The 2016 Gold Coast-Tweed A-Grade will kick off with anticipation of a strong and diverse competition from Tweed through to Ormeau.
It is with great pleasure to announce the 2016 naming rights sponsor of the Reserve and A-Grade competitions, Gen Z Employment.
The Gen Z Employment Cup will commence Round 1 this Sunday, April 10 at newcomers the Ormeau Shearers home ground Brian Harris Oval.
The introduction of Ormeau to the A-Grade competition will hope to see the rugby league community grow towards the northern end of the Gold Coast and expand the possibilities for players.
Ormeau Shearers v Southport Tigers
Coaches of opposition teams are excited about the inclusion of Ormeau as it will be great in strengthening and broadening the competition along the Gold Coast.
Ormeau coach John Flint is not taking any chances in front of the home crowd this weekend, running the boys on a tight regime of three training nights a week plus extra gym sessions in between.
Flint says “as long as we stick to the play and execute the process well, our goals will be achieved”.
Although a young squad, Ormeau have recruited ex-Intrust Super Cup players Matthew and Ricardo Parata to help bring the experience. Congratulations to Ormeau and the club for pushing to make this team come together and best of luck for the season ahead.
Southport Tigers are roaring loudly after a convincing win over the Ipswich Brothers. Coaches Mick Esdale and Tim Cannard say “the club culture is really good and the boys are feeling a part of a team”.
Although having lost Scott Dawson and Bryce Wilson to the Intrust Super Cup, Esdale is confident with new recruits Cameron Miller and cousin to Penrith flyer Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Zoram Watene, the team will still be strong.
Burleigh Bears v Tugun Seahawks
Big changes at Burleigh Bears with only six players from last year’s grand final team playing for the Bears again. The team is working hard to build strength with a younger squad and coach Matt Foster is pleased with the players’ fitness in preparation for Round 1.
Early markets still have Burleigh Bears as premiership favourites and all eyes will be watching to see if the new squad can handle the pressure.
The aging side at Tugun is of no concern to coach Martin Griese, but he instead believes it will work in their favour.
Perennial bridesmaids, Tugun are desperate to capture that elusive title. After featuring in the majority of grand finals in the last 10 years, the Seahawks have only managed one title. With minimal changes to their 2015 squad, Tugun will again feature heavily in many opposition nightmares.
Currumbin Eagles v Bilambil Jets
After hitting some turbulence on the way, Bilambil Jets have managed to keep a team in the A-Grade. The situation was dire little over a month ago, but with a dedicated group of players and volunteers, many tireless hours went in to bring an A grade squad together.
Many are doubting the chances of the team given their late start and the club is happy to wear the underdog title as they are quietly confident they can have an impact on the title this year.
Currumbin is also experiencing big changes with players retiring and leaving for Intrust Super Cup opportunities, which is ultimately what the competition is designed for.
Although a change for the Eagles, coach James Griffiths is pleased the team has had some good hit-outs and is really coming together.
The club is looking to improve on its fifth place last season and signs are there they have a squad to do so.
Runaway Bay Seagulls v Tweed Heads Seagulls
The first “flockbuster” of the season is on show and a there has been a strong start for Runaway Bay after winning all games played in the pre-season. Although a slight struggle to get the boys together under busy work schedules, coach Clinton Toopi and the team are ready to kick the season off.
Runaway Bay are the dark horses of the competition and are hoping to surprise a few teams early with their dominate play.
After a long pre-season, Tweed Heads Seagulls are in good form and coach Clint Barends happy with the mix of young and experienced players in the squad.
A couple of players to return to the Seagulls are James Toole, Matthew Hundy and Jackson Clark, who will come over from the Titans to join the team. As usual, Tweed’s season will be heavily dependent on the form of their Intrust Super Cup team. If the players throughout the club stay healthy, Tweed Heads could be the team holding the premiership at the end of the season.
Good Luck to all teams this Sunday at Brian Harris Oval.
Game times are:
11.30am Runaway Bay v Tweed Heads Seagulls
1pm Burleigh v Tugun
2.30pm Currumbin v Bilambil
4pm Ormeau v Southport
