The Gold Coast-Tweed Rugby League grand final ended with the Tugun Seahawks claiming the 2016 Gen Z Employment Cup title.
Gallery: Gold Coast-Tweed Rugby League
It was a great display of football by the two sides, but it was the Seahawks who were in control for the majority of the game.
A try to Tugun hooker Grayson Te Kiri within the first five minutes of the match saw the Seahawks take the early lead.
A sideline run off a scrum saw winger Adam Barnes cross the line to extend Tugun’s lead further.
The Bears struggled to keep up with Tugun’s intensity and defended for the majority of the first half.
However, an error by the Seahawks saw Bear Scott Purvis chase his own kick to get Burleigh on the score board.
An act of foul play by Tugun’s Dean Murphy saw him spend 10 minutes in the bin and a penalty try awarded to Burleigh.
At halftime, the score was 16-8 in favour of the Seahawks.
Pushing their lead further, the Seahawks are first to score in the second half with a play on the wing giving Tim Matenga space to run around and score.
Unable to break Tugun’s defensive line, the Bears struggled to create opportunities as the Seahawks closed in on their plays.
A nicely timed kick from the wing saw a great bounce for Ayden Lee who picked up the ball and scored under the posts for Tugun.
Six minutes from fulltime, the Bears were in again with a simple play that saw Rhys Duke put four more points on the board.
However, it was all too late for the Bears, who made a number of unforced errors as fulltime approached and their title chances slipped away.
A field goal by Reece Worboys on the full time buzzer saw the Seahawks claim victory in style.
Tugun 27 (Grayson Te Kiri 2, Adam Barnes, Tim Matenga, Ayden Lee Tries; Keanu Te Kiri 3, Reece Worboys goals) def Burleigh 14 (Rhys Duke, Scott Purvis Tries; Daniel Schwass 3 goals)
