Round 20 Match Preview – QRL Hostplus Cup vs Northern Pride

Tweed Seagulls RLFC, proudly backed by the Seagulls Club, are back at Piggabeen Sports Complex for the first time since Round 13 when they take on the Northern Pride on Saturday afternoon.

The Seagulls have had two weeks to rest and recover from their 32-18 win over the Brisbane Tigers in Round 18. Responding well to a disappointing outing a week earlier, Dave Penna’s side got their season back on track with an impressive and much-need performance.

“We put it together today,” Penna said after the match.

“We defended well, worked hard for one another, and our attack has been great all year. We knew that if we do those simple things well we will put ourselves right in this competition. It was really pleasing.”

Lindon McGrady put on a clinic as the Seagulls pulled away after going 12-6 down early. The veteran fullback scored two tries, handed out three try assists and finished up with 251 running metres in one of the best individual performances competition-wide this season. As usual, the rest of the back five clocked up over 100 metres each as Tweed ran for 2,075 metres for the match.

In contrast to a week earlier when Tweed struggled to maintain possession, they played with 54% of it against the Tigers. Luke Burton laid the platform through the middle with 168 running metres and the third-best attack in the Hostplus Cup piled up the points.

With extra time to nurse a few niggles and get the body right, Penna has been able to name much of the same side again this week. Joe Vuna is the only new face. He comes onto the bench for Ryan Jones in an otherwise unchanged 17.

The Pride, who entered Round 19 on a three-game losing streak, ended it in style. While they didn’t take the chocolates away from UAA Park, the Pride pushed the high-flying Burleigh Bears to a 22-22 draw. A Christopher Ostwald 78th-minute try pulled the visitors to within two before Evan Child knocked over the conversion to level the scores and push the Pride into the Top 8.

Kyle Feldt played one game for the Townsville Blackhawks back in Round 16 but has been named to play his second game for the Pride in the centres this week. The 188-game NRL veteran will be a significant threat in attack and no doubt a target on the last tackle close to the line. Further up the field, Daniel Hindmarsh-Takyi is one to watch for the visitors. As one of the hardest-working middle forwards in the competition, he averages 151 running metres per game while leading the Hostplus Cup in total post-contact metres and third in total run metres.

Will Partridge is another name that might jump out to some on the Pride team list. It’s almost a year since these two teams last met with a Partridge double and three conversions keeping them close as the Seagulls claimed a 24-18 victory.

The Pride are a high-possession and high-completion team. They’re in the Top 5 in both categories and will apply constant pressure. While the Seagulls have put together periods of dominance – getting up the field in yardage, maintaining possession and turning the ball over in the right areas – stringing it across 80 minutes has been a work in progress.

If the Seagulls can replicate their Round 18 performance again this week, they’ll go a long way to cementing themselves in the Top 8 ahead of two more games at home to finish the regular season.

Player to Watch

He played only five games in 2021 but 24-year-old Luke Burton has been a regular feature of the Seagulls pack this season. Starting seven games and coming off the bench for another seven, he’s improving every week and was a standout in Tweed’s win over the Brisbane Tigers in Round 18.

While his 168 running metres impressed, it’s his work around the ball that saw him rewarded with a linebreak and first try assist of his Hostplus Cup career. Pushing up in support around the always-dangerous Lamar Manuel-Liolevave, Burton burst into the backfield before calmly drawing the fullback and finding Lindon McGrady pushing up in support.

Given the Pride will look to build pressure by keeping hold of the ball and playing patiently in attack, Burton’s work in yardage will be crucial to the Seagulls getting up the field and applying pressure of their own. If Burton and the Tweed pack can earn enough opportunities to attack in good ball, their third-ranked attack scoring 29.8 points per game will do the rest.

Coaches Comments

It’s been a long time between games for the Seagulls but coach Dave Penna is eager to get back into it.

“We’ve obviously had a few bumps and bruises and tried to manage through them,” Penna said about the two-week break.

“We got the boys back in and made them well aware of what they needed to do. It’s good to be back with a bit of purpose.”

The break to nurse bumps and bruises came at the right time as the Seagulls look to carve out their first-choice 17 ahead of a hopeful run through the finals.

“We’ve got a few boys that have been in and out and we’re still trying to figure out what the right side is and how we can make it work,” said Penna.

“That can be a little bit challenging with what is going on with the Titans each week but at this stage of the year – we’ve lost a few and got a few injured – we’re comfortable with the squad.”

The job isn’t done yet but as it stands, the Seagulls are in a finals spot.

“Since day one we’ve planned for this time of the year, what it takes to win those games. It’s still something that we get better at each week in some areas and then drop off in others. It’s the main focus around what’s required at the business end of the year.

“The boys know what it takes to win those games, we’ve just got to get there!”

The Pride offer a stern test of what it takes to win those games as a high-completion and high-possession football side.

“We spoke about that last night. They’re a really good football side. They don’t make a lot of errors, they ask a lot of questions, and you’ve got to play solid footy for 80 minutes.

“We’ve got three weeks left where we’re playing teams that are all like that, so it’s a good challenge for us.”