Category: Match Report

Pride’s Stuckey stars to sink Seagulls

By Jim O’Reilly
Seagulls Contributor

Anyone thinking the Northern Pride aren’t up to it in the Intrust Super Cup would be sadly mistaken.

The Pride commuted down from Cairns to Pinklands Sports Complex on Saturday to take on the Wynnum Manly Seagulls. The Gulls took the game to Redlands as part of their Deadly Choices partnership and the first of two Indigenous Recognition Matches, working with local health clinic Yulu Burri Ba to support indigenous health initiatives.

You could assume all that travel would make Pride tired and lethargic, but they were anything but. 

On the back of a Joshua Stuckey hat-trick, the Pride ran in seven tries to two to completely overpower the Seagulls flock 42-12.

Right from Grant Anderson’s try for the Pride in the third minute, Pride were up and about and applauding each players’ efforts in defence, attack, play the balls and more.

It was the polar opposite for the Seagulls; who appeared to be lacking their usual spark. 

For a brief moment in the the eighth minute when Francis Kalisolaite-Tualau crashed over close to the posts and Jack Campagnolo converted, you were guilty of thinking “…ok here we go, the ‘Gulls are back in it”. But sadly, that was a very fleeting thought.

Four minutes later Stuckey scored his first of three tries close to the posts, converted by Grant Anderson, taking the Pride to 12-6.

The mood of the Seagulls soured even more when perennial workhorse Matiu Love-Henry was taken from the field with a significant leg injury, that could see him out for the season. Love-Henry is very much the barometer for team cohesion and energy and when he left you could see the Wynnum Manly side’s heads drop.

From there, errors and poor defence took over the Wynnum Manly team’s game and the Pride took full advantage.

A converted try to Tom Steadman in the 35th minute saw Pride go to the break 30-6 up and the comments in the fairly sizeable local crowd were “…….the Seagulls will bounce back in the second half”. 

Unfortunately that would not be the case.

Tries in the 50th and 70th minute and a penalty shot in the 77th minute saw the Pride run out winners 42-12.

Coach Adam Brideson shared, “we allowed ourselves to be outplayed in every facet of the game today…. we are better than that”. 

The Seagulls travel to Maryborough next week to face the PNG Hunters in the second Indigenous Recognition Match for the year.

Nikorima stars in return as Dolphins defeat Wynnum Manly

By Jarrod Vidler (Redcliffe Dolphins correspondent)

Jayden Nikorima scored two tries and set up another in his first Intrust Super Cup game in more than two years to help the Redcliffe Dolphins defeat the ladder-leading Wynnum Manly Seagulls 40-34 on a chilly Saturday night at Moreton Daily Stadium.  

The former Sydney Roosters player scored the opening try of the game in the fifth minute and was also involved in the next two tries for the Dolphins. 

Nikorima threw the last pass to set up winger Junior Ratuva for a debut try, and then shortly after, raced almost the length of the field to make it a double in his return game before half-time. 

Coach Adam Mogg was pleased with the performance of Nikorima, who has had to overcome some adversity in his career. 

“I thought he was outstanding and he’ll get a lot better than that too,” Mogg said. 

“Full credit to the kid, he works really hard on his own personal development.

“He’ll get where he needs to go, that’s for sure.”

The match was a see-saw battle with a total of 13 tries scored. 

After the Dolphins scored first, the Seagulls hit back with two tries in the space of four minutes to Edward Burns and Zeb Taia to take the lead. 

Burns scored again in the first half, but the Dolphins led 18-16 at the break.

The second half was entertaining for the crowd, with both teams taking turns in crossing the try line. 

With 15 minutes to go, the Intrust Super Cup’s leading point-scorer this season Jack Campagnolo put the Seagulls in front with a try under the posts.

A penalty from the ensuing kick-off then gave Wynnum Manly an opportunity to take control of the game, but they dropped the ball off the restart which gave the Dolphins a chance to hit back. 

Redcliffe did just that with a brilliant cut-out pass from captain Cameron Cullen finding the chest of winger Samual Elara, also on debut, who finished brilliantly in the corner.

Justin Worley, who finished with six from seven with the boot, converted from the sideline to give the Dolphins the lead with less than 10 minutes to play. 

The match-sealing try came in the final minute when Trai Fuller chased through a Sheldon Pitama kick and won the race to the ball to make it four home wins in a row for the Dolphins. 

Mogg was proud of his players for finding a way to get the result. 

“Really proud of our team with a lot of guys on debut,” Mogg said. 

“I thought they (Dolphins) did a good job of controlling the tempo of the game, slowing it up when they needed to and speeding it up when they wanted to.

“I felt like the score line was a fair result.”

Next week, the Seagulls will head to Chinchilla to play the Bears for the QRL’s Country Week.

Magpies take home the Mitch Cronin Memorial Cup

By Jim O’Reilly
Seagulls Contributor

The day was special in many ways as fans, former players and the two current Intrust Super Cup teams – Wynnum Manly Seagulls and Souths Logan Magpies – gathered at BMD Kougari Oval for the inaugural Mitch Cronin Memorial Cup.

Both teams walked onto the field in unison in front of the Chook Pen and the newly unveiled Mitch Cronin Hill. The procession, including former teammates from across Cronin’s footballing career, linked arms to watch a video tribute in honour of the club legend.

You could have heard a pin drop as the crowd stood and observed one-minute of silence to remember a great footy player and amazing human.

From the kick off, the gravity of the game was clear and both teams had come to play.

It was a tight defensive game for the first 10 minutes before Brisbane Broncos star Corey Oates crossed over out wide for a try to put Souths Logan Magpies on the front foot, 4-0.

Their lead was short lived as big Max Elliott barged over close to the sticks and Jack Campagnolo slotted the conversion and the Seagulls were on the board, 6-4.

Just on the 20-minute mark Jayden Berrell jumped on a mistake by Ethan Quai-Ward and forced his way through three tacklers to score next to the posts. Campagnolo slotted the conversion and the Seagulls were out to a 12-4 lead.

The next phase was dotted with errors and penalties from both sides, which kept the game mid-field.

Lachlan Cooper took advantage of a ruck infringement penalty to score out wide and Isaiah Tass slotted the conversion and the Magpies were only two points adrift of the Seagulls.

Then right on half-time Quai-Ward made up for his earlier lapse by crashing over for a strong try, which Tass converted. The Magpies were off to the dressing sheds 16-12 up.

One minute after the restart, perennial finisher Ed Burns gathered a Sam Scarlett bomb and crashed over out wide to tie up the game at 16-16. Five minutes later Seagulls work horse Francis Kalisolaite-Tualau used his formidable frame to power to the line and extend his arm placing the ball on the line for a great try. Campagnolo converted and the Seagulls had the lead again, 22-16.

Ten minutes later, a professional foul saw Zeb Taia sin-binned, giving the Magpies a distinct advantage. They capitalised with a Cooper try that was converted by Tass to lock up the scores at 22-22.

Cooper would go on to put in a Hastings Deering player of the match performance and really moved his team around the park effectively. This kept Wynnum on the back foot for much of the second half. 

In the 62nd minute, Christian Hazard was penalised and put on report for roughing the kicker and given the closeness of the game, the Seagulls took the penalty and moved ahead 24-22.

Just three minutes later, the Chook Pen erupted when popular forward Matiu Love-Henry crossed to score. He capitalised on the momentum after some great one-off-ruck play by the Seagulls turned the Magpies around and had them back peddling. The conversion was missed and the score was 28-22; Wynnum and the crowd were starting to feel like the Seagulls were home.

The Magpies kept the pressure on and kept coming, with their hard work rewarded with a Ezra Mam try on 69 minutes. Tass converted and the scores were locked again at 28-28.

With five minutes left Jack Campagnolo slotted a field goal from 35 metres out and and Wynnum were up 29-28.

With two minutes left Oates retrieved a Scarlett bomb and ran nearly 50 metres before being brought down by a great tackle by fullback Ben Farr. 

Two tackles later and in the 79th minute, Oates was on the receiving end of a pass that saw him score in the corner, breaking the hearts of the Wynnum side 32-29.

The Cronin family presented the trophy to the victorious Magpies and both clubs enjoyed a meal with the family after the game.

Coach Adam Brideson remarked “it was a great game of footy, played in the right spirit by both teams with Souths been better on the day and deserved the win”. 

The Seagulls are back at home on Sunday June 20th to take on the Brisbane Tigers.

Berrell bonanza steers Seagulls to victory

By Jim O’Reilly
Wynnum Manly Seagulls contributor

The Wynnum Manly Seagulls have extended their unbeaten run to nine straight wins on the back of a man of the match performance by hooker Jayden Berrell, winning 40-16 against a very polished Mackay Cutters outfit.

The rake piled on a hat-trick in the space of 24 minutes, turning the momentum of the game to ensure the ladder leaders kept their streak intact.

The Cutters came out firing and scored within the first five minutes with a try to Sean Mullany and converted by Ata Hingano.

In fact, it was a sign of things to come with the hookers from both sides having great games.

But at the 10 minute mark, the Cutters early lead was snuffed out by a Delouise Hoeter try which was converted by Jack Campagnolo.

Four minutes later; in just his second game in the top grade, Tom Farr bounced off three defenders to crash over for his first try in the Intrust Super Cup, taking the score to 10-6.

Just six minutes later, Berrell caught the Cutters napping and buried his head out of dummy-half to crash over close to the posts and with Campagnolo’s conversion, the ‘Gulls were up 16-6.

This was the start of a torrid 10 minutes of footy that was broken when Max Elliott was sin binned for a high shot… needless to say, ‘The Chookpen’ was not happy.

In the 30th minute, Ross Bella crashed over and Jack Quinn converted and the Cutters were closing in.

Elliott returned from the bin four minutes before the break and Wynnum Manly immediately went on the attack.

Two minutes later, Berrell again crashed over for his second of three tries. Close to the posts made it an easy conversion for Campagnolo and the gap was once again 10 points.

Returning for the second 40, the Seagulls did not let up and just four minutes after the restart, Berrell was in again and this time, the ‘Gulls ran in from everywhere on the field to congratulate him – he has been an inspiration since returning this season.

The hat-trick made the scoreline look like an insurmountable lead in the game and the home crowd certainly thought so when Luke Bateman running on an angle from 30 metres out, crossed adjacent to the uprights to make it 34-12 after the conversion.

But all is never as it seems. In the 56th minute, Hoeter was binned for a high shot, which gave the Cutters a sniff and they quickly took advantage, scoring just three minutes later from winger Jake Riley’s try right under the new giant electronic video screen and scoreboard, making the score 34-16.

For the next 10 minutes, it was a defensive battle with both sides not conceding an inch.

Then to the absolute delight of the Kougari faithful, Elliott suddenly took on a nimble utility persona with a deft kick from 20 metres out, which he followed up sprinting and diving on the ball in the in goal for a great try that created a spontaneous cheer.

The big Max special put the icing on the cake for the Seagulls with coach Adam Brideson saying he was happy with the result, whilst conceding there was still room for improvement.

The top-of-the-table red and green will honour the late Mitch Cronin against Souths Logan next Sunday June 13th at BMD Kougari Oval.

Wynnum Manly fly high with superb second half

By Ian Apps
Sunshine Coast Falcons Correspondent

The Wynnum Manly Seagulls have solidified their position atop of the Intrust Super Cup competition ladder with a stunning come-from-behind 38-24 victory over the Sunshine Coast Falcons at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

With both teams coming off last-start victories, there was plenty like about the opening quarter of the match.

The Falcons shot out of the gates and through the pinpoint kicking game of Falcons co-captain Todd Murphy, the home side were able build some early pressure to take an early 18-0 lead within the first 25 minutes.

Sunshine Coast hard man Daniel Dole was forced from the field mid-way through the first half with a suspected broken thumb, which put an immediate strain on the Falcons bench.

This was all the invitation the Wynnum Manly side needed and before the first half drew to a conclusion, the visitors posted their first points of the afternoon with back-to-back tries, heading into the sheds eight points behind.

The second half was one way traffic as the ladder-leading Seagulls started to flex their attacking muscle.

Their hooking combination of Jayden Berrell and Issac Luke proved too hot for the Falcons to handle.

The former NRL rake showed plenty of class and experience, chiming in with some lovely, long-range kicking from dummy-half, while Berrell bagged himself a second half double off the back of some brilliant offloads from his mobile forward pack.

Ultimately, it was these offloads that set the pace of the closing 40, with the Falcons struggling desperately to withstand a constant barrage of second-phase footy.

In the few second half moments where the Falcons had an opportunity to get themselves back into the contest, execution let them down with both Cooper Johns and Murphy throwing intercept passes when going for the miracle cut-out ball to their respective wingers.

The Coast did finally slow the Seagulls’ momentum, turning the tables and posting a last-minute consolation try.

Improving in the second half and “going on with the job” has been a real focus for coach Sam Mawhinney and the Falcons, but today was a case of them falling back into old habits and falling out of the game entirely in the second period of play.

Trent Loiero was strong in a beaten side, and has become one of the club’s most consistent performers after his NRL debut earlier in the year – awarded the Falcons’ player of the match award but was understandably sombre.

“It was pretty disappointing out there today,” the back-rower said.

“Our discipline in the second half made it really hard for us.”

The win sees the Seagulls remain undefeated and on top of the table, while the Falcons have just held on to fourth position, thanks to a fairly healthy for-and-against.

The challenges don’t stop for the Falcons, who travel down the Bruce Highway to rumble with the Norths Devils – who leap-frogged Tweed into outright second, setting up what’s sure to be another mouth-watering top four encounter.

The Seagulls tackle Ipswich on May 30th – watch it live on Kayo, 9Now or QPlus.

Seagulls Academy Recap: Colts dominate in Round 4

The Seagulls moved to the top of the Hastings Deering Colts ladder after an impressive win on Saturday afternoon. The Colts followed the Cup team and took on the Central Queensland Capras, with a final score of 62-6.

Ben Farr crossed the line four times during the game, capping off his McDonald’s Player of the Match performance with the final conversion of the afternoon.

McDonald’s Player of the Game Ben Farr

Colts Head Coach Michael Dobson was very impressed with the team’s performance on Saturday, suggesting their high energy helped them play well in front of a home crowd.

“It was our most complete performance of the season”, Dobson said. “The boys defended well and their push was good, really delivering on the effort areas that we spoke about and support each other.”

The Gulls had 7 different try scorers on the afternoon, scoring 11 times and holding the Capras to a lone try late in the first half. Defensive execution, including a tackling efficiency of 90%, helped secure a strong victory despite a few too many handling errors.

An 80 minute performance helped keep the Chook Pen entertained and involved, with a strong crowd sticking around to support after the Intrust Super Cup game.

Ben Farr’s effort was rewarded by his teammates and coaching staff, taking home all three individual player awards in the sheds post-game. Highlights from his performance can be found here.

Wynnum Manly keep streak alive after overtaking Tigers

By Melissa Tabet & Colleen Edwards,
Queensland Rugby League

Wynnum Manly Seagulls overcame a poor start to the match to earn a 22-14 win against Brisbane Tigers and in the process, keep their unbeaten start to the season alive in the Intrust Super Cup.

Played at Totally Workwear Stadium in Anzac Round, the Tigers roared early in front of their home fans, with Dean Ieremia – who recently claimed Hastings Deering player of the match honours with his hat-trick against Burleigh Bears – going over in the fourth minute to score the first of his two tries.

It only took him eight minutes to go over again, and when Dan Russell crossed in the 20th minute; Seagulls fans would have been wondering if their team had turned up focused to play.

The tide soon turned however with winger Ed Burns starting the comeback for his team with a 29th minute try, before Sebastian Winters-Chang got on the board in his Intrust Super Cup debut.

With conversions hard to come by, the Tigers took a 14-8 lead into the half-time break.

Unfortunately for home fans, the Tigers were held scoreless in the second half as the Seagulls clicked into gear, doing just enough to overcome their opposition with tries to powerful forward Luke Bateman and then crafty hooker Jayden Berrell, who has been in fine form in the competition, sealing the victory when he crossed in the 60th minute.

For Wynnum Manly coach Adam Brideson, the result came as a relief after a disappointing start to the match.

“It was obviously really pleasing in the back end; we didn’t start the game anywhere near the way we wanted to,” Brideson said.

“I thought the Tigers were really clean for the first 20-odd minutes. I was really pleased by the fact we could fight really hard and come away with a hard-fought win at the back-end of the game.”

The result means the Seagulls remain undefeated after five rounds, something the coach said was being achieved thanks to the standards of the players.

“There’s a really honest group here that work really nice and hard for each other, so if we miss our marks somewhere, they are really happy to check each other and make sure they are continuing to work nice and hard to try and get the best outcome every week,” Brideson said.

This weekend, all Intrust Super Cup teams will have the weekend off, with Brideson saying he would take the opportunity to freshen up the players.

“It will be good to get them away, we will train only a couple times this week and give them the weekend off and get away from footy and give them something else to think about,” Brideson said.

“Then, we will get back in to get stuck into the Capras after the bye.”

For the Tigers, it was a disappointing finish to the game after the side had been building winning momentum with two strong wins in a row.

The Seagulls play the Capras at Kougari Oval on May 8th during Round 6.