The BMD Wynnum Manly Seagulls came away victors at the weekend, downing the Tweed Heads Seagulls at BMD Kougari Oval and collecting their first win at home since Round 2.
Wynnum sent out a vastly different line-up to the one that travelled to Mackay in Round 13, with both injuries and a need for experimentation serving as the catalyst for a line-up facelift that proved to serve as a display of some exciting attacking potential.
Fullback Daniel Ogden returned to top form with the opening try, benefitting off the extra attention given to Broncos affiliate, David Mead. The opportunity came about auspiciously for the home side, with a referee interference call delivering the scrum from which the try was eventually scored.
This would be a lone spot of attack for the opening 20 minutes as increasing rain throughout the first half limited any expansive offense from either team, both units instead relying on opposition mistakes and their kicking games for field position.
Inside Tweed territory, Wynnum finally found a way through again in the 23rd minute when hooker Jayden Berrell snuck a grubber behind the line for Ogden to pounce on for what would be the second of a try-scoring trilogy for him that night.
That would seem to open the proverbial flood gates for Wynnum Manly, Peter Gubb crossing over three minutes later off a long Will Brimson pass, with Berrell (32nd minute), Jack Goodsell (35th minute) both following to close out the half.
The Tweed Heads Seagulls, who came back from a 16-point deficit to win in Round 13, needed a similar effort in the second half against a spirited Wynnum Manly side that was firmly in control.
This assignment would only get more challenging after Wynnum landed a dazzling flurry of tries in the 44th, 52nd and 54th minutes to open the second half.
Brimson continued his impressive night, slipping through the line before passing to interchange forward Salesi Funaki who would wrong-foot Tweed fullback Phoenix Hunapo before delivering a flick pass to Jeriah Goodrich to finish.
Mead then showed some brilliance, dancing through the defence before turning it back inside to Ogden for his hat-trick.
Ogden would be used again in the ensuing set when Aaron Booth dished off an inside ball to his fullback who would find Berrell for their eighth try of the night.
Tweed would finally find an answer when Hunapo spotted space behind the line and found winger Peter Lee with a grubber for a score.
Booth would cap off his impressive first Intrust Super Cup game in 2017 with a determined try of his own the 67th minute, before William Johnstone would collect a consolation try from dummy-half for the visitors before the final siren.
Tweed Heads, who were riding back-to-back wins, now have the tough task of taking on the competition front-running PNG Hunters at National Football Stadium whilst Wynnum remain at home to ignite their Gateway rivalry with the Norths Devils in Round 15.
See the full scoring details and final team line-ups for this game via QRL Live
WYNNUM MANLY SEAGULLS 46 (Daniel Ogden 3, Jayden Berrell 2, Peter Gubb, Jack Goodsell, Jeriah Goodrich, Aaron Booth tries; Aaron Booth 4 goals) def TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 8 (Peter Lee, William Johnstone tries) at BMD Kougari Oval.
