Rugby league fans on the Gold Coast will be treated to some high quality footy this weekend, with the high-flying Burleigh Bears taking on the Mudgeeraba Redbacks at Firth Park this Sunday at 3pm.
Having beaten Tugun 66-0 last weekend, the Bears will be looking to keep up their good form, however they’ll face a tough test when they take on a Redbacks outfit that boasts plenty of quality players across the park.
Burleigh’s attack has been firing on all cylinders this season and head coach Matt Foster said his team’s ability to score points can be put down to their hardworking attitude and effort off the ball.
“We are getting rewarded for our effort as we are working hard to get the little things right," the Burleigh coach said.
"The things we value such as pushing up around the ball and making everyone accountable for doing their job I think is a result of our hard effort.
"Particularly the unselfish things like pushing up on a run where you don’t always get the credit."
Having coached Burleigh himself in previous years, current Mudgeeraba head coach Wayne Forbes knows all too well the quality the Bears possess, however, is confident his team can match it with the ladder leaders.
“They are a very fit, young and enthusiastic side and while we obviously talked about it throughout the week, it’s not going to shape our mindset," Forbes said.
"We have got a lot of quality players across the board, so we are certainly going in with confidence.
“Like most games, we are focusing on just getting the little things right, especially with their speed around the ruck.
"We want to make sure we are winning the ground in both attack and defence.”
While Foster is happy with Burleigh’s performances so far this season, he is aware his side can’t get complacent, especially when taking on a quality side like Mudgeeraba.
“We need to be happy with our past performances but not satisfied,” Foster said.
“They’re a strong pack so they’ll come hard at us through the middle, but they also have some good Intrust Super Cup-quality halves who can organise their backs really well.
“They’ll certainly be playing for keeps this weekend.”
The match will be broadcast live on the Rugby League Gold Coast Facebook page for those who can't make it to Firth Park on Sunday.
QTOP A Grade Round 5 fixtures
Sunday, August 30
| Time | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 3pm | Currumbin Eagles v Southport Tigers | Galleon Way, Currumbin |
| 3pm | Mudgeeraba Redbacks v Burleigh Bears | Firth Park, Mudgeeraba |
| 3pm | Tugun Seahawks v Runaway Bay Seagulls | Boyd Street, Tugun |
QTOP A Grade Round 5 teams
Currumbin Eagles v Southport Tigers
Currumbin Eagles
1. Lachlan Smith 2. Joshua Walker 3. Ken Allison 4. Jakob Smith 5. Bayley Desmond 6. Talor Walters 7. Jake Gleeson 8. Stuart Mason 9. William Ramsey 10. Pele Peletelese 11. Jamie Dowling 12. Rory Lillis 13. Jarrod Gill 14. Cole Geyer 15. Samuel Saville 16. Shane Gray 17. Brayden Gallagher
Southport Tigers
1. Kobi Annand 2. Curtis Dansey-Smaller 3. Ethan O'Neill 4. Lee Turner 5. Callum Burgess-Boomer 6. Liam Hampson 7. Jack Cook 8. Jarrod Morfett 9. Blake Scott 10. Benjamin Thomas 11. Lamar Manuel-Liolevave 12. Jaleel Seve Derbas 13. Brock Hamill 14. Harley Wood 15. Daniel Shannon 17. Campbell Pirihi 19. Nathan Young
Mudgeeraba Redbacks v Burleigh Bears
Mudgeeraba Redbacks
2. Benjamin Senior 3. Ricardo Parata 4. Dylan Pelo 5. Henry Garrett 6. William Brimson 7. Jakob Schimke 8. Jesse Malcolm 9. Brent Woolf 10. Daymeric Pelo 11. Jack Glossop 12. Jerome Veve 14. Christopher Steel 15. Fabien Paletua-Kiri 16. Patrick Clark
Burleigh Bears
1. Dallas Wells 2. Shawn Anderson 3. Allan Lockwood 4. Taine Tuaupiki 5. Alofana Khan-Periera 6. Shallin Fuller 7. Joshua Rogers 8. Tyler Szepanowski 9. Reece McKenzie-O'Brien 10. Andrew Scougall 11. Noah Gafa 20. Tristan Powell 13. Reece Summer 14. George House 15. Bailey Court 18. Joshua Ailaomai 17. Ben Valeni
Tugun Seahawks v Runaway Bay Seagulls
Tugun Seahawks
1. Corey Morris 2. Jai Veli 3. Fetuli Talanoa 4. Timothy Cassidy 5. Mitchell Backler 6. Alexander Grant 7. Jacob Grant 8. Joshua Harvey 9. Samuel Meskell 10. Andrew Bracek 11. Robert Apanui 12. Levi Norton 13. James Toole 14. William Johnstone 16. Kurtis McDonald 17. James Torrens
Runaway Bay Seagulls
1. John Mackin 2. Queille Murray 3. Jamie Anderson 4. Jaylan To'o 5. Mitchell Whitton 6. Guy Hamilton 7. James Poland 22. Sione Kupa 9. Jenan Wedderburn-Parrish 15. Vinncent Takataka 11. Darcy Sims 12. Luke Burton 13. William Samuel 16. Alex Bishop 17. Jordan Menzies 18. Codey McLaughlin 19. Doryaan Hape Apiata
