Gundy dasher gets Seagulls on move
PLACE a target on Brayden McGrady’s head all you like, it won’t faze him.
That’s the message from Tweed Heads boss Paul Stephenson after the Seagulls’ strike centre has taken the Intrust Super Cup by storm during the opening two months.
McGrady, 21, leads the competition for tries with 10 already to his name. That’s despite him playing only five games, having missed three through suspension for a dangerous throw.
At that rate, he’s on track to surpass Daniel Kennedy’s ISC record of 34 tries in 2002 for Burleigh.
Having formed a lethal right-side combination with cousin Lindon McGrady, the Goondiwindi junior is yet to go 80 minutes without finding the line and has scored two hat-tricks in the past three rounds.
Those sorts of numbers are sure to see opposition sides put extra focus on him but Stephenson said that will
do nothing to throw speedster off his game.
“He is fairly relaxed. He doesn’t seem to feel too much pressure,” the former Manly and Cronulla player said.
“The fact that clubs may target him or what have you a the bit more, I don’t see that as too much of an issue. He takes it in his stride.”
Stephenson got a glimpse of McGrady’s ability when he was Tweed’s under-20 coach a few years back and still hails him as “the most talented kid I have seen”.
“His challenge over the last few years really was to find a way to push himself a little bit harder and he is slowly doing that,” he said.
“He is finding some points and playing some good footy. It is no surprise to any of us here.
“The sky is the limit for Brayden for what he can achieve. It is really up to him what he does achieve.
“He has attracted some interest from NRL clubs and I think again, if he keeps putting the ball over the line, that will come for him.”
ISC commentator Scott Sattler said McGrady had always been an excitement machine.
“He is definitely one of the most exciting players in the competition,” Sattler said.
Coming off three successive wins, Tweed have risen to 11th on the ladder.
Ladder leaders Burleigh take on Townsville up at Jack Manski Oval tomorrow.