Mackay Cutters suffer heavy defeat to Wynnum Manly Seagulls in Queensland Cup opener

The Mackay Cutters were “very happy” with the start of their Queensland Cup game before a play in the shadows of half time continued a horror first round tradition.

. Picture: Mackay Cutters

A stunning length-of-the-field try in the 40th minute proved to be a crushing blow for the Mackay Cutters in their first round of the Queensland Cup against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

After the Cutters made an encouraging start all momentum swung the Seagulls’ way after the try as they powered away in the second half to record a 44-6 victory.

The loss is a tough pill to swallow for the Cutters and their fans as the Seagulls‘ relentless offensive effort proved too much for the Cutters’ defence to handle.

“First 35 minutes we were very happy with,” head coach Mick Comerford said.

“The intercept try right on halftime really put us on the back foot and to be honest I don’t think mentally we were able to recover.”

The Cutters played a measured brand of football in the first 35 minutes before quick scoring wore the side down within the span of ten minutes. Picture: Mackay Cutters

The second half saw a continuation of the Seagulls‘ domination as they scored two more tries in the 54th and 59th minute, adding salt to the wounds for the Cutters.

It was a frustrating game for the Cutters as they couldn’t seem to gain any momentum and struggled to find their rhythm for the remainder of the contest.

The loss continues a worrying trend for the Cutters, who haven't won a first-round game since 2012.

Despite high hopes and a strong showing in the pre-season, the team seemed unable to find their footing against a determined Seagulls side.

However, the Cutters can take some comfort in the fact that they have a chance to bounce back in their first home game of the year against the Northern Pride who had a rest week at the weekend.

Looking ahead to a run of home games the Cutters will work to rectify their issues from round one and register their first win this weekend against the Northern Pride. Picture: Mackay Cutters

When asked about whether the rest works for or against the Cutters head coach Mick Comerford was undecided.

“It’s hard to tell” Comerford said.

“One advantage they’ll be thinking is that they’re fresh and ready to go and watching us from the weekend.

“But you can argue we have an advantage in the sense that we identified a fair few errors we need to improve on and we’ll be working hard on those through the week.”

Being the first of four home games in a row, the Cutters will be looking to use their home field advantage and crowd support to capture a win in round two.