Berkers’ shot at centre
JOSH Berkers has big shoes to fill and he knows it.
He will tomorrow make his Queensland Cup run-on debut against Easts at left centre, the position usually occupied by imposing strike weapon Sami Sauiluma.
A former Canberra and Cronulla NRL player, Sauiluma has been a dominant force in his first season at the Bears.
Across 19 appearances, he has averaged 150m a game and guided the side to victory in their most recent meeting with the Tigers in June by scoring two tries.
But with a posterior cruciate ligament injury sustained during Burleigh’s Round 22 loss in Papua New Guinea sidelining Sauiluma for up to four weeks, Berkers has been handed his big chance.
“It’s a good opportunity at the business end of the year, it’s where you want to be,” said Berkers, a third-year apprentice electrician.
The 20-year-old started the season in the Bears’ top squad, playing second-row off the bench in their opening two matches before being struck down by a groin injury.
A long road to recovery delivered him to Burleigh’s Gold Coast Tweed side, where he has starred at left centre.
Bar playing for the Gold Coast Titans under-20s last year – plus a handful of games the season before – Berkers has been with Burleigh since under-8s.
That long association will now reach its peak as Berkers tries to help the Bears return to the winners’ list on the eve of the Queensland Cup finals.
“I’m pretty Berkers said.
“We’re trying to find the form they have had all year back for the finals so it is a big game and Easts are only just outside the top five so they will be pretty hungry for a win.
“I will just try to do my job for the boys and I’m sure there’s enough talent and that in the team that will get us through.”
Berkers acknowledged Sauiluma will waltz back into his spot when fit, leaving him a small window of opportunity to nail down a place nervous,” somewhere in coach Jimmy Lenihan’s 17.
“Sami will obviously be locked into that centre spot,” he said.
“I will just try to play myself into some form so he (Lenihan) just can’t really drop me.”
Lenihan, who is looking for a better defensive effort from his team, said Berkers’ solid 98kg frame made him a like-for-like replacement for Sauiluma.
“He’s got to think that he is not just there for a fill-in, he is looking to fight his way into a side that can play semi-final football at the Intrust Super Cup level,” Lenihan said.
Burleigh will be strengthened by the inclusions of Cameron Cullen, Nathaniel Peteru and Luke Page, who all missed the PNG game.
This afternoon, Tweed Heads travel to Ipswich to play the Jets.
The Seagulls have already tasted victory at North Ipswich Reserve once this year when severe weather forced their Round 13 home fixture to be relocated there.
However, Tweed Heads have lost eight of nine matches since then.