Romano Group Seagulls back-rower Sam Saville made a successful return from a seven-week lay-off with injury in the A-grade side’s 58-10 thumping of last-placed Ormeau on Sunday.
The tough back-rower, who spent the pre-season training with the Gold Coast Titans, had not played since badly injuring his sternum in the round 19 Intrust Super Cup derby against Burleigh Bears.
“He scored two tries and was really good, so it was really encouraging for ‘Sav’ and the squad to have him back,” said coach Darryl Fisher.
The game also saw the return of Dane Clarke, who had missed the previous game, while ISC debutants of the previous weekend – Pheonix Hunapo, Jack Cook and Jayden Baker – were also back, enabling the Seagulls to field a strong side even though they were taking on the bottom placed team.
The Gulls led 34-0 at half-time from seven tries, three of which were converted, but eased off in the second session in which they scored four tries (all converted by Hunapo) and conceded two.
Hunapo recorded a 22-point haul from two tries and seven goals.
“It was good in the aspect that we’d struggled to put a lot of points on any side this season and we only beat Ormeau 16-8 when we met earlier in the season,” said Fisher.
“It was beneficial to get a few points on the board and get some combinations going. They will be really comfortable with the execution of some set plays which we take into the last few weeks of the competition.”
The Seagulls take on second-placed Runaway Bay (away) this Sunday which is a crucial contest if the Gulls have ambition to finish in the top three (out of a top five finals series).
Runaway Bay are two points ahead on the competition ladder with a points differential advantage of plus-89 compared to the Gulls. In between, on 33 points, is Tugun who inflicted leaders Burleigh Bears’ second successive defeat (after Tweed beat them in round 13).
“If we want to make the top three, we’d have to win on Sunday,” Fisher admitted.
THE LADDER
| POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | B | FOR | AGST | PD | PTS |
| 1 | Burleigh | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 538 | 184 | 354 | 38 |
| 2 | Runaway Bay | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 470 | 256 | 214 | 34 |
| 3 | Tugun | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 378 | 231 | 147 | 33 |
| 4 | Tweed Heads | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 351 | 226 | 125 | 32 |
| 5 | Bilambil | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 322 | 315 | 7 | 28 |
| 6 | Currumbin | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 299 | 414 | -115 | 26 |
| 7 | Southport | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 238 | 383 | -145 | 19 |
| 8 | Ormeau | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 138 | 725 | -587 | 14 |
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