The Campbell Construction Co. Tweed Seagulls face their toughest test of the season to date when a reshuffled side takes on fellow form team Norths Devils at Piggabeen Sports Complex on Saturday.
Without regulars Jayden Campbell, Jai Whitbread and Joe Vuna who have been called up to the Gold Coast Titans side to play Melbourne Storm, the Seagulls core line-up will get an indication of where it stands as a genuine premiership contender against a Devils side that has plenty of NRL experience and faces familiar to Tweed-Gold Coast footy fans.
Brisbane Broncos feeder team Norths, coached by former Titans assistant coach Rohan Smith (son of four-time NRL grand final coach Brian Smith) are second on the ladder and have won their past five games.
Their outfit includes NRL-seasoned performers Dale Copley, Kiwi international Danny Levi, Leivaha Pulu and Broncos young gun Brendan Piakura while former Newcastle Knights, Titans and Warrington Wolves half Tyrone Roberts is likely to make his comeback from a long-term ankle injury.
Tough forward Ethan Bullamor, who played 12 minutes off the interchange bench for the Broncos on Thursday night, may also be slotted into the Norths side.
The Seagulls, third on the ladder after losing just one of their eight games this season – to unbeaten leaders Wynnum Manly in round two – go into the clash with just two Titans squad members in halfback Toby Sexton and prop Darius Farmer who are both yet to make their NRL debuts.
Yet coach Ben Woolf has full faith in the depth of his squad although he admits the clash with Norths will be its biggest test.
Typical of this depth is that regular five-eighth Lindon McGrady, who scored a club record (for Queensland Cup) 22 points against Brisbane Tigers last round, will slot easily into fullback where winger Talor Walters could also fill the spot. This enables Will Brimson, older brother of Queensland Maroons player A.J. Brimson, moves from centre to his best position of five-eighth.
It is in the forwards where the biggest test will come with early season stand-outs Vuna, Whitbread, Sam McIntyre and Herman Ese’ese all missing. However, reliable performers who have all been in NRL systems like Fijian international and skipper Lamar Liolevave (Wests Tigers), JJ Collins (Canberra Raiders), Braden Robson (Wests Tigers), Faitatoa Faitatoa (Newcastle Knights), Brent Woolf (North Queensland Cowboys) and Juwan Compain (Titans) fill out his extended squad for Saturday’s game.
“This will be a real good challenge for us and will show where we are at,” said Woolf.
“I’m not sure what Norths final side will be like but they have a lot of NRL experience, some good young players as well, are well coached and play a style like we do – a lot of ball movement rather than bash and barge.
“I think Tyrone Roberts will be there somewhere, and we know how skilful he is, and Dale Copley has dominated at this level this year.
“The changes we have had to make shouldn’t worry us. We trained with these combinations regularly in the pre-season.
“And we’re lucky that forwards like Harrison Muller, Faitatoa (Runaway Bay) and Jack Glossop (Mudgeeraba) have been playing big minutes in local A grade and are up to this level.
“Will Brimson (who has played twice at five-eighth this season) is actually better suited at five-eighth than centre and gives us a different dynamic. He’s more of a runner than Lindon, bigger and strong in defence, while Lindon is more a ballplayer.
“With Lindon at No. 1 instead of JC (Campbell), we go from a running fullback and ball-playing five-eighth to a ball-playing fullback and running five-eighth, so there won’t be a lot of change.”
Another Norths player familiar to locals is centre/five-eighth Connor Broadhurst who played under Woolf in the Titans’ under-20s before spending three seasons with Burleigh Bears.
Piakura, the 19-year-old who has just signed a new three-year deal with the Broncos, was a member of Tweed’s all-conquering 2019 under-18s outfit alongside current NRL stars Reece Walsh and Xavier Coates, plus Sexton and Compain.
The teams:
TWEED SEAGULLS: Lindon McGrady Talor Walters, Treymain Spry, Lee Turner, Brayden McGrady, Will Brimson, Toby Sexton, Darius Farmer, Brent Woolf, JJ Collins, Lamar Liolevave (capt), Kirk Murphy, Braden Robson. INTERCHANGE (from): Liam Hampson, Ryland Jacobs, Harrison Muller, Jack Glossop, Faitatoa Faitatoa, Juwan Compain.
NORTHS DEVILS: Kyle Van Klaveren, Johnathon Reuben, Dale Copley, Tony Tumusa, Rachaun Denny, Connor Broadhurst, Jack Ahearn (capt), Michael Molo, Danny Levi, Leivaha Pulu, Piki Rogers, Moses Noovao-McGreal, Michael Sio. INTERCHANGE (from): Jack Miers, Xavier Willison, Jerome Veve, Brendan Piakura, Jared Chambers, Liam Horne, Tyrone Roberts.
Round Details:
- Tweed Seagulls v Norths Devils, Saturday June 5 at 2.10pm
- Piggabeen Sports Complex, Carramar Drive, Tweed Heads
- COVID safe practices will be enforced
Related Posts
