Bears are the ones to beat, says Tugun coach Barends
TUGUN coach Clint Barends has labelled Burleigh “the team to beat by far” in 2019 after the Bears overran them to join Southport and Runaway Bay as Round 1 Rugby League Gold Coast winners.
The Seahawks were up 16-12 at halftime, having had the majority of possession and territory, before the Bears scored 10 unanswered points to take victory.
“We had all the ball in the first half so we probably should have done a bit more with it and we didn’t but they defended terrific,” said Barends, who is allowing a month for his new-look squad to gel.
“In the second half the rain started to come down and they just beat us through the middle.
“They were a little bit too fit for us and they took their chances a little bit more.”
Barends’ opposite number Matt Foster was delighted with his side’s defensive efforts, led by hooker Hayden Hansen, but called on his players to make their lives a little easier by improving on some “horrendous” ball control.
“We completed something like 40 per cent in the first half so that really put us under pressure and meant they atThe tacked us in our 20 for large parts of the game,” Foster said.
“I was really proud of our defensive effort and our goal line defence particularly but we certainly have a lot of work to do to make sure we control games a bit better.”
game at Galleon Way between Currumbin and Southport followed a similar path, with the Tigers coming from eight points down at the break to get up 22-18. Fullback Kyle Kennedy clinched the matchwinner with seven minutes to go.
Southport coach Steve Dowd praised the effort of his young side, whose average age is 21.
“Luke Polson played 80 minutes, which for a frontrower was huge. He got man of the match,” Dowd said.
Hooker Jacob Pottinger and the back five, including 18year-old tryscorer Ronin Reo, were also crucial to the Tigers’ success. At Bycroft Oval, the early signs were not good for Ormeau’s expected improvement this season after the Shearers were belted 40-4 by defending premiers Runaway Bay.