With just one match standing between the teams and their position in the Grand Final, stakes were high this weekend.
With results no one saw coming, the 2025 Fortescue Premier Grade Semi-Finals kicked off with a bang, with Nedlands, Wanneroo, Cottesloe and Palmyra all desperately vying for their place in the Grand Final this weekend at Lark Hill Sporting Complex. Under drizzly skies, it was anyone’s game as the teams showed off their skill, dedication and hard-won talent as they clawed closer to the big dance.
At Harvey Field, Cottesloe, sitting pretty at second place on the Conference A Ladder, took on a strong Palmyra, who were hot on their heels for the entirety of the 2025 season, in their battle for a position in the Grand Final. It was a tough back-and-forth for the sides, with the first scoring of the game from a penalty by James Taylor of Cottesloe, slotting a penalty goal between the posts in the fourth minute. Under the watchful eye of referee, Jordan Kaminski, the competition remained clean and tough, the first try of the match was scoring in the 22nd minute, with James Little crossing the line for Palmyra. Halftime saw the score one-point apart, with a second penalty from Cottesloe putting them ahead of palmyra, who didn’t convert their first try.
With a low scoring first half, both sides were raring to go, with Leighton Short from Palmyra crossing the line two minutes into the second half, and Connor Sharrock from Cottesloe scoring less than three minutes later with a solid run along the wing. An intense 30-minutes followed, with Palmyra leading by one point, in a brilliant display of rugby. Both sides held strong against tough defense, struggling to find their breakaway. It wasn’t until the 71st minute that saw that chance, with Pisi Leilua scoring and Rhys Morgan converting to push Palmyra that bit further ahead and secure their lead. With the seconds ticking down, Cottesloe couldn’t quite fight back, seeing Palmyra take the victory, 11 to 19, and secure their place in the 2025 Grand Final.
At Sir Charles Court Reserve, the top of Conference A took on the top of Conference B in a spectacular showdown featuring the best of the best. Nedlands came up against Wanneroo in a fiery, massive match up, with two of the best kickers in the game and some of the most talented players in the competition all taking to the field. The visitors came out of the gate firing, with Ben Strang crossing the line at the five-minute mark, with Luke Ale converting, giving Wanneroo the surprise, early lead needed to show Nedlands they mean business, followed by a penalty goal from Jordan Grattan at the nineteenth minute. Not a side to back down from a fight, Nedlands powered back, scoring their first five minutes later, with Matty Lansdown scoring his side’s first try of the match. The sides remained in a tough dance, with Wanneroo’s Brayden Karangaroa scoring at the 33rd minute, and Ryan Lowrens from Nedlands crossing the line three minutes later. The second half kicked off with Wanneroo just ahead, profiting from their consistency in conversions and the early penalty, with Nedlands keen to get their skin back in the game and reclaim the lead. Samuel McCormack got Nedlands back on side two minutes into the second half, crossing the line and scoring crucial points. Wanneroo followed this with another two penalty goals, one from Grattan and the other from Ale, continuing to challenge Nedlands. With an insane battle between them, the match proved the Conference structure to be fostering greater competition and increasing the standards, with two of the best sides keeping each other on their toes.
The match came down to the final seconds, with Nedlands sitting just one-point ahead following a try from Tama Anderson and conversion from Lansdown. A won scrum and some impressive offence saw Brodie Mainwaring cross the line in the ticking seconds for Wanneroo, giving the side the points needed to sneak past Nedlands and secure their victory, 24-28.
The Fortescue Premier Grade Grand Final – Palmyra v. Wanneroo will kick off at Lark Hill Sporting Complex at 4:00PM on Saturday, August 30, streaming live on Stan Sports.
