Neil Cadigan
Campbell Construction Co. Tweed Seagulls coach Ben Woolf will continue to face tough selection decisions as his side approaches the round seven clash with Northern Pride this Saturday at Piggabeen Sports Complex.
With no injury problems emerging from last weekend’s 32-26 victory over Ipswich and a chance to have an extra player drop back from the Gold Coast Titans later in the week, he has a riches of talent in the backs and the forwards.
The 17 declared on Tuesday afternoon saw former Penrith Panthers centre-winger Brayden McGrady listed as 18th man despite the Seagulls being likely to field only three Titans-contracted players in Toby Sexton, Jai Whitbread and Darius Farmer.
Regular good performers from the first five rounds, Jayden Campbell and Sam McIntyre who travelled to Sydney as the Titans’ 18th and 19th men, were again not named as they are in the Titans’ initial listing of 21 players available for Sunday’s NRL Magic Weekend clash with Penrith Panthers at Suncorp Stadium.
With the make-up of the Titans side swinging on David Fifita successfully challenging a high tackle charge on Wednesday and wanting to have the cover of 19 available players up to match day, coach Woolf will against rely on his regular Seagulls personnel who have done the job so well for him this season.
The strength of the side despite McIntyre and Campbell’s likely absence shows the depth coach Woolf has to choose from this season.
“It’s good to have good coverage across the squad and we won’t be able to confirm the 17 until later in the week,” said Woolf.
“First will be seeing how the Titans end up after they attempt to get David Fifita’s charge downgraded. We’ll look at how a few players come up with injuries too and how we get through the week at training before we decide the final team.
“But it’s good to be low on injuries and having plenty of players fighting for positions.”
The only change to the team that beat the Jets is lock Braden Robson will most likely come back into the starting pack after missing last Saturday’s game because of a minor knee injury and reliable winger Rowland Jacobs, who returned from a month’s absence with injury on the bench against the Jets, elevated into the starting line-up in McGrady’s place in the provisional team.
The Seagulls, who stand second on the ladder behind the unbeaten Wynnum Manly Seagulls after five wins and a loss to the other Seagulls, will confront tough opponents in the North Queensland Cowboys’ feeder team who beat Souths Logan Magpies 26-16 last weekend to take them to fifth place with three wins and a draw.
The Campbell Construction Co. Seagulls team to play Northern Pride:
1 Lindon McGrady
2 Talor Walters
3 Treymain Spry
4 Lee Turner
5 Rowland Jacobs
6 Will Brimson
7 Toby Sexton
8 Jai Whitbread
9 Brent Woolf
10 JJ Collins
11 Lamar Liolevave (capt)
12 Joe Vuna
13 Braden Robson
14 Liam Hampson
15 Darius Farmer
16 Kirk Murphy
17 Luke Burton
18 Brayden McGrady
Round Details:
- Tweed Seagulls v Northern Pride, Saturday, May 15 at 3.30pm
- Piggabeen Sports Complex, Carramar Drive, Tweed Heads
- COVID safe practices will be enforced
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