Aaron Zimmerle, coach of the Romano Group Tweed Heads Seagulls’ Intrust Super Cup side, felt his side took a step backwards against the consistently strong Townsville Blackhawks yesterday after two encouraging performances the previous fortnight.
The Seagulls went down 48-18 after competing well in the first half to be just 12-6 behind before blowing any chance of victory in the first 10 minutes after the break.
Pictured: Co-captain Damian Sironen … ruled out of the second half after HIA assessment.
Starting with a 90-metre intercept, then compounding that with errors that gifted the Blackhawks two more tries soon after, Tweed were suddenly 30-6 down.
In that period, the Gulls lost right centre James Toole with an ankle injury (forcing second-rower Sam Carson to play out wide) after co-captain Damian Sironen, the team’s best in the first half, was ruled unable to return after a head knock, leaving the side with 15 men.
“I was happy at half-time; we weren’t playing our best but we were in the fight and that’s the closest we’d been to the Blackhawks at half-time” Zimmerle said.
“But we completed at only 53 per cent in the second half and made fundamental errors.
“It was disappointing after building some momentum from the previous couple of games.
“Being down two men didn’t help and ‘Sirro’ was tremendous in the first half but was ruled out just before the break.
“We just have to go back and work hard and cut down our errors.”
After conceding a try in just the fourth minute the Gulls led 6-4 after ten with a converted try to prop Kurt Bernard. But the Townsville outfit scored two more tries, also unconverted, to lead by six before the second half onslaught blew the Seagulls away.
Bernard’s second try and another to Shane Gillham (how often have props scored all a team’s three tries?) brought to score back to 36-18 with seven minutes remaining but the Gulls disappointingly conceded two late tries.
Despite the score-line back-rowers Sam Saville and Lamar Liolevave again played strongly, and Titans-contracted player Morgan Boyle also impressed.
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS 48 (Samsen O’Neill 2, Carlin Anderson 2, Temone Power, Ty Carucci, Jonathon Reuben, Kyle Laybutt, Jordan Kenworthy tries; Carlin Anderson 6 goals) def TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 18 (Kurt Bernard 2, Shane Gillham tries; Michael Burgess 3 goals) at Jack Manski Oval.
Full match details – http://live.qrl.com.au/match/a0e2bf7daa672f2c8/e07c001252da2c306
Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Bye | For | Agnst | Total |
Redcliffe Dolphins | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 203 | 112 | 12 |
PNG Hunters | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 196 | 158 | 12 |
Sunshine Coast Falcons | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 191 | 125 | 11 |
Easts Tigers | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 173 | 145 | 11 |
Townsville Blackhawks | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 239 | 163 | 10 |
Souths Logan Magpies | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 223 | 163 | 10 |
Norths Devils | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 212 | 170 | 8 |
Mackay Cutters | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 187 | 218 | 8 |
Ipswich Jets | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 174 | 201 | 6 |
Wynnum Manly Seagulls | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 120 | 151 | 6 |
Northern Pride | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 132 | 166 | 6 |
CQ Capras | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 160 | 223 | 6 |
Burleigh Bears | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 104 | 177 | 4 |
Tweed Heads Seagulls | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 126 | 268 | 2 |
Saturday 29 April
Ipswich Jets v Burleigh Bears at North Ipswich Reserve 3:00pm
PNG Hunters v Northern Pride at National Football Stadium, Port Moresby 3:00pm
Easts Tigers v CQ Capras at Suzuki Stadium, Langlands Park 5:00pm
Wynnum Manly Seagulls v Townsville Blackhawks at BMD Kougari Oval 6:00pm
Sunday 30 April
Mackay Cutters v Norths Devils at BB Print Stadium, Mackay 1:40pm (Channel 9)
Redcliffe Dolphins v Souths Logan Magpies at Dolphin Oval 2:00pm
Tweed Heads Seagulls v Sunshine Coast Falcons at Piggabeen Sports Complex 2:00pm