perfect balance between enjoyment and not overloading the players, it's an exciting week for these boys,” he said.
“Another challenge would be preparing for the unexpected, staying adaptable in case of any last-minute changes or challenges.”
Cottesloe v. Nedlands will kick off at 3:30PM at Harvey Field on Saturday.
Quarter Final 2 – UWA v. Kalamunda (Conference B)
In what will undoubtedly be a must-watch, UWA are set to take on Kalamunda in the Promotion Quarter Final of Saturday. Having risen from last place on the ladder to second in Conference B, and having the inaugural Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup win under their belt, Kalamunda is buckling up for a big match.
“Getting here is a really good reflection of the work the men have put in over the last 3 months,” Kalamunda’s Head Coach, Callum Payne shared.
“After a good preseason Rendezvous Scarborough Challenge Cup, we dug ourselves into a real hole through the first half of the competition which took a hell of a lot of work to get out of. We've obviously had high aspirations all season and playing rugby at this time of the year was always the goal.”
“It's been a draining process with our season having been pretty much on the line for the last four weeks. That month has taught us a lot about our ability to find our way out of tough spots though and the confidence we now have due to that is justified.”
Kalamunda saw a win over Wanneroo at home in Round 16, finishing with a 25-17 victory. A stellar performance from Te Aroa Koitau saw one try (10’), two conversions (11’, 64’) and two penalties (34’, 71’), in addition to tries from Malachi Te Muunu (14’) and Tevyn Anitelea (63’). Following the 2024 regular season, Kalamunda are currently sitting nine points below UWA, with an equal seven wins to seven losses.
Even with a strong start to the 2024 season, Kalamunda will present a challenge to UWA. With nine wins and five losses recorded for the regular rounds, UWA are desperately searching for the win to stay in the running for the Grand Final. With a bye in Round 16, UWA’s last matchup was against Joondalup Brothers, who found a shake up when they beat the side 36-41. Tries for UWA were scored by Ben Holland (21’), Joshua Thomas (40’), Jordie Bungard (46’), Thomas Anderson (65’) and Dante Tatafu (77’), with four conversions (40’, 46’, 65’, 77’) and one penalty (5’) from Bradley Roderick-Evans.
The last time UWA met Kalamunda saw a difficult game, with two points separating the sides. In Round 12, UWA scraped past Kalamunda to secure a 36-38 win at Hartfield Reserve, finding victory over the side following a big defeat just two rounds earlier at McGillivray Oval. In Round 10, Kalamunda upset the University-side at home, sealing a 10-45 win. With a complex history in the 2024 season, it remains unclear as to who will seal to win and advance to the Semi Finals next week.
With an uncertain future, Payne said that he is looking for accuracy from his side.
“Finals rugby is always a step up. The gaps are smaller, there are fewer opportunities, and you need to nail every chance you get.”
We understand that we might only get one or two shots to fire in a game like this, so we have to make them count. UWA is a classy side and has earned their spot at the top of the pool. We beat them twice earlier in the year, but they came out to Kalamunda a month ago and gave us a reminder of just how good they can be.”
“If we can front with good accuracy in our set piece and continue our collision work, we're confident we can get the job done,” Payne said.
A difficult challenge ahead, Kalamunda aren’t just playing for themselves as they head into the finals, but for the club, and for their community.
“Coming into quarter finals has been a really tough one. Losing Joey [Joseph Simpkins] the same weekend really hit us as a group and playing for Joey and the whole Simpkins family is now our priority. We want to play with the same level of passion and competitiveness that he always displayed. There are going to be a lot of emotions throughout the week, and we want to use that emotion to help us while not letting it overwhelm us.”
Kalamunda and UWA will face at McGillivray Oval this weekend at 3:00PM.
