Published On: 18 June, 2022Categories: General

The Campbell Construction Co. Tweed Seagulls will play host to the Mackay Cutters at Piggabeen Sports Complex this Saturday, 18th June at 3pm in Round 12 of the QRL Hostplus Cup.

Tweed come into Saturday’s match following a high-scoring affair against a lively Ipswich Jets side last weekend. The Jets threatened to cause a huge upset when they took the lead with 20 minutes to go, but Tweed would finish strong with tries to Sosefo Fifita and Ioane Seiuli in the dying stages to seal the 40-30 point win.

Despite both Braden Robson and Paul Turner missing last week, the Seagulls’ expansive brand of footy was still on show. Tweed worked smartly out of their own end in yardage, using their middles effectively as pivots to shift the ball and find easy metres on both edges. The stats back this up – all of the Seagulls’ outside backs clocked over 100 running metres in Round 11, bar Lee Turner who managed 95 metres, two tries and an assist.

With Braden Robson returning at lock this week the Seagulls are again well equipped to move the ball in yardage and bring their strike outside backs into the game.

The selection of Blake Scott at #9 this week is noteworthy too, with the young hooker earning his second starting jumper for Tweed on the back of four compelling performances in the black-and-white.

Scott’s ability to step up in the absence of Brent Woolf this season has been a real boost for the Seagulls, who make effective use of their attacking threats from dummy-half. Woolf, Scott and Craig Garvey are all genuine dummy-halves who can bring Tweed’s big bodies onto the ball and create scoring opportunities around the ruck, and Scott gets a well deserved chance to lead that from the kick-off in Round 12.

The Mackay Cutters will be eager to bounce back after falling painfully short to Redcliffe last weekend, 32-34. Three tries in the final ten minutes to Mackay saw the Dolphins sweating to hold their lead, and it was only the final siren that would prevent the Cutters from a miracle comeback in that game. Mackay’s edge defence struggled against the Dolphins last week and will surely be a target for the likes of Lee Turner, Scott Galeano and Ryland Jacobs on Saturday.

The last time these sides met was in Round 10, 2021 with Tweed Seagulls coming out on top, 24-16. Five-eighth Will Brimson had a day out in that game, scoring two tries and getting busy in defence with 20 tackles in an inspired performance.

Players to Watch

Much of the focus for Tweed this year has been around their middle forwards and the impact they have with either a strong carry, quick play-the-ball or a smart pass to shift to the edges.

In the last two games however, it has been fill-in fullback Ryland Jacobs who has arguably had the greatest influence on the game. Jacobs has run for a combined 446 metres in his past two games at fullback, along with two try assists, a linebreak assist and eight tackle busts.

Fit, fast and powerful, Jacobs has taken swimmingly to the fullback role in Paul Turner’s absence and while he mightn’t have the ballplaying skills of his predecessor, Jacobs is doing a fair job as a winger-turned-fullback in this regard.

From 66 receipts in two games out the back, Jacobs has thrown 31 passes and run the ball 39 times. He seems to be getting the mix right between tipping it on or challenging the line himself and with 126 post-contact metres in his two games at the back, Jacobs is proving a highly effective yardage man when he does run the footy.Against a Mackay edge defence that struggled at times last week against the Dolphins, Jacobs will like his chances of straightening things up and taking on the line himself.

Another player who profiles well to take advantage of the Cutters’ defensive worries out wide is Seagulls’ right centre Scott Galeano.

Tweed have gone back to the well in recent weeks with their right edge featuring heavily in attack against the Jets in Round 11. To start the year it was Sam McIntyre, Lindon McGrady and Paul Turner linking up down that right edge, with Galeano or Sosefo Fifita usually the beneficiary out wide. It’s a credit to the club’s depth that Tweed still look just as likely down that channel with Ioane Seiuli and Jacobs slotting in seamlessly for McIntyre and Turner in recent weeks. Seiuli runs a great line off McGrady on that right edge and the aforementioned Jacobs is proving a reliable link man in Tweed’s backline shifts.

Galeano had 16 possessions last week against Ipswich and made them count with 130 running metres, a try, a try assist and three tackle busts. If McGrady and Jacobs can continue feeding Galeano good ball in attack, the Seagulls’ centre will be every chance of taking his try scoring tally to six (or more) for the season on Sunday.

Coach’s Comments

Head Coach Ben Woolf says he was pleased with how his side is adjusting with key players missing through injury or NRL call-ups.

“It was good to score some points and we needed it late in the game (against Ipswich) to get home,” said Woolf.

“I think the combinations are getting better each week. It can be difficult changing key positions but the team is adapting well.

Woolf says he is looking out for attention to detail this weekend.

“We have worked on refining our combinations and our attention to detail – particularly with our defence,” said Woolf.

“At times last week we were scrappy, so we’ll be looking to improve in those areas against the Cutters.”

Team List

  1. Ryland Jacobs
  2. Brent Barnes
  3. Lee Turner
  4. Ioane Seiuli
  5. Scott Galeano
  6. Will Brimson
  7. Lindon McGrady
  8. Lamar Manuel-Liolevave
  9. Blake Scott
  10. JJ Collins
  11. Joshua Patson
  12. Ioane Seiuli
  13. Reuben Porter
  14. Craig Garvey
  15. Charlie Murray
  16. Klese Haas
  17. Dan Ross
  18. Brent Woolf

Match Details

Round 12 v Mackay Cutters

Saturday 18th June @ Piggabeen Sports Complex

Kick-off: 3pm

Streaming via QPlus.tv (subscription required)

Written by Rugby League Writers for Tweed Seagulls Media

 

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