Teams united over loss of Gulls player
TUGUN defied their reputation as the Gold Coast Rugby League’s hard-nosed enforcers to embrace semifinal opponents Runaway Bay in a time of need.
The Seagulls were hurting after the death of club larrikin Reece Clarke – previously a Tugun player – a day before the clash at Boyd St.
A minute’s silence was shared as players from both clubs gathered in a huddle.
Tugun might have gone on to win the contest 34-12 but their coach Martin Griese said they were more than willing to offer their support, having become all too familiar with such scenes.
“They were actually the team that we played after Chris Kitching died (in 2015) as well and me and Toops (Bay’s Clinton Toopi) were both coaches at the time so we both know how it goes,” Griese said.
“We let them know that we’re here to support them.
“It’s different for every player. For some people it’s a very emotional time and they react a bit differently to it. We’re a bit older so we can sort of deal with that and I guess we have been through that unfortunately a fair bit in the last couple of years.”
On the field, Tugun overcame a serious ankle injury to second-rower Tim Matenga to post a seventh straight win.
Half Drumayne DaybergMuir scored two tries as the Seahawks’ left edge ran riot.
Tugun will now play Burleigh in the grand final qualifier, while Bay will get a second chance against Bilambil after the Jets eliminated Tweed Heads in a 28-24 upset.
The Jets scraped into finals despite a 7-10 win-loss record but produced the goods in sudden death.
An injury crisis meant Tweed entered the game with only 16 players.
“Kobi Annand, who has been our No.1 five-eighth for the whole season, on Friday night he did his hamstring,” coach Darryl Fisher said.
“He sat on the bench but he was never going to be able to go on.”
Fisher conceded it was a bitter pill to swallow.
“The players who played, a lot of them were playing with injuries as well,” he said.
“You could just see they were busted.”
He believes success isn’t too far away for the men in black and white.
“Having that experience at A-grade level and maybe the durability that comes with a bit of age and physicality (can lead to results),” Fisher said.
WE’RE A BIT OLDER SO WE CAN SORT OF DEAL WITH THAT AND I GUESS WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THAT UNFORTUNATELY A FAIR BIT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TUGUN COACH MARTIN GRIESE