Seagulls swoop on Cbus
TWEED Heads’ move to take a Queensland Cup home game to Cbus Super Stadium could be a sign of the future.
The Seagulls will play fellow Gold Coast feeder club Central Queensland in a curtain-raiser to the Titans’ Round 4 match against the North Queensland Cowboys.
With the under-20s National Youth Competition to be scrapped next year, curtainraiser opportunities could be- come more readily available. “A lot of the time the people who support the Titans don’t get a chance to see the players who aren’t playing NRL that weekend,” Seagulls chief executive Scott Clark said.
“It’s a good opportunity for them to see what the guys who miss out on selection each week, what standard of competition they’re playing in.
“Definitely we would be keen to play one or two or three games at Cbus in the future as part of our feeder club relationship – it just gives our boys more exposure and it gets them playing on a decent stage.”
The Cbus fixture will come a week after Tweed play their Round 3 home match against Wynnum Manly on North Stradbroke Island. Tweed were keen to jump aboard the Wynnum Manly initiative which will support causes including Deadly Choices.
Clark, however, assured fans that there will still be plenty of action to be seen at their true home, Piggabeen Sports Complex.
“We’re not deserting our fans so we can alleviate their thinking that we’re going to relocate or anything,” he said.
Tweed will launch their season this afternoon at Seagulls Club on Gollan Drive, with Burleigh to hold their launch on Wednesday night.
The Bears have a few headaches heading into Round 1 following confirmation halfback recruit Harry Siejka will miss four to six weeks due to a knee injury suffered in their trial loss to Sunshine Coast.
A knee complaint could also sideline Hayden Schwass for Burleigh’s grand final rematch against Redcliffe in eight days’ time, while Henare Wells is racing the clock after a mishap at training.
Prop Luke Page, however, will not undergo finger surgery as feared and should be right to play the Dolphins.
While Tyler Cornish may slot into the halves if not selected by the Titans, Siejka’s injury opens up another issue for Bears coach Jimmy Lenihan – who will take on the goal kicking duties.
Jamal Fogarty’s accurate boot was a massive asset to the Bears last year and Siejka had been pencilled in to succeed him in that role with the former having moved on to play for Parramatta in the NRL.
“We might have to have a bit of a kicking trial,” Lenihan chuckled.
“Daniel Schwass has been kicking some goals at the ground and at the trials and kicking them from the sideline so he may be an option but it has sort of left us in a bit of a hole.”