Fassifern's day of glory
FASSIFERN are the Ipswich Rugby League premiers after producing a second half points blitz as good as any in Ipswich grand final history.
Trailing Brothers 16-nil at half-time and with two stars on the bench with game-ending leg injuries, the Bombers came from the clouds to produce the most incredible of comebacks.
It started with a try to winger Harold Mosby just after halftime and within 15 minutes the Bombers had added two more and were ahead.
Mosby made it a hat-trick, Liam West crashed over and Isi Hafoka crossed for the Bombers fifth, in a stunning 30-point shut-out of a hapless Brothers outfit.
Brothers scored a late consolation try but the game was gone.
Fassifern captain and former dual-code Test star Andrew Walker said the seed for the brilliant comeback was sown during the halftime break.
"There were no heads down at halftime," Walker said.
"In the sheds I was positive because we didn't really offer anything in defence in the first half. I just told them if we hold the ball early and we can score, we'll get some momentum.
"That's what we did."
Walker said much of the belief came from the experience of losing last year and the knowledge of how far his team had come.
"We learnt a lot from last year," he said. "It was the same thing then but on that day we couldn't get it done.
"Today we did and now I think it will be a very long week in Harrisville."
To call the match a game of two halves is the understatement of the year.
Brothers played almost their best football of the season in the opening half to build what looked a match-winning 16-0 lead.
But as good as Brothers were, Fassifern was even better in the second half leaving the Brethren struggling for words post-game.
Brothers captain Blake O'Loan said his team just failed to compete in the second half.
He said giving up a premiership after holding such a commanding lead would take a while to shake.
"We started well but we just fell away," he said.
"We had one hand on it but we let it go. It hurts. They played well, they probably got a few 50/50 calls, but that's football.
"If there is a positive it's that people wrote us off at the start of the year, so if this was a rebuilding year it's not bad."
The victory is even more significant considering the Bombers lost key playmaker Kali Naque and impact forward Mahe Paseka within minutes of one another early in the opening half.
The pair had been vital cogs all year for the Bombers so to stage such a brilliant recovery minus the two stars added weight to the amazing victory.
A-Grade final
Fassifern 30 (Harold Mosby 3, Liam West, Isi Hafoka tries; Andrew Walker 5 goals) d Brothers 22 (Shane Picker, Ben Seve, Jason Connors, Fili Notoa tries; Fili Notoa 2, Sam Krueger goals) at North Ipswich Reserve.
