TIGERS TOO GOOD FOR SHATTERED SEAHAWKS
SOUTHPORT have defended their hold on second place on the Rugby League Gold Coast ladder with an emphatic 52-12 demolition of a battered Tugun squad.
Illness has swept through the Seahawks’ ranks in recent days, leaving them with just 12 fresh players to take the field yesterday at Owen Park alongside five players backing up from reserve grade.
It showed, with the visitors fumbling possession all too often in the first half to cede the early advantage.
“That was the most disappointing thing,” Tugun coach Clint Barends said. “You control the footy, it puts a bit of pressure on them and you give yourself a chance … we probably got what was coming to us.”
That’s not to take away from a red hot Tigers line-up.
“They were good, weren’t they?” Barends added.
Southport entered the round just one point in front of Tugun but have now widened that buffer to three, although Burleigh remain seven points ahead after
their 24-16 win over Ormeau on Saturday night.
Tigers mentor Steve Dowd was pleased with his side’s display, led by hooker Liam Hampson and frontrowers Luke Polson and Nathan Young. “They (Tugun) were meant to have had a lot of players out but we can only play what’s in front of us,” he said. “We were good.
“Everything was done with speed, nothing flashy, just everyone was on the front foot. We really worked hard on our defence from Burleigh and it paid off.”
Across the border, Runaway Bay took the points against Bilambil 34-18 yesterday but their injury crisis worsened, this time with concerns about winger Jake Powell and prop Luke Mastroianni.