The Tweed Heads Seagulls put in a dominant first-half showing to end their season on a high with a 40-22 win over Norths Devils at Bishop Park yesterday.
The Gulls had seven individual try-scorers in the match – with the first half proving highly productive for the visitors who shot out to a 28-6 halftime lead.
Tweed Heads lock and XXXX People’s Choice nominee Sam Saville started the scoring for the visiting side with a strong run to the line and was soon joined on the scoreboard by Jai Ingram, Shane Gillham, Shaun Carney and skipper James Wood; who ran in for his 99th Cup try.
However, the Devils had the final say in the half with Matt Mizzi running good distance for a prop to put his side on the board.
The home side picked up a gear to start the second half with winger Michael Lucas picking up a double in quick succession.
Both tries were set up by some impressive involvement by late addition Dale Copley – the first coming after a strong break from the Brisbane Bronco; while the second was the result of a deft offload by the centre near the left-hand touchline.
The Gulls however soon nipped any thoughts of a Devils comeback in the bud, with tries to rangy fullback Ali Grant and Ricardo Parata taking them out to a 40-16 lead.
But as they did in the first – Norths had the final say in the half, with a length-of-the-field effort from Rogan Dean giving the home fans something to cheer about.
TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 40 (Ali Grant, James Wood, Shaun Carney, Jai Ingram, Sam Saville, Ricardo Parata, Shane Gillham tries; Jamal Fogarty 6 goals) def NORTHS DEVILS 22 (Michael Lucas 2, Rogan Dean, Matt Mizzi tries; Liam Tyson 3 goals) at Bishop Park.
Final Teams:
Norths Devils: 1. Lachlan Maranta 2. Michael Lucas 3. Joel Bailey 4. Ryan Millard 5. Rogan Dean 6. Dale Copley 7. Liam Tyson 8. Matt Mizzi 9. Byron Creighton 10. Billy Solah 11. Kristian Wanka 12. Brett Greinke (c) 13. Krys Freeman 14. Will McNee 16. Rhett Webster 20. Dylan Smith 17. Francis Molo
Tweed Heads Seagulls: 1. Ali Grant 2. Nathanael Barnes 3. James Wood (c) 4. Shaun Carney 5. Leva Li 6. Jamal Fogarty 7. Sam Foster 8. Will Bugden 9. Sam Meskell 18. Jarrod Morfett 11. Jai Ingram 12. Blake Anderson 13. Sam Saville 14. Ricardo Parata 15. Shane Gillham 16. Dane Clarke 17. Tevita Folau
