It was close competition across the board in Round 5 of the Fortescue Men’s Premier Grade competition this weekend.
Entering their fifth round of competition, the Fortescue Men’s Premier Grade continues to heat up, with teams getting more competitive and more comfortable as they continue to fight for the top spot on the ladder.
For Nedlands and Palmyra, the weekend marked a top-of-the-table clash, which saw Nedlands tightly secure victory by four points. With two penalty goals in their pocket, Palmyra held the dominant side at bay in a stellar performance, while Nedlands proved once again to be the team to beat this season, with six tries and four conversions sealing their victory. The final score saw Nedlands, 38, defeat Palmyra, 34.
Tries for Palmyra were scored by Kale Bissett (2’), Potu Leavasa (29’), Braden Stewart (56’) and Viliami Fine (72’), with four conversions (2’, 29’, 56’, 72’) and two penalty goals (44’, 52’) from Matt Mckenzie. Tries for Nedlands were scored by <atty Lansdown (7’), Arthur Lennon (22’), Fraser Gosse (36’), Jarrod Poi (47’), Ryan Louwrens (57’) and Chris Raymond (74’), with one conversion from Lansdown (7’) and three from Brayden Laing (47’, 57’, 74’).
Across town at Bennett Park, Wanneroo are proving their young side aren’t to be counted out, with a 33-39 victory over Wests Scarborough. With their second win of the season under their belt, the side is already looking to have a much better 2025 than the previous year.
Tries for Wanneroo were scored by Thomas Crofts (2), Jordan Grattan, Brayden Karangaroa and Rickie Harte, with four conversions and two penalty goals from Luke Ale. For Wests Scarborough, tries were scored by Dempsey Thompson (3’), Sitaleki Baker (19’), Lenny Valleye (46’), Lloyd Smith (64’) and Devon Lunn (73’), with conversions from Tane Koteka (3’, 19’, 56’) and Ross Cadzow (73’).
In the Championship Grade, Round 5 was the round of upset performances, with 2024 Premiers, ARKS, going down against Dunsborough-Busselton Dungbeetles, and Mandurah Pirates coming off second best to Perth Irish at home.
In Busselton, the Dungbeetles showed massive heart as they came up against ARKS, with a final score of 37-14. Their third win of the season, the Dungbeetles now sit at second on the Championship Grade ladder, a marker of the growth of the game in the South West.
Tries for the Dungbeetles were scored by Toby Mead, Eparama Ratu, Dan Watt, Chris McLean and Dylan Sharpham, with Watt also completing three conversions and one penalty conversion. An additional penalty conversion was scored by Daniel Dewaal. For ARKS, two tries were scored by Naca Koroi, with both converted by Ashlee Wilson.
In Mandurah, a tight match saw Perth Irish one-up the home side, securing a 21-28 victory. With three yellow cards putting players on the bench, the back-and-forth made victory a tough battle for Irish, with Mandurah keeping the competition alive.
Tries for Perth Irish were scored by Denis Leane (40’), Neil Mulama (56’) and Cian Hughes (63’), with two conversions (41’, 63’) and three penalty goals (9’, 23’, 49’) from Tom Glynn. Tries for Mandurah Pirates were scored by Fletcher Saunders (17’), Kavekini Cakaunitbua (30’) and Jaron Plummer (32’), with three conversions from Raymond Reti (17’, 30’, 32’).
Round 6 kicks off this weekend, with UWA v. Cottesloe set to stream live on Stan.
Fortescue Men’s Premier Grade Round 5 Results
Southern Lions (30) d. UWA (34)
Wests Scarborough (33) l. Wanneroo (39)
Nedlands (38) d. Palmyra (34)
Perth Basywater (28) d. Joondalup Brothers (17)
Cottesloe (32) d. Associates (23)
