The Wynnum Manly Seagulls ripped a monkey of their back on Sunday, claiming their first victory at BMD Kougari Oval of 2016, running in 11 tries against Mackay.
The Seagulls, who have finally found some form after a six-loss slump to start the season, were clinical in their 62-16 triumph.
“It was a real good team effort today and that’s pretty much what we needed,” Gulls coach Jon Buchanan said after the game.
However, Mackay had reason to hope in the early stages of both halves. Halfback Delayne Ashby snuck over inside the first minute of the game, and early in the second stanza, Liam Taylor followed up a guileful grubber.
That was where the highlights would unfortunately end for Mackay, Wynnum otherwise well in control throughout the Round 10 encounter.
Mitchell Buckett continued his try-scoring run this season, with the centre the first of the home side to etch his name on the stat sheet.
Ten minutes later, a perfectly timed inside ball from Magnus Stromquist eventuated in a long try to Patrick Templeman.
Peter Gubb was the beneficiary of some crisp passing in the 21st minute, consecutive second-man-plays getting the winger across on the right-hand side.
The Seagulls forwards, who have been under heavy scrutiny from their coach in past weeks, worked hard all afternoon.
Stromquist headlined the workhorses and was rewarded with a rare front-row double, sending the ‘Chook Pen’ into a frenzy.
Daniel Ogden would find himself on the correct end of a floating Templeman pass late in the half, with the Wynnum winger finishing the passage with a try in the left hand corner to finalise the scoring for the Seagulls in the first stanza.
Despite scoring early, the second half did not get any easier for the visitors. The try from Taylor was answered by a piece of magic from the unlikely boot of Seagulls forward Salesi Funaki, who toed the ball forward for Mitch Cronin to collect the scraps when Mackay couldn’t recover the ball.
The 60th minute marked the start of a flurry of tries for Buchanan’s boys when left-winger Ogden found his way into a backline move on the right hand side for his second.
Greg Eden followed (66th minute), as did Cronin (73rd minute) and Nick Harrold who recorded his first career try for the Seagulls.
Ogden, who has since moved to the left wing from the custodian role he started the season in, was involved heavily in the attacking Seagull raids, garnering plenty of praise from the man who moved him.
“Ogden’s doing a really good job,” Buchanan said. “People wonder why I moved him, but he’s such a good footballer who reads the game really well wherever he plays.
“It showed today when your left-winger scores in the right corner.”
After starting slowly, Wynnum Manly have now won three on the trot and will take the road trip south to Tweed Heads next week to take on the Seagulls at Piggabeen Sports Complex.
See the full scoring details and the final team lists via QRL Live
WYNNUM MANLY SEAGULLS 62 (Magnus Stromquist 2, Daniel Ogden 2, Mitchell Cronin 2, Mitchell Buckett, Patrick Templeton, Peter Gubb, Gregory Eden, Nicholas Harrold tries; Mathew Seamark 9 goals) def MACKAY CUTTERS 16 (Delayne Ashby, Andrew Davey, Liam Taylor tries; Liam Taylor 2 goals) at BMD Kougari Oval.
