Robina Eagles Sneak Through on Points Before Claiming Silver League Crown

by bwilson on April 23, 2026

The Taylor Bowls State Challenge Silver League State Finals delivered its own brand of drama at Logan City Rec and Sporting Club, with Robina Eagles emerging as champions in a campaign that required every point, every rink and every shot to go their way.

Section 1: The Finest of Margins

Algester All Stars entered the Silver League finals as the competition’s form side and looked every bit the part through the opening rounds. A 2-1 victory over Robina Eagles in Round 1, with Frances Craig and skip Debbie Logan and the Triples combination of John Bailey, Mark Dixon and skip Gary Cosier both delivering, set the tone before a second consecutive 2-1 win over Aspley in Round 2 appeared to put Algester firmly in the driver’s seat.

Robina Eagles, meanwhile, were quietly building. After their Round 1 defeat, they responded with a dominant 3-0 sweep of Camp Hill in Round 2, with Kerry Brown and skip Stephen Rice, the Triples unit of Heather Hayward, Alan Law and skip Michael Lewis, and the 4’s rink of Laurie Stahlhut, Stephen Bradley, Troy Perdue and skip Peter McBrierty all winning, before backing that up with a 2-1 victory over Aspley in Round 3.

The section was ultimately decided not on the final round, but by arithmetic. When Algester All Stars fell to Camp Hill in the final round, a 2-1 defeat that nobody had anticipated, the door swung open for Robina Eagles. With one more rink point accumulated across the section, Robina leapfrogged Algester on the ladder to claim the section by the narrowest possible margin. All three teams finished on two wins and one loss, with Robina’s superior rink points proving the difference.

It was a reminder, if one were needed, that in bowls every end counts.

Section 1 Final Standings: Robina Eagles advance to the Grand Final.

Section 2: Burnett Unbeaten and Unstoppable

While Section 1 went down to the wire, Section 2 produced a dominant performer in Burnett, who went through the section undefeated and left no doubt about their credentials as grand final contenders.

Burnett opened with a 2-1 win over Tewantin Noosa Silver in Round 1, with the Pairs 4 Bowl pairing of Brendan Whalley and skip Mark Mizzi delivering a stunning 27-5 victory to set the platform, before backing that up with a 2-1 defeat of Macleay Island in Round 2. A comprehensive 2-1 win over Chermside in Round 3 completed a perfect section campaign, with Burnett finishing on 42 points and a shot differential of +54.

The story of Section 2, however, was not just Burnett’s dominance but the extraordinary campaign of Macleay Island. Despite finishing third on the ladder, the Island side scored a remarkable 194 shots across the section and showed glimpses of brilliance, including an emphatic 3-0 destruction of Chermside in Round 1, winning 91 shots to 29 in one of the most one-sided results of the entire finals series. Their inability to convert shot dominance into consistent rink victories ultimately cost them, but they leave the competition having made a considerable impression.

Tewantin Noosa Silver also showed resilience, bouncing back from their Round 1 defeat to win their remaining two matches and finish second on the ladder.

Section 2 Final Standings: Burnett advance to the Grand Final.

Grand Final: Eagles Find Another Gear

Burnett arrived at the grand final having not lost a match all section. Robina Eagles arrived having barely survived theirs. What followed was a final that confirmed class rises to the top when the pressure is highest.

Burnett drew first blood, with Brendan Whalley and skip Mark Mizzi winning the Pairs 4 Bowl 24-11 to give the northern side early momentum. But Robina Eagles responded with conviction. The Triples unit of Heather Hayward, Alan Law and skip Michael Lewis won 24-16 to level proceedings, before the 4’s rink of Laurie Stahlhut, Stephen Bradley, Troy Perdue and skip Peter McBrierty delivered the knockout blow, a commanding 24-8 victory that sealed a 2-1 win and the Silver League championship for Robina Eagles.

It was a performance that belied the difficult path they had taken to reach the final, and confirmed that Robina Eagles are not a team that wilts under pressure. They thrive in it.