Published On: 26 July, 2021Categories: General

Neil Cadigan, Tweed Media

The Campbell Construction Co. Tweed Seagulls, without key players, have missed an opportunity to go to second on the Intrust Super Cup ladder and have instead slipped to fifth after a 38-28 loss to Souths Logan Magpies at Davies Park on Sunday.

Both sides scored six tries each with the difference being goalkicking in the blustery conditions and costly errors made by the Seagulls in ‘good ball’ in the first half.

Tweed’s effort, led courageously by forward utility Luke Burton who had to fill the uncustomary role of centre for most of the game but came up with two impressive tries, was down in intensity and patience compared to their consistent performances that had seen them lose just five games from their previous 21 matches since their run to the 2019 finals.

With five rounds remaining it leaves them out of the top four for the first time this season on a congested ladder. Norths Devils have run away to a six-point gap on 26 points, wins to Burleigh and Redcliffe see them slip past the Seagulls to 20, alongside Wynnum Manly who went down to Northern Pride. Tweed are next on 19 ahead of Townsville Blackhawks, Souths Logan and the Pride on 16.

“It was disappointing; we just weren’t committed enough,” said coach Ben Woolf who refused to blame the amount of established players who were missing.

“We had the team to win the game; Souths were down a few players too.

“We just pushed balls we didn’t have to, especially in the first half, and should have kicked better and finished out sets better.

“It was a costly loss with us dropping back to fifth. But it is what it is and we have to learn from it, dust ourselves off and get ready for the Capras.”

Tweed had two players in debut in Tevin Arona and Matt Koellner and were without Brent Woolf, Toby Sexton, who was impressing in his NRL debut for the Titans, Talor Walters, Will Brimson, Lee Turner, Jayden Campbell, Jai Whitbread, Herman Ese’ese, Joe Vuna and Kirk Murphy who have all played regularly in the black and white this season.

Ultimately, it was some brilliant play by 18-year-old Magpies halfback Ezra Mam, who has scored seven tries in six games this season which led to him being signed last week by the Brisbane Broncos, that decided the match.

Mam scored three tries within 17 minutes either side of halfway and put through a neat grubber for another (to second-rower Unga Wolske) for the Magpies to go from 14-12 behind to 36-18 ahead.

The Seagulls still had a chance to win the match after fighting back to 36-28 with 18 minutes to go but Lindon McGrady landed only one goal from four attempts and Luke Jurd one from two as opposed to Mam’s seven from seven in his 26-point haul.

The Seagulls led 10-0 after 12 minutes with tries to skipper Lamar Liolevave off a Jurd grubber and prop Harrison Muller off a dart out of dummy half by Liam Hampson. However, their mindset seemed to be that points would continue to come easily and three times in the next 20 minutes they got within 10 metres of the Magpies’ line with good ball-carrying down the centre only to come up with unnecessary ‘flop back’ balls that costs them possession.

Not only did those errors relieve pressure but ended with Souths twice going the length of the field soon after to score.

Magpies’ tries to Creedence Toia and Kobe Tararo, combined with Mann’s first touchdown, saw the Gulls behind 18-14 at half-time despite Burton crossing on the left after good lead-up work from Lindon McGrady who was one of Tweed’s best.

Mam scored just 50 seconds into the second half when he broke through the middle from 50 metres, stepping past Darius Farmer before looking, pivoting and then running straight through the larger Brayden McGrady (playing fullback for the Seagulls) and scoring.

Burton scored his second try, running a great line off Lindon McGrady, four minutes later but it was a case of “bam, bam, thank you Mam” when the little Magpies halfback grubbered for Wolske then crossed himself after another grubber off his boot was unsuccessfully trapped by Tweed centre Treymain Spry and ricocheted safely into Mam’s arms to take the score to 36-18 with his conversion.

Left winger Rylan Jacobs, another one of Tweed’s best, lost his footing in taking a pass from Lindon McGrady but regained his feet and scored in the left corner before Hampson snuck over from dummy half late but the Seagulls were never playing with enough composure to rope in the Magpies’ 18-point lead.

Prop JJ Collins, without doubt one of the best and most consistent props in the Intrust Super Cup in 2021, again led from the front with some strong carries but too often the momentum he created was wasted with impatience or ineffective kicking.

Souths Logan Magpies 38 (E Mam 3, K Tararo, C Toia, U Wolske tries; Mam 7 goals) def.

Tweed Seagulls: 28 (L Burton 2, L Liolevave, H Muller, L Hampson, R Jacobs tries; L McGrady, L Jurd goals) at Davies Park.