Local rivals Currumbin and Tugun will jostle for their top four position in Round 11 of the Rugby League Gold Coast QTOP A Grade competition.
There is a logjam of teams between second and sixth on the competition ladder and the winner of Sunday’s clash will move into third.
Currently in third place, the Currumbin Eagles will be hoping to record consecutive wins for the first time since Round 4 and Round 5 when they host a resurgent Tugun.
The Seahawks are fresh off a bye, and Eagles coach Ryan Gundry is expecting the best out of his opposition.
“They will be fresh,” Gundry said. “Tugun are a quality team and I am expecting a really tough game.
“They have had an overhaul in their roster with a few changes.
"Clint Barends coaches well prepared teams; they are definitely building momentum after a slow start. We need to be at our best.”
Gundry said he expected the competition ladder to continue to change in coming weeks as teams found their rhythm and hit their stride coming in to the back end of the season.
“Momentum is the key,” Gundry said. “The more footy you play the better the combinations get. You learn the idiosyncrasies of the players.
“Our focus is on being consistent. We really want to finish in the top 2 – that’s our goal for the second half of the season.”
Tugun started the season slowly with four losses in their first five games, but have recovered with three wins, a draw and just one loss in their last five games.
They sit in fourth, just one point behind Currumbin, and will move into third should they win again on Sunday.
They have been particularly impressive with a win over defending champions Runaway Bay as well as earning a draw with the undefeated Burleigh Bears.
“The team’s confidence is building,” Tugun coach Clint Barends said.
“We had a pretty slow start to the season, and I am not sure that we are out of that yet.
"Our games against Bay and Burleigh were really good and we have had good ball control the last three weeks.”
Kick-off between the Eagles and Seahawks is this Sunday afternoon at 2pm at Currumbin’s Galleon Way.
The game will be live streamed on the RLGC Facebook page.
Other Round 11 fixtures will see the Bilambil Jets host Burleigh, while Ormeau will travel to Southport. Runaway Bay has the bye.
* Main image courtesy of the Gold Coast Bulletin
Rugby League Gold Coast QTOP A Grade Round 11 team lists
Bilambil Jets v Burleigh Bears at Bilambil Sports, Saturday June 8 – 3pm
Bilambil Jets
1. Luke Jaeger 2. Sam Plater 3. Max Campion 4. Jamie Wullf 5. Jayden Love 6. Conrad Green 7. Elijah Taylor 8. Will McCullough 9. Tom Rowles 10. Mitch Spackman 11. Tom Raftery 12. Ben Bullock 13. Jack Welsh 14. PJ Tevaga 15. Ryan Taylor 16. Brendon Welsh 17. Wade Hall
Coach: Kevin Campion
Burleigh Bears
1. Shallin Fuller 2. Kea Pere 3. Josh Berkers 4. Regan Muir Ogle 5. Reece Tapine 6. Connor Toia 7. Matt Egan 8. Tyler Szepanowski 9. Jordan Scott 10. Tyler Sparkes 11. Darius Farmer 12. Api Noema 13. Ben Valeni 14. George House 15. Lachlyn Sheldon 16. Brett Stratton 17. Te Mcdonald
Coach: Matt Foster
Southport Tigers v Ormeau Shearers at Owen Park, Sunday June 9 – 2pm
Southport Tigers
1. Barry Rutley 2. Zoram Watene 3. Naz Monsall 4. Carlo Alimboyong 5. Gerard Ah-Nau 6. Kobi Annand 7. Kane Rudolph 8. Jarrod Morfett 9. Jacob Pottinger 10. Nathan Young 11. Tu Whakathi-Paikea 12. Zac Walsh 13. Damian Mills 14. Judaea Monsall 15. Lachlan Douglas
Coach: Steve Dowd
Ormeau Shearers
1. Tye Barry 2. Jayden Alaiasa-Heu 3. Josh Walker 4. Jay Melrose 5. Liam Hori-Clark 6. Leighmon Hohaia Katene 7. Grayson Te Kiri 8. Anthony Gray 9. Blake Midson 10. Timothy Wolens 11. Caleb Pirini 12. Jesse Malcolm 13. Parahi Wilson 14. Chase Kereama-Williams 15. Martin Burkhardt 16. Dion Belford-Laulu 17. Diaz Sharrock
Coach: Julius Kuresa
Currumbin Eagles v Tugun Seahawks at Galleon Way, Sunday June 9 – 2pm
Currumbin Eagles
1. Phil Ramage 2. Lachie Smith 3. Ken Allison 4. Ben Willetts 5. Josh Walker 6. Jake Gleeson 7. Bayley Gill 8. Jarrod Gill 9. Kurtis Dark 10. Pele Peletelese 11. Liam Donnelly 12. Matt Munckton 13. Shane Gillham 14. Luke Barry 15. Liam Thompson 16. Harry Wecker
Coach: Ryan Gundry
Tugun Seahawks
1. Corey Morris 2. Samiu Latu 3. Kurtis MacDonald 4. Tim Cassidy 5. Macauley Dawson 6. Jacob Grant 7. Sam Meskell 8. Josh Harvey 9. Will Johnstone 10. Nick Harrold 11. Ethan Roberts 12. Kody Parsons 13. Issac Worboys 14. Levi Norton 15. Rory Lillis
Coach: Clint Barends
Bye – Runaway Bay
Ladder
Pos | Team | +/- | Pts |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Burleigh Bears | 122 | 29 |
2 | Southport Tigers | 35 | 24 |
3 | Currumbin Eagles | 70 | 22 |
4 | Tugun Seahawks | 0 | 21 |
5 | Runaway Bay Seagulls | 15 | 20 |
6 | Bilambil Jets | -59 | 20 |
7 | Ormeau Shearers | -183 | 14 |