“Simply the Best” - is how to describe the Queensland State mens side as the won their fifth title in seven years at Broadbeach on Tuesday.

The Maroons wrapped up the Alley Shield at the Australian Sides Championship winning 6 matches from 6 to claim the top of the table position on Monday holding an unbeatable lead on 12 points with nearest rival Victoria on 8 points with round 7 to play on Tuesday morning.

Of course the final round 7 was set up for the de facto final Queensland versus arch rivals NSW but the shock 4 shot loss to Tasmania left the Queensland side 4 points ahead and the Title with only the dead rubber against NSW to come.

As it turned our NSW did win the against the Maroons 63/51 and placed the Blues in 2^nd place on 5 wins win 14.5 rink wins, ironically the same of rink winks as Qld but the 1 loss against Tasmania cost the Blues the Alley Shield.

Of course the final match may have been completely different had the two sides been equal on 6 wins each going into the last round.

The best performed rink for the Sides Championship was led by Queensland ’s Brett Wilkie with 6 wins plus 39. Wilkie’s rink was young rising start Dean McWhinney, Alex Murtagh and Sean Baker.

Wilkie after winning 6 matches in a row was on top of the table but lost his final match against NSW opening the door for the Victorian rink skipped by Wayne Roberts on 5 wins and a draw from 6 to win the best performed rink. Roberts, with Lee Schraner playing third, led by 4 shots with 4 ends to play and the QLD spectators gather around to see the final result but South Australia’s  skip Wayne Ruediger fought back and won the day by 3 shots leaving Wilkie as the best performed skipper. A great achievement against the best in Australia .

The Queensland Ladies, winners in 2011, were hoping to win again especially in their home State on the good Broadbeach greens but came unstruck in round 4 against Victoria 52/70  and then in round  5 against Western Australia losing 48/53 in a low scoring match.

With the final round 7 match also against NSW, the Queensland ladies lost 55/62 to finish in 4^th position behind NSW.who won the Marj Morris Shield.

 The ASC Overall trophy introduced in 2008 was won by NSW (22 points, 31 rinks points), Victoria (22 points, 30.5 rinks), Queensland (20 points, 29 rinks)

The Alley Shield was first competed for in 1959 and until 1974 was held only every second year before changing to an annual occurrence.  The event is played in each State in turn over the eight years.

Queensland has won the Alley shield 11 times out of the 47 times since its it inception back in1959, NSW 18 times, WA 9 times and Victoria 8 times leaving SA, TAS, NT and ACT without a win …in 47 years!

Ii it now time for a change? Or do we keep going with the four small States SA and TAS and ACT and NT just cannon fodder for the big States!

Northern Territory Ladies never won a rink in 7 matches! and finished minus 273 shots down - NT men won 4 rinks from 7 matches and minus 174 shots down!

The best player in the AFL Grand Final wins the Norm Smith Medal and many outstanding footballers have won their names on the record books as the winner of the Norm Smith Medal.

National Coach Steve Glasson has skipped won the best performed rink in the Australian Sides Championship on two occasions that I know of … cannot find anything on web site on previous years - but even so it would be great if BA could present a medal to the best performed rink at the end of the series - so why not a Steve Glasson Medal to the top rink each year!        

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Disclaimer:

The opinions expressed in this Bowls Column are not necessarily the views of the Tweed Heads Bowls Club Board, Management or its members, and is written as a matter of general interest and news in the public interest to lawn bowlers worldwide.  Greg Kelly Without  Prejudic