Inexperience clips the Eagles’ wings
CURRUMBIN coach Ryan Gundry says his new-look team’s lack of time together came back to bite them in their 18-16 loss to Runaway Bay.
The Eagles had victory snatched from them for the second time in three weeks, having led by 12 points with 10 minutes on the clock on Saturday night.
With his side missing the guile of veteran halfback Phil Ramage, who was in France, Gundry conceded the game had gotten away from them.
“The way the game swung, they (Bay) took full advantage of it, to their credit,” Gundry said.
“Our game management probably wasn’t where it needed to be to shut the game out in the final 10 minutes and that’s a collective thing.
“We’re defending well, they’re scoring tries on the edges and stuff like that but they played well at the back end of the second half and the 50-50s went their way and we didn’t respond well really to just the change in momentum.
“We couldn’t stem the tide and the boys got down a little bit and just played a little bit negative.
“It’s all a learning curve. “As well as we started the season, you have got to remember that we are a new team.
“We have only just been put together over the preseason, so we are still trying to find out everybody’s strengths and weaknesses and how people react in different situations and things like that.”
Currumbin still sit atop the Rugby League Gold Coast ladder with an 8-2 win-loss record and have now triumphed in three of five games decided by a margin of four points or less.
Gundry added that Bay, driven by their forwards, were firming as major contenders.
“I dare say that in terms of a competition favourite, they would have to be there,” he said.
“They played in the grand final last year and they have kept the nucleus of that squad and added some quality players to it.
“I think just the fact that a lot of them have played footy together a bit more than my boys have, it helped them.”
In Sunday afternoon games, Burleigh stunned form side Southport 38-12 at Pizzey Park to stay well in touch with the top five.
Ormeau again went agonisingly close to a breakthrough victory, falling 24-22 to Tugun, while Tweed Heads pipped Bilambil 34-28 at the home of the Jets.