Brothers head coach Ben McCormack said his side was pleased to come through a “dogfight” after edging Easts 22–21 in a top-of-the-table Hospital Cup clash between the competition’s last remaining unbeaten sides.

“It was a frustrating game – we couldn’t build much pressure, but it ended up in a dogfight, and it’s good to win those,” McCormack told Rugby News.

In a tight, physical contest defined by territory and set piece, Easts led 14–12 at the break, with the Tigers’ set piece and defensive discipline key to their early dominance.

McCormack said that approach was expected from the visitors, who leaned on their strengths throughout the match.

“That’s their strength – they’ve got a good scrum, really good lineout and a good box-kicking game,” he said.

“They back their defence and back themselves to get turnovers, so I don’t blame them for doing it, because they’re very good at it.”

The match remained an arm wrestle after the break, with Easts holding a narrow two-point lead entering the final 10 minutes.

The Tigers looked set to seal the result after Brothers fullback Benn Dalle Cort missed a relatively straightforward penalty goal that would have given the hosts the lead.

Moments later, however, Dalle Cort atoned for his error, slotting a more difficult attempt from a tighter angle to put the hosts in front for the first time in the contest.

Asked for his standout performers, McCormack praised hooker Dom Fraser, who scored twice, including a crucial second half try to keep Brothers in the contest.

“He was very good – he’s got a knack of getting over the line,” McCormack said.

“He had a lot of carries, a lot of tackles and played big minutes. For an older guy in the competition, it was a big shift.”

McCormack said Easts head coach Simon Craig was “salty” after the result, with the match ultimately decided by fine margins.

“But that’s the competitiveness in him – I like it. We shook hands and wished each other well,” he said.

After beating two of the competition’s heavyweights in consecutive weeks – Bond and Easts – McCormack said the challenges posed by each side were very different.

“Easts are a little bit more clinical – you know what you’re going to get with them,” he said.

“Bond are probably a bit more dangerous for us. They’ve got some X-factor and players that are difficult to assess and play against.”

Around the Grounds

Norths – who Brothers face next week – moved to the top of the ladder with a 34–29 win at GPS, continuing their strong start to the 2026 season under head coach Dan Ritchie.

McCormack said Norths had been building steadily in recent seasons and expected a tough contest.

“Dan’s been in charge for three years now and they’ve been progressively getting better every season,” he said.

“They haven’t always got the results, but if you watch the way they play, they’ve improved every year. They’re playing a good brand of footy and when things get scrappy, they’re good scrappers.

“He’s done a lot of work with my assistant coach Carl Marshall, who’s one of the best coaches going around, and they’ve got similar philosophies – particularly around attack and how they train.

“So, while Norths are a different team and club, I’m pretty familiar with the philosophy Dan coaches with. It’s a positive one and it’s about sustainable improvement year on year and I think he’s doing a great job.

“Mosiah Christian has been a great pickup for them. When the game turns messy or fatigued, he’s a weapon, really instinctive and able to find opportunities.”

Elsewhere, Souths claimed their first win of the season with a 38–36 victory at Sunnybank, while UQ edged Wests 46–40 away.

Bond had the bye.