The Campbell Construction Co. Tweed Seagulls are fortunate that, despite their squad numbers being severely affected by the Covid pandemic, they can call on experience halfback Tevin Arona to take the place of the injured Luke Jurd for the final premiership round clash of the season against PNG Hunters at Bycroft Oval on Saturday.
Arona is a Cook Islands Nines international and New Zealand Residents representative who played under-20s for the Canberra Raiders and was in the Warriors’ NRL set-up, He has played one game for the Seagulls this season, against the Magpies, and was 18th man last weekend.
Jurd, who had been filling in admirably for Titans-contracted Toby Sexton since round 12, suffered the unusual mishap of injuring a hip flexor muscle while converting his own try in the first half against Townsville Blackhawks. He will be sidelined for several weeks.
Arona will be the only change to the side that drew 26-all with the Blackhawks and regained fourth spot on the ladder after losses by Redcliffe, Burleigh and Wynnum Manly. A victory against the Hunters, who are out of finals contention, would mean Tweed will finish in the top four and have the benefit of a second chance in the final series.
A win against the Blackhawks would have had the Seagulls in second place with an incredibly compacted ladder which sees Tweed on 22 competition points alongside Burleigh, Redcliffe and Wynnum Manly with for-and-against difference determining second to fifth place.
Winger Talor Walters, who has been fighting an ongoing back complaint for several weeks, will be given until the end of the week to prove his fitness and may come into the squad.
The Tweed Seagulls team for the clash with PNG Hunters at Bycroft Oval, Runaway Bay on Saturday September 11 at 2.10pm:
1 Jack Mackin
2 Brayden McGrady
3 Treymain Spry
4 Lee Turner
5 Ryland Jacobs
6 Will Brimson
7 Tevin Arona
8 JJ Collins
9 Brent Woolf
10 Harrison Muller
11 Lamar Liolevave (capt)
12 Juwan Compain
13 Braden Robson
14 Liam Hampson
15 Darius Farmer
16 Stuart Mason
17 Jack Glossop
18 Ben Liyou
Round Details:
- Tweed Seagulls v PNG Hunters at Bycroft Oval, Morala Ave, Runaway Bay on Saturday September 4 at 2.10pm
- COVID safe practices will be enforced
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