Published On: 22 March, 2019Categories: General

Neil Cadigan     

The Ben Campbell Building Group Tweed Heads Seagulls are out to break their second noted losing streak in as many weeks when they take on Burleigh Bears in the Intrust Super Cup rivalry round clash at Pizzey Park on Sunday (2pm).

The Ben Woolf-coached Seagulls ended their seven-match losing run against Townsville Blackhawks at Piggabeen Sports Complex last Sunday in their first victory against the Blackhawks.

Even after two solid wins to start the season, based on a much-improved defensive attitude, the task doesn’t get any easier for the Seagulls against their arch-rivals who they haven’t beaten since 2015.

The Seagulls, flushed with Gold Coast Titans contracted players, kept the Bears scoreless in 2014, winning 24-0 before drawing 12-all in the second clash. They backed it up with a 50-4 thrashing in the only local derby encounter of 2015.

However, Burleigh have won the six clashes since even though they have traditionally been hard-fought physical encounters.

Only two players remain in the line-ups since the last Tweed victory. One is Bears halfback Jamal Fogarty, the Tweed Heads playmaker that day, and Bears interchange middle man Josh Ailaomai.

The Gulls will be without halfback Ryley Jacks, who has been called into the Titans line-up, which is a hurdle to overcome. Ironically, he was the Burleigh halfback in those last two Seagulls’ victories against the Bears.

Utility Jack Cook has been named at halfback, the position he joined the club in, with experienced Titans campaigner Mitch Rein starting at hooker for his second game in the black and white.

“Our defence has been much better than last season with our missed tackles and line-breaks against us right down in the first two rounds,” said Woolf.

“But we know the Bears are going to be a really tough contest for us. They put 40 points on Ipswich last week and have a very experienced team, so we know what we’re up against.

“It’s a traditional local derby that always has a lot of feeling in it. So our players have to know the more importance around it and treat it with that respect.”

There is a great mix of NRL experience and exciting newcomers spread through both teams.

The Seagulls have Titans Rein, Leilani Latu and Keegan Hipgrave in their starting pack, plus former Canberra Raiders edge runner Kalani Going who was man of the match in the win against the Blackhawks.

The Bears have a big, tough pack that includes skipper Luke Page, Pat Politoni and current Titans Morgan Boyle and Jai Whitbread.

In the backs fans at Pizzey Park will see some exciting and quick youngsters like Troy Leo, former Titans NRL rep Tyronne Roberts-Davis, Jesse Arthars and the evergreen Kurtis Rowe, Sami Sauiluma, Fogarty and Dylan Pythian – who all have NRL club pedigree – against Tweed up-and-comers Talor Walters, Ryland Jacobs, Treymain Spry, Ioane Seuili and the experienced Lindon McGrady and Lamar Liolevave who have been in good early season form.

The Titans have no less than seven current contracted players in the match between their two feeder teams, which always make the mood around their Parkwood base a competitive one in the lead-up. They are Spry, Seuili, Hipgrave and Latu while the Bears will field Whitbread, Morgan and Arthars.

PHOTO: Action from last year’s clash at Pizzey Park. Talor Walters and Ryland Jacobs will again be key Seagulls players.