By Tim Mosey

UQ claimed top spot, Brothers upset Souths, Bond were too good for Easts and Norths punished Wests late in the match on another unpredictable weekend of Premier Rugby.

The Most Unpredictable Competition in Years

The last five weeks have seen the following win:loss ratio for the current top five sides:

UQ: LLWWW

Souths: W-WLL

GPS: WWLW-

Easts: LWLWL

Bond: WWWLW

The intriguing part of this is that on form Bond University seem to be number one. They currently sit in fifth, three points ajar of Easts in fourth who have been inconsistent.

Easts, Bond and UQ all still have a bye up their sleeves.

It would seem then that GPS and Souths are in the box seat to make a tilt at the minor premiership. I am fairly confident coaches Anthony Mathison and Elia Tuqiri would not like me saying this, because my predictions this year has been horrible.

After round 18 last year the top two teams – University of Queensland and GPS – had dropped five matches between them (one to UQ and four to GPS).

Already this year UQ and GPS have dropped four each and we still have five rounds to go.

Based on this I am putting a line through the bookies and am stating categorically a) that my Nostradamus impersonation has been mediocre at best, and b) well done to all coaches and players so far this season.

Already you have made it the most interesting and entertaining Premier Rugby competition in the past decade.

Fringe Sides Have Self-Belief

This season is coming down to the wire.

It seems this year that all teams have some level of belief in their ability to win week to week.

With their season in the balance Bond University came back from nine points down late in the match to snatch it from Easts away from home.

That may prove to be a watershed moment for the Gold Coast men.

Elsewhere, Brothers’ courage and spirit was on display at Crosby Park.

In a bruising encounter with heavyweights Souths, The Filth spirit shone through and their defence was far improved on last week.

Norths self-belief was solidified with Old Boys Michael O’Connor and Damien Barker presenting the players their heritage jerseys.

The Eagles’ season hangs by a thread but their performance against Wests clearly showed the squad is intent on making the four.

Saturday’s game was in the balance at half time and but blew Wests away in the second half.

Clichés apply – Halves Combinations Seem Key to Success

Harry Nucifora and Dion Taumata – Bond.

Liam Prendergast and Nick Jooste – Norths.

Scott Gale/Tate McDermott and James Dalgleish – UQ.

James Tuttle and Jordan Lenac – GPS.

Shane Tetzlaff and Jake Strachan – Sunnybank.

Moses Sorovi/Liam Dillon and Liam Moseley – Wests.

Angus Fowler and Pat James – Brothers.

Nigel Genia and Quade Cooper/Teti Tela – Souths.

Phoenix Hunt and Jack Frampton – Easts.

The amount of young talented playmakers in our competition is ridiculous and enough to make any avid club rugby fan sit up and take notice.

Coming into the final month of the regular season, the halves pairing that can stand up week to week and dominate the game will win their team matches.

It’s been the driest season in recent memory. Clinical halves combinations have the chance to put teams away late without the weather hampering their style.

Yellow is colour of – FRUSTRATION

Rugby is in an interesting place.

Quite rightly the law makers are ensuring player safety is paramount.

Adjustments to the contact area – tackle, ruck, scrum and contestable possession – are designed to increase player safety.

But rugby is inherently a contact sport.

100kg plus players collide with each other and the laws of physics apply. This cannot be changed.

Players collide with each other intentionally, to stop the other from moving forward, but rarely with the intent to injure the opposition.

It is interesting to note players contesting the ball in the air are now being yellow or red carded when their clear intention is to contest aerial possession.

Furthermore it now seems a player can lift their fellow player into the air, let them go mid-air at a contest, and win themselves a penalty because the opposition is deemed to be “reckless” in the air.

I would be confident referees are not wanting to yellow card players as frequently as they are.

It stifles the game, often kills of the spectacle and mystifies spectators and fans alike.

Players must be kept safe.

But we play a contact sport with inherent risks, large collisions and contact scenarios that are unavoidable.

Where to from here?

QLD Premier Rugby on Fox Sports

Fox Sports. Wednesday 5pm. Weekly.

Need I say more?

#applause