By Seagulls Media
It has been an incredible season for the BMD Wynnum Manly Seagulls Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup side as they have earned their first finals appearance since 2014.
The finals appearance caps off a remarkable turnaround for the club, who had only mustered two wins in the past three years.
21 graduates from the Seagulls Academy has been the key driver to the change in results, with a number of promising local juniors coming through the ranks.
Wynnum Junior Max Plath (son of Broncos and Seagulls legend John Plath) captains the side from the halves and has been ably supported by fellow Wynnum Juniors Harrison Graham at lock, Reece Hoffman in the centres and Brisbane Broncos’ hooker Jake Simpkin has also impressed this season. Seagulls Academy graduates and also Brisbane Broncos contracted players JJ Clarkson and TC Robati are also ones to watch in the front row and second row respectively.
Seagulls Academy Manager Glen Dreger believes the young Gulls have the potential to finish the season on a bright note and also push through for further honours.
“The side has worked very hard to get in this position, winning their first five games in a row and playing some good football.
They beat (their opponent in the semi-final) Sunshine Coast Falcons in round one but it is a different story in finals football. Hopefully in front of their families and supporters at home they can get the job done.
Once the Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup season is finished, a large number of these boys will push into the Hastings Deering Colts side for the rest of the season. After that, I am sure you will see a lot of them then graduate into Intrust Super Cup in the coming years.”
Check out the team named for this weekend’s semi final here.
The Seagulls will face the Sunshine Coast Falcons at BMD Kougari Oval this Saturday 27 April, kick off at 1.45pm.
In other games on Saturday, the BRL A-Grade Seagulls will play the Souths Logan Magpies at 12pm; and the second Mal Meninga Cup semi-final between Souths Logan Magpies and Tweed Heads Seagulls will be played at 3.20pm.