Seagulls flock depleted

Campion fears lack of players during finals series

RUGBY League Gold Coast leaders Tweed Heads could have to take the field in finals without a full allocation of players, coach Kevin Campion has revealed.

The Seagulls have been hit hard by player availability with both their Intrust Super Cup side and NRL affiliate Gold Coast Titans suffering injuries in recent weeks.

The situation, Campion says, has been made worse by the statewide under-20 Hastings Deering Colts competition having a higher priority status than A-grade.

Tweed also decided at the start of the season – when they had an abundance of players – to share their fringe ISC squad members with RLGC rivals including Southport, Tugun and Runaway Bay.

“We’re short on numbers to tell you the truth,” former Maroons hooker Campion said.

“We played Tugun a couple of weeks ago and we only had one man on the bench to start the game and then we finished with 12 players.

“It could happen (again in finals). It all depends on whether the 20s progress into the finals in their competition.

“That’s the hardest thing that we have been dealing with, is not being able to call upon our 20s squad.”

The Seagulls are ninth in the under-20s, which has its last regular season round next weekend – coinciding with the first week of RLGC finals.

Campion’s side on Sunday have the chance to earn automatic entry to week two of the playoffs. If they defeat Runaway Bay for the second time in four weeks, Tweed will be crowned minor premiers, which comes with the reward of a first-up finals bye.

Bay though are considered by many to be title favourites and could even clinch first place if they beat Tweed and Currumbin loses to Bilambil.