The Romano Group Seagulls Mal Meninga Cup (under-18s) side are playing for a finals berth at Piggabeen this Sunday after a tremendous 38-10 win against competition leaders Norths Devils.
The side, coached by Seagulls’ Queensland Cup premiership players Brad Davis and Tim Maccan, fought back from their loss to Burleigh Bears – after two weeks without a match – with a decisive performance on the back of physical defence that put them in position to dominate early.
The Gulls led 22-0 at half-time to shock the Devils at home, a side that had won five or their six previous matches but will now miss the four-team final series.
The Seagulls finish their preliminary round campaign against second-placed Souths Logan Magpies in a game that was postponed from round five due to weather. The match will be played at 10.50am on Sunday, ahead of the Seagulls’ FOGS Cup clash with the Magpies at 12.25pm.
If Tweed win by 13 points or more, they will play finals football with all other teams, except top placed Western Mustangs and last-placed Central Crows, having a bye.
“We’re still alive, which is great and a good reward for their effort,” said Davis.
“We had to work hard for the victory but we showed up with a great mentality and jumped out of the blocks really with a real intent, physical first half. It was our best defensive effort of the season.
“I think the Burleigh game sharpened us up a bit after a couple of weeks without footy and we executed our plays really well to score four tries before the Devils got on the board.
“It will be a tough assignment against the Magpies but we know what our situation is.
“We were supposed to have the bye like a lot of other teams but with the wash-out match we’re effectively playing for four points (they will also receive two points for a bye).”
Winger Ben Thomas returned from shoulder reconstruction surgery to record a hat-trick in his first game of the season but it was truly an across-the-park team effort that gave the side success, after playing perhaps too much as individuals the previous week.
For full match details and teams, CLICK HERE
In the FOGS Colts Cup, Tweed Heads went down 38-16 to the Devils when victory would have kept their finals hopes alive.
They were missing a couple of in-form players in Tyler Ingram and Zane Wallace who were elevated to make their National Youth Competition debuts for the Titans but, as a team, they were too patchy and could not contain the superior size and power of Norths once they gained some attacking momentum.
The Devils led only 16-4 at half-time but their physical superiority showed in the second half.
“I can’t fault the effort and we competed well for half a game but when they got on a roll they were too big for us,” said coach Jamie McCormack.
“It’s very much a transition under-20s squad and a lot of the side will develop more from here. We can’t make the finals now but we’re determined to finish the statewide rep season strongly before a couple of weeks break and we go back into the south-east Queensland competition (on May 13).”
Hookers Alex Fitzhugh and Tom Plater, both Bilambil products, showed tremendous courage and enthusiasm against their bigger rivals while lock Zane Wilshire was, as usual, tireless and did a lot of quality, but sometimes unnoticed, work.
The games on Sunday will be stand-alone home clashes at Piggabeen with the ISC side travelling to Townsville and the A-grade side playing Bilambil at Bilambil.
So, get down to support these talented youngsters and try to cheer the under-18s into the finals!
For full match details and teams CLICK HERE
FOGS Colts Cup – NORTHS DEVILS 38 (Justin Timu 2, Jack Peoples, Lachlan Gallegos, Jack Rumsby, Riley Leota, Regan Glynn tries; Jack Miers 5 goals) def TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 16 (Tupu Lisati, Thomas Plater, Jake Gleeson tries; Bayley Gill 2 goals) at Bishop Park.
LADDER
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Bye | For | Agnst | Total |
| Redcliffe Dolphins | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 216 | 52 | 14 |
| Mackay Cutters | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 150 | 86 | 12 |
| Northern Pride | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 135 | 98 | 12 |
| Western Mustangs | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 138 | 102 | 11 |
| Townsville Blackhawks | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 158 | 142 | 9 |
| Norths Devils | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 138 | 126 | 9 |
| Sunshine Coast Falcons | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 186 | 118 | 8 |
| Victoria | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 166 | 174 | 7 |
| Tweed Heads Seagulls | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 142 | 110 | 6 |
| Easts Tigers | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 160 | 142 | 6 |
| Souths Logan Magpies | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 108 | 122 | 6 |
| Wynnum Manly Seagulls | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 122 | 160 | 6 |
| Burleigh Bears | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 78 | 168 | 4 |
| CQ Capras | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 84 | 192 | 4 |
| Ipswich Jets | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 101 | 290 | 4 |
Mal Meninga Cup – TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 38 (Ben Thomas 3, Maxwell Dowd, Logan Cootes, Brenton Daley-Holten, Geordie Brand tries; Jaman Rio 5 goals) def NORTHS DEVILS 10 (Owen Jones, Sosefo Filipine tries; Jack Paterson goal) at Bishop Park.
LADDER
| Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Bye | For | Agnst | Total |
| Western Mustangs | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 160 | 106 | 12 |
| Souths Logan Magpies | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 187 | 91 | 10 |
| Easts Tigers | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 168 | 96 | 10 |
| Redcliffe Dolphins | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 166 | 108 | 10 |
| CQ Capras | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 172 | 128 | 10 |
| Norths Devils | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 182 | 149 | 10 |
| Sunshine Coast Falcons | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 168 | 120 | 8 |
| Tweed Heads Seagulls | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 148 | 104 | 8 |
| Northern Pride | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 124 | 117 | 8 |
| Mackay Cutters | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 160 | 158 | 8 |
| Townsville Blackhawks | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 131 | 134 | 8 |
| Victoria | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 152 | 166 | 8 |
| Burleigh Bears | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 155 | 142 | 6 |
| Ipswich Jets | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 124 | 188 | 4 |
| Wynnum Manly Seagulls | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 82 | 242 | 2 |
| Central Crows | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 68 | 298 | 2 |
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