Tugun topples a giant
Local hope prevails
WHEN Murray Seaton took the reins as Tugun Surf Club junior chairman, so commenced a four-year plan to end a long-running competitive drought spanning multiple generations.
That plan has finally come to fruition.
Tugun, long confined to the shadow cast by “big brother” Currumbin, broke a drought some claim extends beyond 100 years, by taking out the Point Danger branch titles for the first time on Saturday.
Though Seaton conceded 100 years was “probably a slight exaggeration”, given that the Point Danger branch was established in 1924, he said in his more than 40 years involved with the Tugun Nippers, Currumbin had always been an insurmountable high watermark – until now.
“It would be every bit of the 75-80 years history the club has,” Seaton said.
“The rivalry between Tugun and Currumbin is a strong, healthy, friendly rivalry. A lot of our good friends are at Currumbin.
“To beat Currumbin … it’s a rivalry that has been around forever and for us, something no one thought would ever be done. Currumbin had such a strong hold on that trophy.”
Host Tugun entered the second weekend of competition in third place, 60 points behind leader Currumbin, but a stellar showing on Saturday pushed it over the hump.
By the end of the annual titles, the leaderboard read Tugun 544 points, Currumbin 508 points and Tallebudgera, in third, on 280 points.
“They’re like our big brother club, or whatever you want to call it. For us it was great to take it off them,” Seaton said.
“It wasn’t that long ago that Tugun was down in that sixth or seventh place in the branch but over the past five years we’ve slowly moved up. We’ve been sitting in second the past few years until this year.
“It may not happen again, I don’t know, but I do know we’ll definitely be trying again.”
Seaton said the secret to success was a quality club culture and passionate committee, which has done everything possible to build a successful junior base.
“There’s been a culture change – the kids who are there now enjoy what they do and they train bloody hard,” he said.
“They do the hard work in training and over time they’ve seen the hard work pays off; over the years they’ve seen success and have worked harder to train for the next one.
“They recognise that training hard and putting the work in comes with results.
“The kids have a great environment. There’s a good bunch of parents down there and the club is very supportive of what we do.
“At the end of the day it’s run by volunteers … that’s what makes it special. That’s the culture of the Tugun Surf Club.”
STRIKE centre Kotoni Staggs has declared he wants to remain at the Broncos beyond this year, shifting recruitment options to a host of other offcontract prospects, led by Brisbane teammate Xavier Coates.
Staggs has become the target of at least three rival NRL clubs – the Titans, Eels and Bulldogs – who are prepared to pay more than $800,000 when the gun centre comes off contract at season’s end.
The 22-year-old has become one of the NRL’s best attacking centres, scoring 10 tries in 14 games during the Broncos’ wooden spoon season.
He was earmarked to make his Origin debut for the Blues last year but was ruled out after suffering a knee injury in Brisbane’s final game of the season.
Staggs said his foreseeable plan was returning from the injury by Round 14, while his long-term future would ideally see an extension with the Broncos – a move which would be a huge blow for rival clubs circling the star centre.
“I love the club,” Staggs said while promoting the 2021 Broncos Deadly Choices preventive health campaign.
“Growing up as a young kid, it’s where I wanted to be.
“It was a dream to play for the Broncos and Darren Lockyer was my idol.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else bar here and it would be good to just stay here.
“I want to play good footy when I get back from my injury and see what happens.”
The loss of Andrew McCullough from Red Hill has freed up valuable funds for the Broncos to retain rising stars Staggs and Coates, who both come off contract at season’s end.
It is understood the Broncos have already tabled an upgraded deal for Coates.
THE Australian Open’s saviour lives on as Ash Barty continued her barnstorming run into the quarter-finals.
With no crowds and no Nick Kyrgios to keep everyone amused, a lot of the heavy lifting for the tournament has been left to the world No.1.
And she again didn’t miss a beat against fourth-round opponent Shelby Rogers.
The pair had met 11 days ago and the result was the same, with the Australian clinical in her execution, 6-3 6-4 in just 71 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Barty’s serve and her new increased power game was at full throttle as she again kept a clean slate having not dropped a set for the entire tournament.
While Rogers, the world No.57, had pushed Barty in their meeting at the Yarra Valley Classic — 7-5 2-6 10-4 (match tiebreak) — she was quickly on the back foot early on Monday night.
Her serve was broken in the fourth game and it was obvious Barty had more energy in her legs as she moved the taller American around at will.
It was almost like she’d flicked the switch for another level to start the second week of the tournament in which she was a semifinalist last year.
Barty was forced to save two break points late in the set, but showed her trademark calmness to navigate that curveball to close out the opener in just 29 minutes.
She quickly took hold of the second set by breaking Rogers’ serve with her third opportunity to race to a 2-1 lead.
A second break to the Australian made it 4-1, and she seemed to be cruising into her fourth career grand slam quarter-final berth before a late wobble.
Rogers, 28, managed to save two match points and then break Barty’s serve for 3-5, but it only momentarily delayed the tournament favourite’s progression.
Barty again had strapping around her left thigh with dark bruising visible from a minor injury which she sustained earlier in the tournament.
But it’s clearly not causing her any issues, given the dominance displayed against Rogers.
The draw has been kind for the local hero, with some big names disappearing in her half with her quarter-final opponent the 25th seed Czech Karolina Muchova.
Muchova fought back from 0-4 in the first set to defeat Belgium’s 18th seed Elise Mertens 7-6 (5) 7-5.
If Barty prevails, she will face the winner of an All-American quarter-final between unseeded Jessica Pegula and 22nd seed Jennifer Brady.