It may be Mothers’ Day tomorrow but the mums of the Tweed Seagulls have unwrapped their two points tonight with a win over the Ipswich Jets at the North Ipswich Reserve.
The Seagulls started with all the possession and field position.
On the back of three penalties and a repeat set, the Seagulls sent to the right and found an unmarked Talor Walters, scoring his third try this season. Lindon McGrady added two points to his tally of 44 points this year and Tweed had the perfect start.
It turned out six points wasn’t the perfect start and the Jets did two better.
The Jets went down the other end and on the last tackle Josh Cleeland put through a kick and it was captain Nat Neale who not only scored his 35th try, but his first eight-point try. Cleeland happily potted the four points and the Jets had the lead 8-6.
Cleeland continued to keep the pressure on the Seagulls with his goal kicking and brought up his 21st goal this season with two points.
The Jets were on the other side of the ill-discipline when Seb Pandia earned a 10 minute break in the sin bin.
It was Nat Neale again busting the Seagulls and surging downfield to find Tyler Coburn, who scored his first Intrust Super Cup try in game seven for the Jets.
Cleeland added the extra point and the Jets opened up a lead of 16-6 with five minutes until half-time.
Match: Jets v Seagulls
Round 6 -
home Team
Jets
12th Position
away Team
Seagulls
2nd Position
Venue: North Ipswich Reserve, Ipswich
As fatigue set in, penalties became more rampant and when the eighth penalty for the half was given it was Cleeland who calmly added two points and his third penalty goal.
Tweed went to the break on a positive when the Seagulls found the ball in good attacking territory Lee Turner scored in the left-hand corner to record his fourth try in game number six this season. At half-time the Jets had the led 18-10.
Whatever Keiron Lander said at half-time, Julian Christian was listening when he stepped off both feet and scored under the posts to record his 23rd try for the Jets and maintain his 100 per cent record of six tries in six games in 2021. Cleeland added another two points and the Jets led 24-10.
On the back of a Jets error with a loose pass, Tweed were straight back with Walters scoring his second try over on the right-hand side.
Tweed kept the scoreboard moving when a bomb wasn’t detonated by the Jets and it was tapped back by McGrady for interchange forward Luke Burton to score under the posts.
It was Tweed again with three tries in 12 minutes on the back of three sets in a row and super sub Burton had his second try to level with the Jets. McGrady put Tweed ahead for the first time since the fifth minute with his conversion and a 26-24 lead.
The last ten minutes was both teams searching for the answer to end the game it was Tweed that ended the search with the third try to Walters, notching up the 100-points milestone. Tweed threw the ball out to the right and the right winger scored in the corner.
The Jets had a penalty with one minute to go and Cleeland took the two points to give the Jets a chance to score a converted try with one minute to go; this left the Jets 20 seconds to score and draw the game but the hooter sounded and Seagulls had the win, 32-26.
Tweed winger and three-try hero Walters was ecstatic.
“It was a strange game with errors and penalties but we just knew if we kept the ball we could grind it out and find the outcome,” Walters said.
“It’s been a while since I scored three tries but nice to get on the end of the ball movement and get over.
“Always tough coming to Ipswich so we will take that and keep going forward.”
Tweed face Northern Pride in Round 7.
Match: Seagulls v Pride
Round 7 -
home Team
Seagulls
3rd Position
away Team
Pride
6th Position
Venue: Piggabeen Sports Complex, Tweed Heads
The Jets will play Burleigh Bears.
Match: Bears v Jets
Round 7 -
home Team
Bears
5th Position
away Team
Jets
12th Position
Venue: Pizzey Park, Gold Coast