2024 Senior Grand Finals Wrap

The 2024 Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup and Katrina Fanning Shield seasons concluded with an exciting day of Grand Finals across all five grades at Seiffert Oval on Sunday.

The Queanbeyan Kangaroos won the Canberra Raiders Cup in back-to-back seasons, while the Yass Magpies secured the Katrina Fanning Shield.

The Woden Valley Rams enjoyed plenty of success as a club overall by claiming the League Tag, Under 19's, and Reserve Grade premierships.

Canberra Raiders Cup First Grade

The Queanbeyan Kangaroos successfully defended their Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup title in a tight 18-10 win against the Queanbeyan Blues. 

Roos backrower Josh Ayers was awarded the Bradley Clyde Medal as Player of the Match for his powerful performance in the forwards battle and rock solid defence.

The first half was an intense, back-and-forth grind with only two tries scored.

Roos captain-coach Sam Williams struck first, finishing a left-side break by supporting inside and scoring near the uprights after 10 minutes of play. 

In took 20 minutes of end-to-end footy before the next points were scored through Blues five-eighth Connor Williams who capitalised on a Roos error to score under the posts.

The defending premiers entered the sheds with a two-point advantage, opting to kick for goal from a penalty on the stroke of halftime.

Lachlan Bristow extended the lead for his side early in the second half, showcasing remarkable strength to shake off multiple defenders and score.

The Blues responded later through Jack Anderson who muscled his way over to score. The conversion attempt was missed, leaving the score at 12-10 in favour of the Roos with 20 minutes remaining.

In the 70th minute, a shift to the right allowed Roos center Lucas Thomson to break through a gap and score.

Williams made the crucial conversion, extending their lead to 18-10, which became the final score as the Roos secured the Canberra Raiders Cup for the second consecutive season.

Click here for the full match report. 

Katrina Fanning Shield

The Yass Magpies lifted the 2024 Katrina Fanning Shield with a with a decisive 28-10 victory against the Gungahlin Bulls. 

Yass hooker Gabbie Davis was awarded the Cath Welch Medal as Player of the Match, providing momentum out of dummy half and scoring two tries.

The Magpies were fast out the gates, scoring within the first minute through halfback Jenna Cooke. 

Gaining early momentum, Yass maintained control for the rest of the half, relentlessly attacking and scoring three more impressive tries through Emily Briggs, Tiana Boulding, and Gabbie Davis, while also holding off multiple Bulls' attempts at the line.

With the halftime scoreboard reading 22-0, it was going to be a tough task for Gungahlin to mount a comeback.

The Bulls scored the first two tries of the second half through impressive individual efforts by Amelia Kiriui and Milika Tuinakauvadra, narrowing the deficit to 22-10 and suddenly bringing them back into the contest.

But the Cath Welch Medalist Gabbie Davis put the game beyond doubt, with a great try coming out of dummy half to seal the 2024 premiership for the Yass Magpies. 

Click here for the full match report. 

Canberra Raiders Cup Reserve Grade

The Woden Valley Rams dethroned the Gungahlin Bulls with a thrilling 32-26 victory in the Reserve Grade Grand Final.

Thomas Scrivener was awarded the Doug McRitchie Medal as Player of the Match, scoring two important tries to put the Rams in front and being a point of difference for the full 80 minutes. 

Woden got off to a hot start with early tries from Michael Geiger and Thomas Hicks.

That was before last years premiers showcased their big-game experience, scoring three tries in 20 minutes to take a 16-10 lead heading into the sheds, with tries from Travis Vawdon, Kane Allan, and Keegan Kenny.

Gungahlin extended their lead after the break with a brilliant try assist from Blake Morschel, setting up Travis Vawdon for his second try and giving them a 22-10 lead.

The Rams decided to flip the switch as they scored some outstanding individual tries, first by Daniel Desmet to narrow the deficit, then Scrivener bagged two quick tries to level the score and then take the lead. 

With a narrow 26-22 lead, Rams prop Memphis Hennessey all but sealed the win by barging over from close range, bringing the score to 32-22.

Despite the Bulls scoring a late try to narrow the margin to a converted try, the Rams held on to secure the 2024 Canberra Raiders Cup Reserve Grade premiership.

Canberra Raiders Cup Under 19's

The Woden Valley Rams secured back-to-back Under 19's titles with a dominant 34-12 win over the Goulburn City Bulldogs. 

Rams' prolific try scoring winger Jayden Norgrove was awarded the Glenn Lazarus Medal for scoring a Grand Final hat-trick. 

The first half was tightly contested, with Woden scoring two tries to Goulburn's one.

Norgrove opened the scoring, diving into the corner after a slick shift to his wing, while Goulburn hit back in the 15th minute with Toby Ferris barging over on the right edge.

Jack Hawke added another for the Rams just before halftime, crashing through the middle to give them a 12-4 lead.

The second half remained an end-to-end battle, with Norgrove grabbing his second try early off a grubber, followed by Cooper Ferris slicing through a gap to score for Goulburn.

Rams five-eighth Jordan Bogie and Bulldogs halfback Jamie Cowling then added tries for their sides, both showcasing impressive individual efforts.

Though the Rams scored just one more try than Goulburn, the score stood at 24-12 in Woden's favour, as Owen McCaughan's perfect kicking contrasted with Goulburn's three missed conversions.

Woden sealed the win with two more tries, starting with McCaughan's brilliant chip-and-chase.

Norgrove completed his hat-trick, supporting a break from Taua Fagataele, who offloaded for him to score, capping a 34-12 victory and securing the premiership.

Canberra Raiders Cup League Tag

The Woden Valley Rams completed their three-peat in the League Tag competition with a thrilling 16-14 Grand Final victory. 

Mackenzie Cox received the Caitlin Turnbull Medal as the Player of the Match, playing a pivotal role in the tight win, showcasing great ball-playing and making crucial tags in a low-scoring game.

The Rams took an early two-try lead, with Mackenzie Alcock scoring a superb solo effort, followed by Donelle O'Donnell finishing in the corner after exploiting numbers on the short side, making it 10-0 and setting the stage for what looked like a Rams clinic.

However, the Bulls answered with two tries before halftime, with Lahni Hall and Jessica Crowe both scoring impressive tries from dummy half, as the teams went into the break tied at 10-all.

Both teams displayed strong defense in the second half, with the breakthrough coming in the 35th minute. Sarah Carter Medalist Keesha Kapea stood up, slicing through a gap to score under the posts.

With the Rams ahead by a converted try, the game remained fiercely competitive, with neither side giving an inch.

In the final minutes, the Bulls made a desperate shift to the left, creating an overlap for Claire Jorgensen to score in the corner, narrowing the gap to 16-14.

However, the difficult conversion attempt was missed, and the Rams clinched the trophy in three consecutive years.