SEAGULLS LOSE CAPTAIN FOR OPENING GAME
TWEED will be without skipper John Palavi for Saturday’s Intrust Super Cup opener against Northern Pride after the inspirational prop was hit with a two-game ban for a shoulder charge.
The Seagulls’ best and fairest winner in 2019, Palavi was slapped with a grade one charge following last month’s trial loss to Burleigh but will miss two games because of carry-over points.
The 27-year-old was a key member of the Tweed side that last season reached the ISC finals for the first time since 2014, leaving coach Ben Woolf to call on middle forwards Stuart Mason, Rory Lillis, Bayley Faull, Fabian Kiri and Harry Hughes in the preliminary Round 1 team named earlier this week.
The team, which will be finalised at the club’s season launch on Friday night, also includes several newcomers in Kiwi halfback Blake Goodman, middle forward Jamie Hill and former NRL outside back Fetuli Talanoa.
One man who won’t take on the Pride at Piggabeen in the 3pm match is utility back Talor Walters.
Top tryscorer for Tweed last year, Walters is battling a hernia and a broken foot.
“It’s a pity; I haven’t seen Talor fitter or keener but he could miss the first couple of rounds and we won’t rush him. We have pretty good cover in the backs,” Woolf said.
“We lack a bit of experience in some areas but have quite a bit of depth in other areas; we have got some young players who I think will show a lot of improvement during the season.
“We’ve improved each trial, I think we’re going better each week at training. They are working on the areas we’ve been focusing on.
“The team is starting to play the style of footy we want to play this year.
“We got good minutes into everyone in the final trial against Burleigh where we spread the squad across two games.”
BURLEIGH coach Rick Stone says there is still room for improvement in the 2019 premiership-winning team ahead of Sunday’s grand final rematch against Wynnum Manly at Pizzey Park.
“Not often you come into a grand final winning team as a new coach so you try not to change too much and try to continue on the same path,” he said.
“But you have to keep challenging them on what’s the next step themselves and how they can get a little bit better. Everyone is chasing them so they need to get better.”