Neil Cadigan
The Ben Campbell Building Group Tweed Heads Seagulls’ Intrust Super Cup coach Ben Woolf feels his squad in much-progressed in preparation for the upcoming season compared to this time last year, despite going down to Souths Logan Magpies in the opening trial match at Piggabeen Sports Complex on Saturday night.
The Seagulls were beaten 26-6 in the second trial that included most of the established players from both clubs after the Gulls were dominant in the earlier trial, winning 26-6.
Going into the 2018 season, the first under former Gold Coast Titans under-20s mentor Woolf, Tweed were behind the eight-ball, trying to mould new combinations with several new players and a new coach.
They approach the round one ISC clash against the PNG Hunters at home, with a similar squad to last year’s, an improved confidence after some giant-killing efforts last season and, potentially, stronger representation from Titans-allocated players who have all their halves and hookers pencilled in as Seagulls men if they are not selected in the NRL squad.
Only three established members of last year’s squad won’t back up in 2019 – utility Eli Levido who has returned to Sydney, centre Brayden McGrady who has been signed by Penrith Panthers and utility forward Tristan Lumley who has moved to western NSW.
Skipper Cheyne Whitelaw may miss the first half of the season while recovering from a knee reconstruction, after ruining his ACL at the end of the Seagulls’ seven-match winning streak in 2018.
However, the Gulls have been strengthened by the inclusion of Norths Devils skipper John Palavi, a tough and explosive forward, and former Titans and Rabbitohs half/hooker Christian Hazard who was contracted to the Newcastle Knights last season but returns to the Coast where he played under-20s under Woolf in 2014.
Three Titans NRL squad members also played on Saturday night and could prove handy Seagulls contributors in outside back Tremain Spry, signed from Sydney Roosters, former Souths Logan winger Ioane Seiui and Kea Pere, recruited from Easts Tigers.
Elijah Nicholson, a rugby union recruit who shows raw talent but may take time to develop, was the Seagulls’ only try-scorer in the second trial.
An interesting strategy by Woolf is to trial second-rower Lamar Liolevave, who has proven a handful for defences on the left-edge in his two seasons at Piggabeen, as a centre. He showed glimpses of what he is capable of that during the trial match.
“Naturally I would have liked us to play better but there were some good signs there and there’s no doubt we are well ahead of where we were last year,” said Woolf.
“We’ve probably got better depth and John Palavi is a good pick-up. He’s 25 and a middle forward d who was given the opportunity to train full-time with the Titans before Christmas and one day a week since the break, so he can keep his NRL ambitions alive with us.
“I think in patches we were really good but we weren’t consistent. Defensively, under fatigue, we were not as effective as we should have been, which I suppose is expected at this time of year.
“We didn’t exercise as well as we’d like in good ball too, getting to the end of our sets and not sustaining pressure, but that should improve as our halves combination gels.”
The Seagulls will have a final hit-out against Burleigh Bears on Saturday February 23 before starting the ISC season against the Hunters at Piggabeen on Sunday March 10.
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