Three tries in the last ten minutes has seen the Burleigh Bears come from behind to defeat the Tugun Seahawks at Pizzey Park.
With a long list of injuries at Intrust Super Cup level, the Bears fielded a very different looking team filled with young guns and managed to graft out a tough win against an experienced Tugun.
“I can’t wrap the boys enough with how they managed to stick with it and step up when we needed to,” Bears coach Matt Foster said.
“Tugun were physical, they controlled large parts of that game and with our young blokes we just dug in deep.
“Just yesterday we had three players called up to the Cup team, so there is a lot of chopping and changing around, a couple of the reggies boys came in as well as a couple of the Colts boys and the average was probably not even 21.
“To do what they did and the character that they’ve shown against a seasoned team like Tugun who have some real quality players, I’m over the moon for them.”
Jenan Parrish, who came off the bench to play dummy half, was an absolute stand-out for the Bears and was heavily involved in the final minutes.
In the 70th minute, with Burleigh trailing 28-16, he laid on a try for Damion Ford, was heavily involved leading up to Dylan Pelo’s try in the 76th minute and crossed under the posts for the match-winning try with a minute and a half remaining.
On top of that he also scored another try in the first half and created havoc out of dummy half with every opportunity.
“He was the difference today,” Foster said.
“Around the ruck area Tugun didn’t know how to deal with him but I’ve got to give a wrap to Tyler Sparks, Jake Huges and Francis Veukiso as well who all lifted us towards that back end and allowed him to play off the back of quick play-the-balls.”
The win is Burleigh’s sixth straight and sees them move into the outright lead of the Coast-2-Coast Earthmoving Cup after ten rounds.
Elsewhere, defending premiers Southport broke through for their first win of the season, 30-22 over the Tweed Heads Seagulls.
Meanwhile, the Runaway Bay Seagulls continued their steady climb towards the ladder leaders by defeating Bilambil 36-14.
A-Grade Round 10 Results
SOUTHPORT TIGERS 30 (Nathan Wilson, Tom Landers, Daley Boney, Tim Cannard, Remus Gentles tries Remus Gentles 5 goals) def TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 22 (Kurtis McDonald 2, Tim Cassidy, Ben Mathiou tries Michael Burgess 3 goals)
BURLEIGH BEARS 30 (Jenan Parrish 2, Anthony Gray, Damion Ford, Dylan Pelo, Scott Purvis tries Zac Mackay 3 goals) def TUGUN SEAHAWKS 28 (Tu Whakatihi 2, Sam Harrold, Chris Thomas, Grayson Te Kiri tries Sam Harrold 4 goals)
RUNAWAY BAY SEAGULLS 36 (Jacob Paul 2, Ian Guaivaa 2, Reece Clarke, Gene Ropoama, Vili Tuli tries Preston Campbell 4 goals) def BILAMBIL JETS 14 (Nick Burns, Brad Hicks, Dan Willoughby tries Nick Burns goal)
CURRUMBIN EAGLES - Bye
Ladder
Burleigh Bears 18, Tugun Seahawks 16, Tweed Heads Seagulls 12, Bilambil Jets 12, Runaway Bay Seagulls 11, Currumbin Eagles 7, Southport Tigers 4
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