Neil Cadigan
Try-scoring whiz Brayden McGrady is likely to finally make his return to the Campbell Construction Co. Tweed Seagulls side when they take on the formidable Redcliffe Dolphins on Saturday night after being forced to abort his comeback two weeks ago.
The 24-year-old last played in the Intrust Super Cup for the Seagulls in round 12, 2018 after having scored 12 tries in seven games. He suffered an ACL injury in that match, a week after signing with Penrith Panthers, and returned to star for the Panthers in the NSW Cup in 2019.
Former NRL and Super League veteran Fetuli Talanoa would drop out of the side (demanding work commitments) and McGrady take his place on the wing if he proves his troublesome hamstring is 100 per cent right at the team’s last training session on Friday evening.
In the other change, Titans prop Herman Ese’ese will start in the front row, with fellow Gold Coast full-time professional Jai Whitbread reverting to lock, giving the Seagulls a strong pack to take on the Dolphins, now a Warriors NRL feeder team, despite the absence of Sam McIntyre who has deservedly been rewarded for his outstanding form with inclusion in the Titans’ 17 to take on South Sydney.
The main focus of Ben Woolf’s Seagulls will be to improve the efficiency of their attack at Moreton Daily Stadium (formerly Dolphins Stadium) on Saturday evening. While they have averaged 27 points a game in their first four matches, the Gulls haven’t completed with the ball at better than 70 percent and are averaging just 63 percent of retained possession.
“We haven’t been able to complete at better than 70 percent but still scored plenty of points, which is encouraging,” said Woolf. “But we have to get better.
“The biggest issue is concentration errors in yardage (coming out of their own half) and we have to improve there. We lost the ball on tackles one to three on three occasions in the last 10 minutes against Burleigh last week but we were just fortunate the Bears weren’t much better.
“We’re still getting our combinations working too with team changes and new players, so hopefully completions should improve as players become more familiar with each other. But we have to improve those concentration errors.
“Redcliffe are a strong side who have probably been more affected by team changes that anyone else yet so far this season but have still been very competitive and only been beaten narrowly by the two undefeated teams.
“We know how tough it will be up there and we’ll have to play really well to win.”
This will be the first time since the two teams have met since the incredible finals week one clast at Piggabeen in September 2019 when a Tyson Gamble field goal in the 79th minute gave the Dolphins a 25-24 win.
The Seagulls could be up against their former Mal Meninga Cup star of 2019, Reece Walsh. He was given an immediate release from the Broncos two weeks ago and played five-eighth for Redcliffe in their 34-28 loss to Wynnum Manly last weekend.
Walsh has been named in the Warriors’ 21-man squad to take on Melbourne Storm on Sunday. If not chosen to make his NRL debut, he will return to the Dolphins and the quick, elusive player would be a real threat to his former club.
Likely teams:
TWEED SEAGULLS: Jayden Campbell, Talor Walters, Will Brimson, Lee Turner, Brayden McGrady/Fetuli Talanoa, Lindon McGrady, Toby Sexton, Herman Ese’ese, Liam Hampson, JJ Collins, Lamar Liolevave (capt), Joe Vuna, Jai Whitbread. INTERCHANGE: Brent Woolf, Darius Farmer, Braden Robson, Jack Glossop.
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS: Trai Fuller, Josh Beehag, Justice Utatao, Jeremy Hawkins, Edward Kosi, Jarrett Subloo, Cameron Cullen (capt), Lachlan Timm, Manaia Cherrington, Jackson Frei, Brayden Dee, Pride Petterson-Robati, Jarrett Boland. INTERCHANGE: Shane Pumipi, Preston Riki, Tyson Cleal, Joseph Ratu.
Round Details:
- Redcliffe Dolphins v Tweed Seagulls, Saturday April 25 at 6pm
- Moreton Daily Stadium, Redcliffe, Klingner Rd & Ashmole Rd, Redcliffe
- COVID safe practices will be enforced
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