Tweed Seagulls RLFC, proudly backed by the Seagulls Club, travelled to Toowoomba and returned home with the chocolates on the back of a 26-22 win over the Western Clydesdales. The high-powered Seagulls attack piled up enough points early into the second half to withstand a late Clydesdales flurry in the dying stages.
Both sides offered the other early penalties and ruck infringements but Tweed made the most of their opportunity to attack the line. Following a dangerous right shift around Klese Haas, the Seagulls returned to the left edge where Jaron Purcell took a short ball before hitting and spinning his way over the line for the opener.
However, Tweed soon found themselves under pressure on their own line. An error out of yardage and a Cory McGrady forced dropout saw the visitors spend a lengthy period on their own line. Looking left and right, the Clydesdales couldn’t find a way through as the Seagulls turned them away and found themselves back in charge of the territory battle.
Tweed continued to attack the Clydesdales line and stress the defence. Both Treymain Spry and Haas went close to crawling over, but the defensive line held up. An error put an end to the onslaught and a Jaylen De Groot error – while attempting to defuse a fifth-tackle bomb – translated into a Jayden Corrigan try. Just like that, the home side levelled things up despite having spent a lot more time defending their line than attacking Tweed’s.
Spry and the Seagulls right edge had no trouble on their next trip into good ball, though. Simple hands to the right edge provided Spry with enough time and space to apply some footwork and use his strength to push through the tackle and put his side back in front.
All of the defence through the middle third of the first half started to catch up with the Clydesdales as halftime approached. Providing Tweed with easy passage up the field on the following set through tired six again infringements, Haas engaged no less than four defenders before releasing an offload for Spry to score his second just four minutes after his first.
In need of a response after the break, the Clydesdales surged up the field and into attacking territory. Neihana Oldham forced a try-saver out of Jaleel Seve-Derbas over the line. However, there was no stopping Bessie Toomaga as he fell onto a McGrady grubber. Toomaga’s conversion made it 16-12 in the 46th minute.
As was the case in the first half, the Seagulls answered right back with a try of their own.
A scheming Sexton run and offload put the Clydesdales defence on the back foot. Some quick hands to Kaleb Ngamanu on the left edge put the Seagulls lead back up to double digits.
A strong defensive stand and Spry break ended up reducing the home side to 12 men in the 54th minute.
Mitchell Watson being given his marching orders for deliberately slowing the play made things more difficult for the Clydesdales who had already spent a lot of time in defence and were now chasing a lead a man down. With the advantage, the Seagulls made light work of Ngamanu scoring his second. Will Brimson’s deception across the field held up the middle defence before Tom Weaver and De Groot linked up on the edge to make use of the extra number out wide.
A handful of errors out of yardage put Tweed under pressure late in the piece. Again a McGrady grubber was the source of Clydesdales points; Riley Moore the beneficiary in the 73rd minute to bring his side to within eight points.
Another error in yardage ended with the same result: Clydesdales points.
The home side stormed home and gave themselves one set to steal it following Watson’s 78th-minute try but the Seagulls defence held firm. A Weaver forced dropout added the icing to the cake and a 26-22 win.
Key Takeaways
The Tweed right edge attack threatened throughout this one. Toby Sexton, Klese Haas and Treymain Spry prove tough to handle. Sexton’s kick and pass threat kept the defence guessing while Haas repeatedly asked difficult questions with his line running. When given the space, Spry’s strength and footwork tested the Clydesdales edge.
The left edge chimed in with points later in the match. Will Brimson’s introduction played a part. At one stage providing middle service with Sexton to his right and Weaver to his left, the 26-year-old straightened up the attack and compressed the defensive line for the likes of Spry and Kaleb Ngamanu to score out wide.
There is no shortage of points in this Tweed side. The cleaning up of errors out of yardage will only make things easier.
Coach’s Comments
Coach Dave Penna took plenty of positives out of the win but didn’t think it needed to be quite so difficult towards the end.
“We probably should have made life easier for ourselves,” Penna said.
“They kept coming and we took out foot off the pedal a bit.”
“We made two or three breaks and should have put it to bed but took the wrong option. We made a couple of errors in yardage and gave away a few penalties but we’ll take the two points.”
Will Brimson’s late inclusion into the side provided Penna with a welcomed headache as he looked to get him in the game alongside Tom Weaver and Toby Sexton.
“I’ve got to try and figure out the best way of getting those boys playing,” said Penna.
One of those ways was to have Brimson play through the middle.
“He did a good job out there tonight in his first game. He’s got a big body, he’s skilful.”
Brimson playing through the middle with Weaver and Sexton on either side of him might be something we see more of next week when the Seagulls return home to play their first game of the season at the Piggabeen Sports Complex.
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