The flamboyant Ipswich Jets bounced back strongly from their thrashing against Burleigh Bears, unfortunately at the hands of the Romano Group Seagulls at North Ipswich Reserve on Saturday.
After failing to score a point for the first time in 20 years against the Bears, the Jets were right on song in the first half against the Gulls, leading 26-6 at the break after scoring five tries, all from close range on Tweed’s right-hand side.
With Jets halfback and captain Dane Phillips controlling the attack in good position, two tries came from Phillips’ grubber kicks that were not cleaned up, one from an inside ball from Phillips to Jets left winger Michael Purcell, who scored a hat-trick in the first session, another from Nemani Valekapa bumping straight through a defender and the last from a good one-handed offload to Purcell after a shift to the left.
In between, the Gulls were on the board through halfback Michael Burgess pouncing on a Lindon McGrady bomb that was spilled by the Jets in-goal.
At the break, the Jets had completed 18 sets compared to the Tweed’s 11 and that extra ball was shown in the 26-6 scoreline.
To their credit, the Seagulls kept the Jets scoreless for the first 37 minutes of the second half despite losing forwards Eddy Pettybourne and Ben Nakabuwai for the game after going to the head bin. In that time they posted two tries – through Tevita Folau and John Olive – to get back into the match at 26-14 in the 63rd minute. Olive’s try came from a good pass from McGrady close to the line while Folau latched onto a well-directed chip kick from fullback Pheonix Hunapo.
However, after a penalty goal took the score to 28-14, the Jets scored two tries in the last three and a half minutes to see the score blow-out to 40-14.
Click here for the full scoring details and final team line-ups via QRL Live
Click here for video highlights
IPSWICH JETS 40 (Michael Purcell 3, Wes Conlon 2, Nemani Valekapa, Sam Martin tries; Wes Conlon 6 goals) def TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 14 (Michael Burgess, John Olive, Tevita Folau tries; Lindon McGrady goal) at North Ipswich Reserve.
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