The Campbell Construction Co. Tweed Seagulls travel to North Ipswich Reserve this Saturday 11th June, 3pm to take on the Ipswich Jets in Round 11 of the QRL Hostplus Cup.
The Seagulls will be riding the highs of a last minute win over the PNG Hunters last weekend, with halfback Lindon McGrady proving the hero with a 77th minute field goal to give Tweed the lead.
Tweed will take plenty of confidence out of that win, having been forced to fight back from 12-0 down after just ten minutes as the Hunters came charging out of the sheds. The resilience shown by Tweed – particularly without star fullback Paul Turner who is named to make his NRL club debut for the Gold Coast Titans this week – is promising signs for the Seagulls in 2022.
Clearly at their best when moving the ball and threatening on the edges, the Seagulls were dragged into a grind against the Hunters in Round 10 but proved they can handle the pressure. Across the park Tweed competed well enough to keep themselves in the contest before a few classy touches from the likes of McGrady, Blake Scott and Craig Garvey did enough to seal the result.
With first-choice hooker Brent Woolf getting ever closer to making his return from injury, the Seagulls remain well equipped to compress the defence before shifting smartly to the spaces out wide.
For the Ipswich Jets, a difficult 2022 season continued last weekend with a 56-0 loss to Redcliffe on Saturday. Playing at home this weekend is an added boost for the Jets as they chase their first win of the season.
The last time these two sides met was in Round 6 last year, with Tweed sneaking away a 32-26 victors. Playing fullback in that game, Lindon McGrady was in fine touch for the Seagulls with two try assists and four conversations from the tee. Lining up at halfback this weekend, McGrady profiles as a key player for the Seagulls again in Round 11.
Player to Watch
In a contest that was fought and won in the middle, lock-forward Braden Robson was immense for the Seagulls last week. Just two of Tweed’s forwards (JJ Collins; 120m, Craig Garvey; 125m) clocked over 100 running metres in Round 10 – testament to the PNG Hunters’ strength in contact – but it proved the perfect environment for Robson to go to work.
Robson’s footwork and passing game terrorised the Hunters’ around the ruck. Posting 95 running metres from 11 carries, Robson played to his strengths as a ballplaying lock to bust five tackles, throw two offloads and record two linebreak assists including a clever final-pass for JJ Collins to score beneath the posts.
With an incredible work-rate on both sides of the ball (69 minutes, 28 tackles, one miss) Robson provides Tweed with a nice point-of-difference in how they work through the middle of the field. The big bodies of Collins and Lamar Manuel-Liolevave are extra effective thanks to Robson’s ability to move the ball into space or create some ruck speed for his dummy-half.
The combination between Robson and returning hooker Brent Woolf was one of Tweed’s strengths to begin the season and they shape as a key duo for the Seagulls in the coming games.
Coach’s Comments
Head Coach Ben Woolf said the squad will take plenty of confidence from last week’s game.
“We did a good job coming back from behind on the weekend and can take some confidence from the close win,” said Woolf.
“Our defence at times was strong again, particularly when down to 12 men.”
Woolf also said there was no room for complacency against the Ipswich Jets this weekend as his side works on some new combinations.
“We are expecting Ipswich to come out strong at home,” said Woolf.
“We have been focussing on our processes – particularly in attack with some new combinations in the backs with Paul Turner earning his Titans debut.”
Team List
Coach: Ben Woolf
Match Details
Round 11 v Ipswich Jets
Saturday 11th June @ North Ipswich Reserve
Kick-off: 3pm
Streaming via QPlus.tv (subscription required)
Written by Rugby League Writers for Tweed Seagulls Media
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