Bears turn to one hell of a Guy
Hamilton back to help beat Devils
BURLEIGH Bears coach Luke Burt may have had to fight against the defending champions without his star recruit but a club maestro of yesteryear stepped up to fill the void.
Former Gold Coast Titans playmaker Tyrone Roberts was ruled out of the Queensland Cup season opener against Norths Devils on Saturday and his place at the scrumbase was taken by Guy Hamilton.
Hamilton, 27, left the maroon and white outfit at the end of a 2022 campaign in which he cemented his status as one of the competition’s leading halfbacks.
Finishing with 28 try assists and 23 line-break assists from 22 appearances, as well as 89 running metres a game and 19 forced dropouts, Hamilton took a pre-season opportunity with the Sydney Roosters in a bid to get an NRL chance.
He made his comeback in a steady performance over the Devils, orchestrating the Bears around the park for a 30-24 win.
While Burt said the No.7 had returned to the Glitter Strip for “personal reasons”, his inclusion would offset the loss of five-eighth Josh Rogers (Broncos) and fullback Taine Tuaupiki (Warriors).
He said after training under master coach Trent Robinson, “an improved Guy Hamilton” was set to take the field.
“I’m sure there were another 10 Queensland Cup sides who would have loved Guy but he chose to come back to the Bears and he pretty much said there was no other club he would ever go to,” Burt said.
“I think he’s had a few little additions. The way the Roosters train, they are an amazing outfit and club. I know Trent Robinson and what he brings to the table and he’s an excellent coach.
“The learning under him that Guy has got has helped with a bit of composure and a few things in his game will be an asset for him this year.
“There are still a few areas he wants to improve in. His running game is a strength of his and being super critical he could do slightly more because he’s a real threat. He’s fast, has good footwork and he’s tough.
“He’s working hard on his kicking game and understanding how important it is to end our set finishes. Being at the Roosters, all those little areas would have been finetuned.”
Burleigh’s triumph over the two-time reigning champions gave rugby league pundits a glimpse into the future because Titans rookies Keano Kini and Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui turned in star performances.
Kini, 18, has the tools to become an NRL star. He ran for 247 metres and contributed a line-break assist and try assist.
Fa’asuamaleaui was thrust into the starting side and finished with 153m and 29 tackles.
The younger brother of Gold Coast captain Tino, Fa’asuamaleaui will be given every chance to make the starting front-row spot his own.
As for Kini, Burt said the teenager would be encouraged to use his natural ability.
“I think he has shown he’s more than capable of handling this level,” Burt said. “It will be a wait and see (approach) but the plan at the moment is he gets his jersey and if he goes well he will keep it all year.
“You don’t want to coach the natural ability out of him. I don’t want him to become a robot. His strength is his running game and he is super tough.
He’s not the biggest guy, he’s not too different to Taine Tuaupiki. He will take the line on and as the year goes on we would like to see him progress into a ball player slightly more.
“But he’s one of those kids you don’t want to take away his strengths and the way he plays to get to where he is.”