Speedy Toby gets his chance to race
ALMOST 18 months after being plucked from the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League, Toby McIntosh will today run out for his Intrust Super Cup debut.
The 22-year-old has been named at fullback for Burleigh after first-choice No.1s Kurtis Rowe and Henare Wells sustained injuries.
McIntosh signed with the Bears soon after helping the Murwillumbah Mustangs to the 2016 NRRRL premiership.
Along the way, he was crowned the competition’s player of the year.
The Matt Dunn Racing stable foreman was forced to work for his dream shot at the state league though, biding his time in the Rugby League Gold Coast A-grade competition for all of last season.
McIntosh scored 21 tries in 19 games to help the Bears win the local title and showed off his strike power by putting Currumbin to the sword with a five-try haul.
But his time is now: Round 7 against Wynnum Manly in the round’s televised fixture at Kougari Oval.
Lenihan said McIntosh had blossomed into a player ready to thrive at ISC level.
“He is a definite fullback, a runner of the ball, very quick,” Lenihan said. “There’s no doubt he had some ability and then last year was the year that he just learnt a little bit more about the next level of footy up.
“He has got a lot of natural skill and ability, it’s just more the talking and some of the things that we’re trying to put in place here for that next step up in Queensland Cup and I think he has certainly done that.
“He gets an opportunity with all of the people that have been injured and I’m really happy for him.”
McIntosh forms part of an inexperienced Bears spine – outside of hooker Pat Politoni – with Josh Rogers and Chris Law stepping into the halves for injured lead playmakers Jamal Fogarty and Dallas Wells.
Down at Piggabeen Sports Complex, Tweed Heads will tomorrow be out to back up their breakthrough last-start win over Wynnum.
The clash with Easts will be Paul Stephenson’s first home match in charge as Seagulls chief executive.
A former NRL player for Manly and Cronulla, Stephenson finished his playing career at Tweed in 2014 and immediately fell in love with the club’s culture and history.
“I have played at a lot of different clubs … but I am so proud to have played for Seagulls with their history and I think as CEO it is my job to give the players an understanding of that history as well,” he said.