The Campbell Construction Co. Tweed Seagulls will be chasing back-to-back wins for the first time since Round 11 when they host the Townsville Blackhawks at Piggabeen Sports Complex on Saturday 20th August.
The hallowed turf of Piggabeen was treated to a cracker two weeks ago when Tweed and Burleigh settled for a 26-26 draw in Round 17, and the Seagulls will be looking to do one better this weekend when they take on the 10th placed Blackhawks.
Tweed secured an all-important two points last week over the Northern Pride to entrench themselves inside the top eight with two games remaining in the regular season. The Pride and Seagulls were tied on competition points coming into that game and Tweed showed great resilience to come out on top in that must-win contest.
The Blackhawks present another winnable and important matchup for the Seagulls this weekend, who can all but end Townsville’s finals hopes with a win on Saturday.
Tweed have begun welcoming back key players late in the season and as those old combinations slowly reconnect, the Seagulls are being afforded chances to play their best footy. Paul Turner is one of those players in sublime touch since returning for Tweed following a stint in the NRL with the Gold Coast Titans. His class has been apparent in two Cup games since, running for a total 375 metres, setting up two tries, forcing two line dropouts and busting 12 tackles.
Turner’s greatest strength has always been his running game but he has clearly taken some lessons from a month in the #6 jersey in first-grade.
His composure, decision making and passing game are all noticeably improved as Turner takes on a lead playmaking role alongside Lindon McGrady and Will Brimson in the spine. A pinpoint chip kick for Jamayne Isaako to score last week is evidence of this; the vision to identify space out wide and the skill to execute a play on the run are both traits of a class playmaker that make Turner key to Tweed’s premiership chances in 2022.
The undisputed star for Tweed in last week’s win over the Pride though was five-eighth Will Brimson.
Another primarily renowned for his running game, Brimson was at his ball-playing best in Round 18, helping Scott Galeano to a brace on the left wing and threatening down that side of the field for Tweed all game.
Brimson has not allowed ongoing personnel changes around him to effect his form in 2022, having posted five tries and eight assists from 14 appearances this season. Whether it’s been Lee Turner, Josh Patston or Ioane Seiuli in the centres outside him, Brimson’s left edge has been a reliable avenues for points all year and profiles well against a Townsville right edge that conceded three tries last weekend.
The Blackhawks themselves are coming off an agonising 23-23 result against the PNG Hunters last weekend which all but ruled them out of finals contention this season.
Townsville five-eighth Jake Bourke slotted a field-goal with just minutes remaining to give his side the lead in that game, only for the Hunters to reply with a one-pointer of their own as the siren sounded to call the game a draw.
Townsville now need to win their last two games convincingly and rely on other results to go their way if they are to play beyond Round 20 this year, and that all starts with Tweed on Saturday.
Fullback Tom Chester was in stellar form last week for the Blackhawks, scoring two tries thanks largely to the work of Robert Lui at halfback. Much of Townsville’s attack comes through these two players in good ball, meaning the Seagulls will need to be on high alert whenever Chester and Lui link up in attack.
Player to Watch
After a quiet return to Cup grade in Round 17, Treymain Spry put together a convincing 70-minutes against the Northern Pride last week that has him primed to make an impact in his third game back on Saturday.
Last listed on NRL.com at 187cm and 97kgs, Spry is a daunting prospect out in the centres with some room to move. As his body adjusts to the rigours of Cup football, Spry will offer genuine X-factor in a Seagulls’ backline already stacked with talent. He’s a tackle busting and offloading threat who demands attention from the defence when he carries the ball or acts as a decoy.
It’s been all about Tweed’s left edge in recent weeks but the Seagulls were on fire down the right-hand side of the field to begin the season with Paul Turner, Lindon McGrady and Scott Galeano linking up to great effect. As Spry develops combinations with McGrady and Turner around him, he could become a key player for the Seagulls in the finals series.
With an expert finisher in Jamayne Isaako positioned outside Spry, Tweed’s right edge is all of a sudden looking very dangerous. They’ve got two more regular season games to get the reps in and they get another chance to do so against the Blackhawks on Saturday.
Spry’s own personal journey back to Cup level is one to be celebrated.
It’s a credit to his own resilience, determination and bravery that Spry is back on the footy field just months after a horrific off-field incident earlier this year where he was the victim of assault and sustained life-threatening injuries. Along with a gruelling road to recovery, Spry has also been active in the Gold Coast community helping to delivery education and wellbeing programs.
It will be inspiring to see Spry pull on the famous black-and-white strip for Tweed again this weekend.
Coach’s Comments
Head Coach Ben Woolf says his squad is preparing for a desperate Townsville outfit on Saturday.
“The Blackhawks are always strong and have a good mixture of youth and experience this year,” said Woolf.
“They are also in a must win situation so we expect them to come out firing. Our focus will be on our contact and linseed to limit their opportunities.”
Woolf also paid tribute to five-eighth Will Brimson who had a starring role in last week’s win over the Northern Pride.
“Will is always consistent on our left edge,” Woolf said.
“He’s got a good running game and is very good at putting his centre away. He also has a good left foot kicking game.”
Team List
- Paul Turner
- Scott Galeano
- Treymaine Spry
- Josh Patston
- Jamayne Isaako
- Will Brimson
- Lindon McGrady
- JJ Collins
- Braden Robson
- Sam Lisone
- Klese Haas
- Ioane Șeiuli
- Charlie Murray
- Craig Garvey
- Jo Vuna
- Reuben Porter
- Reece Summer
Written by Rugby League Writers for Tweed Seagulls Media
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