Trinity Premier Grand Final

Easts have beaten Brothers 22-21 to win the 2008 Trinity Premier Rugby Grand Final.

Brothers had a chance to win the game with five minutes to go, but the normally bankable boot of scrumhalf Brendan McKibbin was astray with the penalty and Easts held on for a deserved three tries to two victory.

Easts inside centre and try scorer Herman Porter won the inaugural Tony Shaw Medal, as the player of the Grand Final, on the judgment of the QR Reds coaching staff.

Brothers played 67 minutes of the match with just 14 men after lock Liam Shaw was sent off for striking, in a flare-up that also earned Easts' lock Lachlan Walker a yellow card.

Easts' wing David Lucas grabbed two of the Tigers' tries, while Brothers' McKibbin would have pushed Porter all the way in the man-of-the-match stakes, with a non-stop game and a near miss dive for a try - stopped by Porter getting under the ball.

Brothers coach Rob Murdoch said he couldn't have asked for more from his team after losing a man so early and fighting back from 22-13 down to fall short by just a point.

He said the loss of Shaw was decisive, because of his importance to the team, especially in the set pieces.

Victorious Easts' coach Pat Richards was proud of his young group and was reluctant to single out any particular player for praise.

However the sentimental favourite of the crowd was former Wallaby and QR Reds back Andrew Walker, who has retired from professional rugby but had enough left in the tank to keep his young side on course with astute kicking and quick reaction in defence.

There was no such fairy tale for QR Reds flanker David Croft, who experienced similar pain two years ago when Wests beat Brothers 23-22.  

Easts 22 (David Lucas 2, Herman Porter tries, Andrew Walker pen, 2 con) d Brothers 21 (Damon Murphy, Paul Doneley tries, Brendan McKibbin 3 pen, con). Crowd 4,728