Outstanding young second-rower Juwan Compain is the latest player to have come through the Seagulls’ development system and grab his chance in Ben Woolf’s third-placed side which travels to Murgon searching for a vital victory against Sunshine Coast Falcons on Saturday afternoon.
The 20-year-old went into the Titans senior squad as a development player after a fine season in Tweed’s all-conquering under-18s side of 2019, which saw him play two Intrust Super Cup matches that season as an 18-year-old. However, he stepped away from the game for a break during the COVID-19 affected 2020 season before returning via Tweed’s under-20s this year.
He has been one of Tweed’s best in Matt King’s Hastings Deering Colts side and has been 18th man three times in the first grade outfit. In Murgon tomorrow, he gets his chance to make an impact in the Campbell Construction Co. ISC side that needs victory to stave off the group of teams just below it on the ladder and protect the top four position the Seagulls’ have made their top goal for 2021.
Compain played in the Queensland under-18s side in 2019 alongside current NRL stars Sam Walker, Reece Walsh, Xavier Coates, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Tesi Nui and was regarded alongside Walsh, Coates, Toby Sexton and Brendan Piakura as the best prospects from the Seagulls Class of ’19, so he has the ability to achieve his goal of playing NRL and is enjoying his football again.
At the other end of the scale the Seagulls have been boosted by the return of Titans-contracted Darius Farmer who has been released from the NRL bubble to return to their feeder team. The 104kg Kiwi-born prop has played nine times for the Seagulls this season and will provide Woolf with added experience alongside Northern Rivers products Joshua Patston and Ben Ross, who debuted in the 28-22 loss to Burleigh Bears last Saturday, and Compain.
“It’s great to see Juwan become another one of the players from our development system to get their chance in the side and he is really deserving of it with his consistent performances for the Colts team,” said Woolf. “We all know what ability he has and he has been unlucky not to have played earlier, just missing out on the 17.
“It’s good to give opportunity for players during this period when the Titans boys are unavailable to get experience at ISC level and give them a taste for when we might need them again later in the season. We had Charlie Murray come up from the Colts last week and he performed well and will travel as 18th man to Murgon.
“This is another important game for us. Like a lot of other teams, Sunshine Coast included, we don’t know when NRL players might be back so it’s important we keep the momentum going with our core squad members.
“Josh Patston played 80 minutes on debut against a tough side like Burleigh last week who threw a lot of attack at him and handled it really well, Luke Jurd came back and played well as our dominant organising half, and Charlie and Dan Ross showed they can handle this level.
“Sunshine Coast have plenty of experienced players and they will be desperate to win to keep in touch with the top six. We have to win to keep ahead of the teams just outside of the top four, so there’s plenty hanging on this match.
“It think we go into the game taking a fair bit of benefit from how we played last week with a few players in the team for the first time, or at least the first time this season in the case of Jurdy. Their teammates will have more confidence in them and know how they play.”
The Falcons, in ninth position on 12 points (five behind Tweed) will field an experienced, hard-nosed side despite being without the few Storm players who have filtered back to their side this season.
Hooker Kurt Baptise is a PNG international and a 79 NRL game veteran, prop Patrice Siolo has played three NRL games and has a wealth of NSW Cup matches while winger Paul Ulberg (24 tries in 54 games), centre Nathan Saumalu (22 tries in 52 games), skipper Todd Murphy (104 games and 36 tries) and forwards Louis Geraghty and Sam Burns are ISC stalwart players.
This is the third time the two teams have met in Country Week. Sunshine Coast won 28-16 in Gympie in 2016 and Tweed won 34-24 in Woodford in 2013. The Falcons have won three of the past four clashes between the two sides.
The teams:
TWEED SEAGULLS: Lindon McGrady, Brayden McGrady, Treymain Spry, Lee Turner, Talor Walters, Will Brimson, Luke Jurd, JJ Collins, Brent Woolf, Harrison Muller, Lamar Liolevave (capt), Joshua Patston, Braden Robson. Interchange: Liam Hampson, Daniel Ross, Darius Farmer, Juwan Compain, Charlie Murray.
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS: Luke Polselli, Paul Ulberg, Nathan Saumalu, BJ Aufaga-Toomaga, Nat McGavin, Jack Wright, Todd Murphy (capt), Patrice Siolo, Kurt Baptiste, Wyatt Reynolds, Louis Geraghty, Dalton Smith, Sam Burns. Interchange: Daniel Dole, Sam Bernstrom, Campbell Duffy, William Toloi,
- Sunshine Coast Falcons v Tweed Seagulls at Murgon RL Grounds, Murgon on Saturday July 17 at 2.10pm
- COVID safe practices will be enforced
- Telecast live on Kayo Freebies
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