Round 12 Saturday wrap: Injury-hit Tweed tough out important win
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Tweed Seagulls battled through two first half back row injuries to hold off a fast-finishing Western Clydesdales in an important win at Piggabeen on Saturday.
After a lightning quick start of 16-0 after 15 minutes, starters Jacob McCudden and Harry Croker both went down, leading to an almighty reshuffle forcing a number of players out of position.
It didn't stop tryscoring gun Kaleb Ngamanu notching a hat-trick for the Seagulls, keeping his side at arm's length for most of the contest.
The Clydesdales got to within two with 11 minutes remaining before Vaka Sikahele sealed it for the home side.
Tweed Seagulls coach David Penna said things went "pear shaped" after a hot start and he was proud of the grit his side showed.
"We had front rowers who normally play 30 or 40 minutes play 70 minutes, Oskar Bryant played 80 minutes in the middle at hooker, which was a first for him at this level, and then we had Luke Burton, who was probably our best player, play nearly 70 minutes in the middle. It was really pleasing for me as a coach," Penna said.
"Full credit to Toowoomba, they're a really good side, they don't have any affiliates, it was a gutsy performance, and to win it was very pleasing.
"We can get much better, but we did what we had to and it was a gutsy performance."
Match: Seagulls v Clydesdales
Round 12 -
home Team
Seagulls
8th Position
away Team
Clydesdales
14th Position
Venue: Piggabeen Sports Complex, Tweed Heads
Penna said the result was a lesson in why starting well was so crucial, which was a part of the game they struggled with on a three-game losing streak to start the season.
"Compared to the first three or four rounds when we had our losses, that was our killing point, making ourselves having to make far too many tackles early in games, not giving ourselves any chance with the footy, but we're getting there and getting better at that," he said.
"The pleasing part for me the last couple of weeks has been our try line 'D' and again we had two or three try savers and we held them up two or three times on the goal line and last week we did the same thing last week with the Falcons."
Penna said it was now about continuing to learn from errors that threaten to swing the momentum against them and not give those away against the top teams, who the Seagulls are slowly creeping up on.
"The start of this year we didn't really have to worry too much about the ladder and where we sat on it - it wasn't near the pointy end - but for me if we can keep chipping away and keep playing well and keep ourselves in touch with those top teams, we can make sure from there if we can keep improving, then when we do get to that right end of the year if we can put ourselves in position to give it a crack, we know we're going to be a team people will not like playing," he said.
"We know we're that sort of side. Every team seems to want to beat us and play well against us, so they know we're a threat and we just want to make sure we're a proper threat for 80 minutes."
Match: Hunters v Magpies
Round 12 -
home Team
Hunters
9th Position
away Team
Magpies
12th Position
Venue: Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
It was a points-fest in Port Moresby as Souths Logan Magpies converted a 34-10 win into a 48-36 victory. Radean Robinson, Kienan Tempest and Blake Mozer scored each scored doubles for the Magpies.
Match: Capras v Jets
Round 12 -
home Team
Capras
13th Position
away Team
Jets
15th Position
Venue: Rugby Park Rockhampton
Central Queensland Capras fought back from a 10-6 first half deficit to overpower Ipswich Jets at Rugby Park.
Match: Blackhawks v Tigers
Round 12 -
home Team
Blackhawks
11th Position
away Team
Tigers
7th Position
Venue: Jack Manski Oval, Townsville
Gehamat Shibasaki crossed for a double in a strong performance against the defending premiers at Jack Manski Oval.
Match: Falcons v Dolphins
Round 12 -
home Team
Falcons
5th Position
away Team
Dolphins
6th Position
Venue: Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast
The Falcons got the better of the Dolphins after both teams were locked at 20-20 going into the final 10 minutes, claiming the James Ackerman Cup in a pulsating clash at Sunshine Coast Stadium
