BATTLE STATIONS
Bears and Seagulls settle old scores from safety of home
The Intrust Super Cup may be off for 2020 but there is still plenty of action, writes Nic Darveniza
THE QRL’s E-sports Challenge is doing more than just providing players and fans of the Intrust Super Cup with rugby league action during the coronavirus shutdown.
For players at the Burleigh Bears and Tweed Seagulls, it’s also helping them settle some old scores.
The E-sports Challenge is a weekly contest on the Rugby League Live 4 PlayStation game where representatives from each team simulate their weekly fixtures.
The simulation is made possible through the use of advanced player ratings determining every aspect of a player’s ability.
The king of these statistics are the speed and power categories. In the first category, the game regards Tweed fullback Talor Walters as the fastest Gold Coaster in the Intrust Super Cup with a sprint speed of 91.
Narrowly behind is Walters’ wingman Fetuli Talanoa, who returns from a 127-game career with Hull in the UK with a speed rating of 87.
In third place, 123kg Burleigh Bears edge man Sami Sauiluma boasts a blistering speed rating of 84 – faster even then Burleigh fullback Kurtis Rowe, who rates 83 on the speed scale.
The former Canberra Raider also rates as the Coast’s biggest hitter, with a power rating of 90 out of 100.
Sauiluma’s well-rounded abilities have transformed him into a virtual wrecking ball in the E-sports Challenge, particularly when guided by his own hands on the controller.
“It’s pretty funny actually, I don’t know who’s done my stats,” Sauiluma said.
“I must have a cousin somewhere looking after me because I know I’m quicker than I am in real life. I’m enjoying that part of it because I hadn’t played the game before they got me a copy.”
The game’s designers must not have seen the violent highlights package of Burleigh skipper Luke Page when allocating ratings.
The former viral sensation’s power rating is a full eight points lower than Sauiluma’s at 82, though he still rates as the Coast’s secondstrongest player.
Tweed second-rower and skipper John Palavi is his club’s most fearsome tackler with a power rating of 78.
For the full list, head to goldcoastbulletin.com/sport.