Tweed Seagulls RLFC, proudly backed by the Seagulls Club, are up to Townsville this week to take on the Blackhawks at Jack Manski Oval.
The Seagulls are coming into Round 6 on the back of a convincing 44-26 win over the Wynumm Manly Seagulls last week. The left-side attack produced the goods as Tom Weaver provided clean service to the edges. Lee Turner, in particular, had himself a day to finish up with four try assists for the afternoon. Ryland Jacobs was the beneficiary of Turner’s work for three tries. Not to be outdone on the right edge, Treymain Spry continued his impressive season in the centers to lay on two tries for Jojo Fifita outside him.
Tweed put their foot down through to the end after struggling to play out the full 80 minutes to start the season but Coach Dave Penna was still looking for more.
“We still had out lapses there for that middle period of the second half where we bombed a couple of tries,” Penna said.
“We let them score a couple of easy tries where we should have defended it but it was pleasing in the end.”
Nonetheless, a lot of the same team that managed the win in Round 5 returns for this one on Sunday.
Lee, Jacobs and Spry are all back for Round 6 but Kaleb Ngamanu is the new face on the wing, in for Fifita.
In other changes, Luke Burton will start his first game of the season in place of Ryan James. Burton has packed some real punch in limited minutes off the bench so far this season but has the opportunity to wind up from kickoff in this one. Daniel Ross missed last week and returns via the bench alongside Jaleel Seve-Derbas who hasn’t featured since Round 3.
Only four competition points separate 2nd from 12th on the Hostplus Cup ladder at the moment with Tweed and Townsville both in the middle of the log jam on six points.
It has been a long time between drinks for the Blackhawks who last played on April 1st. With the Easter break and Round 5 bye, they’re yet to take the field since falling to the Northern Pride 13-12 in Round 4. An Evan Child 79th-minute field goal – while Harry Freebairn sat in the bin – broke the hearts of the Blackhawks who will no doubt be eager to get back out onto the field in response.
Ben Hampton is a danger man in the halves. He has only featured for the Blackhawks once this season but the 116-game NRL veteran will be a constant running threat alongside Thomas Duffy in the halves. Robert Derby is one to watch out for, too. He’s scored four tries in as many appearances this season along with 150 running metres per game to be one of Townsville’s most consistent attacking players.
Tweed fans have fond memories of the last time these two teams met. A Lindon McGrady masterclass through five try assists translated into a monster 42-0 win in Round 19 last season. However, the Seagulls had the luxury of playing at home on that occasion. They face a long trip up north to Townsville where they’ve yet to win in two attempts.
Tweed will be playing on the back of arguably their best performance of the season so far this week, but Townsville has the pleasure of playing at home after a long rest period. As the ladder suggests with these two at 8th and 9th, this one is shaping up as a close one.
Players To Watch
We’ve already touched on Luke Burton but he’s one to watch early on. Where he’s been able to come on later in the game and use his fresh legs to wind up and push through contact in his five appearances so far this season, he will be on the back fence for kickoff this week. His work alongside Lamar Manuel-Liolevave and Sam McIntyre, who led all forwards with 152 running metres last week, will lay the platform for this high-powered Tweed attack to pile up points early.
Tom Weaver will play a significant role in making the most of that yardage. Fantastic with the ball again last week, it’s his defence that is worth keeping an eye on in Round 6. Coach Penna made sure to highlight the work he’s doing without the ball after making 14 tackles without a miss last week:
“Everybody wants to wrap him for the other things he’s doing, but he’s working really, really hard on his defence.”
Coaches Comments
Tweed’s trip to Rockhampton earlier in the season didn’t quite go to plan and eventually led to a delayed kickoff but Dave Penna and the boys will be up to Townsville a day early for this one.
“You don’t want to make travel a big deal,” Penna said.
“I think the last couple of times that we did do the trip we had to do up and back on the same day. Hopefully being up there and settled, able to wake up in the morning and do what we normally do on game day, will hopefully make a bit of a difference to us.”
Penna is particularly keen to see how Burton starts the match after playing a low-minute, high-impact role off the bench so far this season.
“Burto has been really good for us. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunity, he’s come off the bench a bit.”
“He brings a bit of energy and a bit of toughness to our middle. He’s quite big and mobile. He runs hard, and tackles hard and we’re looking forward to giving him a bit of a crack at it.”
Another young player improving every week, Ngamanu is back in the top side for this one.
“Young Kaleb Ngamanu made way for Jojo last week but he’s another exciting young fella that played really well for us in the first three or four rounds,” said Penna.
“He’s a good kid and has a big future and it’s good for him to play some more footy.”
Written by Rugby League Writers for Tweed Seagulls Media
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