Wells returned to the Mudgeeraba Redbacks line up for last week’s shock 26-18 victory over a Southport side brimming with NRL class.

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The former Queensland Cup representative for the Burleigh Bears, who also has spent time in the Gold Coast Titans system, scored a double and was able to overturn the momentum whenever the Tigers threatened to run away with it.

But now with a clash against the undefeated Bears to prepare for, Redbacks coach Martin Griese said it would not be the x-factor plays which he would rely on Wells for.

Rather it was the experience he brought to the field, and ability to control the emotions of his younger teammates in the face of such daunting opposition.

“He definitely fits in with the culture and where we want to be on and off the field which has been a strong focus this year,” Griese said of Wells.

“He’s our leader, he’s our director, he’ll guide the boys around the field. If he scores that’s good, but that’s not why he’s in the team.

“It’s a multitude of things, it’s his experience, it’s his ideas, it’s his calmness. Not much flusters him which is really good, especially for a half.”

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Mudgeeraba’s Southport victory was the discovery of self-belief in the face of such highly vaunted rivals.

With the injection of Wells, as well as fullback and co-captain Kyle Williams, the Redbacks had the composed influences needed to wrestle back the Tigers’ ascendancy at times — traits they were missing in their narrow defeat to Tugun in round one.

However with the pair back on deck, along with marquee recruit Zeb Taia, Griese was confident they had the leadership and fire power to challenge the Bears for 80 minutes.

He said it was more than about the personnel they had available, but the mentality instilled in the group since pre-season began.

“We don’t have a team full of high profile players on a lot of money, we’ve just got a team that wants to play as a team,” Griese said.

“It’s more about the culture, I think we’ve been working on a few different things this year about building a really good culture at the club.

“Playing for your mate and having everyone be mates on and off the field; I think that’s something that’s starting to show through.

“We’re up for the challenge. We’re just building at the moment, we’re not going to be anywhere near where we’re going to be for finals.”

TUGUN VS SOUTHPORT

Samiu Latu (Seahawks) vs John Folau (Tigers)

If at any stage these two meet, it will be a colossal battle.

Tugun winger Samiu Latu has been dynamic on the right flank for his side thus far, scoring two tries in the opening round win and commanding multiple defenders against the Bears the following week.

Bears defenders could be heard last week screaming “Latu, Latu” each time the ferocious flyer touched the ball, and his size and strength could rarely be matched in making the tough carries.

However Southport have their own former Tongan international ready and waiting to contain him.

John Folau will shift to the wing this week, eager to kickstart the Tigers 2022 account with a dominant display out wide.

It has been five years since the 27-year-old played the last of his eight NRL games for the Parramatta Eels, but based on early season performances there is still plenty of class and strength there.

Should these two meet in the middle of the field, expect the ground to shake beneath them.

Michael Burgess (Seahawks) vs Greg Bird (Tigers)

Tugun halfback Michael Burgess very nearly wrestled the game back in the Seahawks favour. To do so while facing a 16-0 deficit in the shadows of halftime was impressive enough, but to do so against the defending champions made it all the more impressive.

It was not just Burgess’ game management in the face of such a scoreline that stood out, his ability to support his own teammates when they sensed opportunities shone through as well.

When his hooker, William Johnstone, saw a chance to get a grubber kick in behind the line out of dummy-half, Burgess was onto it in a flash, scoring a crucial try which levelled proceedings.

But now, against a former State of Origin regular, the number seven will be out to find another gear.

Tigers five-eighth Greg Bird is yet to register a victory in Southport colours, a mark he will be eager to rub off on Saturday afternoon.

In round one against the Bears it was quick to see that the 37-year-old would be a target throughout 2022, such is the name he carries and esteem in the game.

Bird, like Burgess, will undoubtedly be the man the Tigers look to in a bid to control the game, and his experience could be what outpoints him in the halves battle against Burgess.

RUNAWAY BAY VS HELENSVALE

Brent Barnes (Seagulls) vs Sosefo Nasio (Hornets)

Two wingers fresh off brilliant try scoring exploits.

One, a former Hornet cementing himself in the Runaway Bay line up. The other, a returning face after four years in the rugby league wilderness.

Brent Barnes made the jump from Helensvale to the Seagulls this season, and announced himself with a hat-trick last week against Ormeau.

Strong, fast and with a knack of finding the line, Barnes is set to be a regular point of attack out wide for his new side.

However after a rusty week replacing him on the Hornets’ flank, Sosefo Nasio has found his groove.

The former Norths Devils junior scored a double last week, his first tries since returning from an extended hiatus from the game as work and life commitments took hold.

Being endorsed by and brought to the club by former NRL premiership winner Sam Tagataese was always going to come with expectation, but thus far it seems Nasio has taken little time to rediscover his mojo.

Sione Palavi (Seagulls) vs Sam Tagataese (Hornets)

It will be another battle with an old sparring partner from his NRL days that revs Sam Tagataese up.

The Hornets skipper will go head to head with five-time New Zealand Warrior Sione Palavi in a battle through the middle sure to tantalise onlookers.

Both big units with plenty of experience behind them, the way in which they lay a foundation for their respective sides could go a long way to determining a victor.

After their victory on Saturday night, Hornets assistant coach Julius Kuresa said that bit by bit Tagataese was rediscovering his fitness and game sense, and his clash with Palavi could well prove how far he has come in a short space of time.

MUDGEERABA VS BURLEIGH

Kyle Williams (Redbacks) vs Matiu Stone-Dunn (Bears)

Kyle Williams’ return to the Redbacks line up coincided with a far more polished performance from the side.

The fullback’s composure and leadership was crucial in their come from behind victory over Southport, particularly given the dearth of young, up and coming players within the Mudgeeraba ranks.

“He’s always talking and obviously he brings a lot of direction as well because he knows exactly what we want to do,” Griese said.

“If we’re not getting where we need to be he holds people accountable. He’ll never ask anyone to do something he can’t do himself.”

The Bears will be without club legend Kurtis Rowe this week, with Matiu Stone-Dunn taking the number one jersey.

Rowe has had an emphatic start to 2022, playing leading hands in the Bears back-to-back triumphs.

His commanding voice at the back has orchestrated the defensive line, and he has done everything in his power to keep the pressure on Taine Tuaupiki in the Queensland Cup side.

Now the onus will be on Stone-Dunn to rise up and fill the big boots Rowe brings to the field.

Joshua Bukowski (Redbacks) vs Conor Carey (Bears)

Two clinical finishers who will be out to add the finesse to their teams backline movements.

Redbacks flyer Joshua Bukowski showcased his ability to end a passage of play with panache in their opening round loss to Tugun, while his tough carries coming out of his own end helped get them back into the contest.

He will be faced by returning Bears winger Conor Carey, who helped himself to a hat-trick in his comeback from injury last week.

Carey will line up in the centres this week, but last week on the flank he refused to be contained on his right hand flank, often moving in field when a chance presented itself.

That willingness to venture rewarded him with one of his tries for the afternoon, and the unpredictability of his movements could make like for Bukowski challenging off the ball.

CURRUMBIN VS ORMEAU

Nash Geyer (Eagles) vs Jack Rogers (Shearers)

Their fathers both carry names synonymous with success among rugby league’s elite, and now it is time for these two halves to carry on the family legacy.

Eagles five-eighth Nash Geyer is coached by his father, Matt, who cemented himself on the Melbourne Storm wing for a decade.

Now he will be tasked with guiding Currumbin to their first win of the season, faced with an Ormeau side who have found a knack for scoring points — 68 of them in fact across the first two rounds.

Jack Rogers, son of dual-code legend Mat Rogers, has been at the heart of that attack.

His kicking game has been probing, while he has also shown a willingness to take the line on when he sees an opening.

These young men will be determined to ensure they are viewed as their own players, not the sons of the legends their fathers are.

Jacob Schimke (Eagles) vs Issac Luke (Shearers)

The young gun takes on the NRL veteran.

Heading into the season, Currumbin coach Matt Geyer lauded rising rake Jacob Schimke as a player to watch in 2022.

His darting runs out of dummy-half have already proven to cause headaches even in defeat, and his willingness to throw himself into the defensive grind has stood out.

However this could well be his greatest test yet.

Issac Luke has been a force in the Ormeau revival, scoring tries, setting them up and oozing with the class that made him one of the finest hookers of the modern era.

The Shearers have proven they can score points, but after last week’s narrow defeat to Runaway Bay Luke will be out to solidify the defensive resolve in the middle of the park.

How he controls the ruck will be the ideal learning chance for Schimke to see up close what it takes to succeed at the highest level. All that remains to be answered is whether he can rise to the occasion and tear down his credentialed rival.

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There are shades of the old Samui Latu beginning to emerge, the same powerhouse running and relentless play that thrust him into the NRL more than a decade ago.

But according to Tugun coach Clint Berands, the veteran winger’s two-try heroics against Mudgeeraba was simply “his standard” performance.

Latu was near unstoppable in the Seahawks 22-20 nailbiter against the Redbacks.

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His brace of tries came from a combination of finesse on the flank and nothing more than a damaging mentality that seemed to say ‘get in my way at your own risk’.

The 33-year-old has not featured in the NRL since 2011, lining up for Wests Tigers as injury cover for Lote Tuqiri after sustaining a knee concern in his club debut the year before.

However Berands revealed Latu had undergone an impressive transformation throughout the off-season, giving up alcohol for the past six months and becoming the fittest he had been throughout his time in the Tugun colours.

Now with a forthcoming clash against the defending Gold Coast champions, the Burleigh Bears, ahead of him the barnstorming flyer’s influence is set to be even more crucial.

“Blokes just come off (the field) and talk about him, and he’s much fitter this year Sami,” Berands said.

“He’s done a lot of work in the pre-season and shed a couple of kilos. He’s great, obviously the boys love playing with him but this year in particular he’s been in the gym since before November to shed some kilos.

“Sami will come from everywhere, so he’s not really our go to man in attack. Sometimes he has two runs in a set, coming from the right then down the left.

“We let Sami go wherever he wants to fit in, particularly coming out of trouble.”

The Seahawks are set to be boosted by the return of four key men against the Bears, with middles Josh Harvey and James Ryan, along with outside backs Tuli Talanoa and Tim Cassidy, set to make their first appearances of 2022.

Berands went as far as to say Cassidy was “probably the best centre in the competition”, and will inject an “explosive” threat into the Seahawks’ attack after serving a suspension in round one.

However it was the emergence of new fullback Zac Beecher on Sunday which perhaps gave the Tugun coach the most cause for delight.

The Ballina product was lauded by Berands as one of the players to watch out for this season before a ball had been kicked, having made the transition from hooker as a junior and centres in his debut campaign for the club last year.

Working alongside Tugun reserve grade coach, and former Melbourne Storm fullback Paul Sheedy, the 22-year-old made an immediate impression at the back, and will set up a palpable battle with Bears number one, Kurtis Rowe.

“His dummy half running out of trouble and his commitment to the tough carries in particular is right up there. He’ll take those c--p runs you need to, the ones where you know you’ll get belted,” Berands said.

“He’s also doing some work with Paul Sheedy who’s our reserve coach and played fullback himself. He’s taken Zac under his wing and they’re doing a fair few extras.

“This year they’re running extra sessions and after training. It’s a work in progress but it’s great to have Paul there and Zac is really enjoying it.

“He was outstanding (against Mudgeeraba), he carried the ball nice and strong, his positional play was OK and I thought he was one of our better players.”

HELENSVALE HORNETS VS CURRUMBIN EAGLES @ 6pm Saturday

Sam Tagataese (Hornets) vs. Ben Hannant (Eagles)

Two former NRL premiership winners will go head to head in a return to the glory days that made them stars in their own right.

Sam Tagataese has been brought to Helensvale by coach Clinton Toopi to usher in a new era for the fledgling club, debuting in the Hornet colours as captain.

Backed with 174 games of first-grade experience and a breakthrough title with Cronulla in 2016, the 35-year-old prop will be out to set the standard for his young side, who coughed up plenty of possession in their 42-12 loss to Ormeau on Sunday.

For a Currumbin side also out to enter the winner’s circle, dual-NRL winner Ben Hannant will battle it out with Tagatease up front.

Hannant lifted rugby league’s most esteemed silverware twice at the peak of his powers for the Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys, thriving off the battles that forge in the pack.

In the Eagles 20-4 defeat at the hands of Runaway Bay he showed some signs of rust, knocking the ball on twice while deep in enemy territory.

However the veteran will no doubt be better for the run, and his forthcoming clash with Tagataese will be one for Gold Coast fans to keep an eye out for.

Jay Blazek (Hornets) vs. Jarrod Gill (Eagles)

Jay Blazek did Toopi’s predictions of future stardom no harm with a stellar performance in a losing cause.

The young lock took the attack to Ormeau, regularly breaking tackles in an 80 minute effort full of character and aggression.

However what he will need to be on guard for is wrapping up the late offloading ability Jarrod Gill showcased last week.

Despite Currumbin’s defeat, Gill’s last second pass in the tackle for a teammate enabled them to burst into backfield, with a Seagulls rival sin binned for holding down too long.

While they were unable to make the most of the extra man, more of that second phase play from the prop up the middle could be a telling factor when they face the Hornets, in particular for what it could mean for their outside men such as Benjamin Kelly.

SOUTHPORT TIGERS VS MUDGEERABA REDBACKS @ 3pm SUNDAY

Eni Folau (Tigers) vs. Parahi Wilson (Redbacks)

Playing a very different brand of football to that of his famous brother, Eni Folau will be out to dominate the middle of the field against the Redbacks.

The Southport lock, and younger sibling of Israel Folau, endured a fierce contest against Burleigh when Jayden Sharp took it upon himself to get in his rivals faces, but never did the Tiger back off.

It was the same case for Redbacks number 13 Parahi Wilson.

Often it was Wilson’s aggression on and off the ball which kept Mudgeeraba in the contest, a clash which ultimately went down to the wire.

For all the heart he showed on Sunday, the former Queensland Cup forward will no doubt be hurting after his side came within a whisker of orchestrating a sensational fightback.

Expect this pair to go at it from the get go on Sunday and set the platform for their respective sides.

Billy Mozer (interchange forward) vs. Michael Tiopira (interchange forward)

Coming off the bench for the Tigers last week, Billy Mozer set about changing the momentum of the contest through his physicality and energy.

While they were down on the scoreboard throughout the match, it was often Southport who appeared to have the running, only for errors and desperate Burleigh defence to deny them.

So when Mozer came on, he appeared determined to inspire his teammates.

A series of strong tackles forced the Bears on the backfoot regularly, and went a long way to forcing errors and getting the Tigers back in the contest on the scoreboard. His linebreak in the final minute of play was the catalyst for Sione Katoa’s second try.

It was a similar situation for Michael Tiopira, whose injection from the Mudgeeraba pine proved a masterstroke.

The damaging middle was rewarded for his gutsy runs with a try, one which got his side within two points after falling behind early.

If this is a game to become an arm wrestle, expect these two to provide the energy which could change its context.

ORMEAU SHEARERS VS RUNAWAY BAY SEAGULLS @ 3pm SUNDAY

Issac Luke (Shearers) vs. Jenan Wedderburn-Parrish (Seagulls)

On one side of the ruck, a Kiwi international who has done everything the game has to offer. On the other side, a former Gold Coast rugby league player of the year determined to show he is the premier number nine in the competition.

Issac Luke has joined the Ormeau cause it their revival season, and instantly made an impression on club debut.

Scoring two tries and setting up another was just the tip of the iceberg for the former Rabbitoh, who provided plenty of simple, deft touches that moved his forwards around the park admirably in their dominant round one triumph.

Jenan Wedderburn-Parrish claimed the 2019 mantle for the competition’s best player, and was pivotal once again in Runaway Bay’s season opener.

While he controlled the ruck brilliantly in that match up, how he battles Luke could go a long way to determining a victor in this clash.

Both hookers are renowned for their running game, with Luke terrorising the best in the business in his heyday, while Wedderburn-Parrish led the league for tries in his MVP campaign.

Expect plenty of work to be done through the middle by both forward packs as these two fight it out.

James Tutuila (Shearers) vs. Sione Palavi (Seagulls)

On the back of James Tutuila’s opening game for Ormeau, he could be the most handy pick up by a club — even in a competition filtered with former NRL talent.

The barnstorming prop helped himself to a double against Helensvale, eagerly following Issac Luke to storm over with apparent ease.

With each hit up he took, several defenders would be either left in his wake or clinging on for dear life to bring him down, and given who he will be lining up against he will need to bring that same intensity.

Former New Zealand Warrior Sione Palavi led the charge for the Seagulls in their opening round win, and will no doubt look to take the attack to Tutuila on Sunday afternoon.

The leg drive he brought to his side’s ruck gave ample time for dummy-half Wedderburn-Parrish to thrive, and he will be out to bring that skill to the fore again.

BURLEIGH BEARS VS TUGUN SEAHAWKS @ 3pm SUNDAY

Kurtis Rowe (Bears) vs. Zac Beecher (Seahawks)

Kurtis Rowe may have been unseated as Burleigh’s Queensland Cup fullback, but his ability very much remains.

The club’s leading try scorer, and former Wests Tiger, was electric in his side’s win over Southport — scoring a brilliant try in the corner and setting up another in a dynamic display.

It was not only the headline moments which stood out for Rowe, but the late short passes and sharp inside step that caused several headaches for the Tigers and created chances for his teammates.

However for Tugun, their own custodian will be out to continue a strong start.

Zac Beecher showed no fear in charging into the Mudgreeaba defensive line with each kick return, and his own fleet feet more often than not earned plenty of extra metres for his side to work with.

His support play of his halves was another highlight in his show reel, frequently popping up on their inside shoulder and threatening to burst through the middle of the Redbacks’ defence.

All Beecher needs now is to get on the try scorers sheet, after becoming the third leading scorer last year. But given he has only played two matches in his new position, he will only get better.

Allan Lockwood (Bears) vs. Tim Cassidy (Seahawks)

On the back of a try-scoring start to the season, Allan Lockwood will be out to keep the momentum rolling against another huge threat opposite him.

The Bears centre scored a brilliant solo try against Southport last week, capitalising on a slick backline movement to step around the Tigers fullback and score next to the posts.

However perhaps his most impressive highlight was in defence, when he managed to hold up former Parramatta Eels back John Folau over the line. It proved to be a clutch play in the scheme of the match, with Burleigh winning by just two points.

However this week he will now face off with a Seahawk whose coach believes is the premier centre in the Gold Coast competition.

Tim Cassidy returns to the Tugun line up having served a one-match suspension, and is expected to inject plenty of threat into his side’s attack.

Seahawks coach Berands said there were not too many other centres who could take Cassidy down one-on-one, with several defenders often needed to prevent him from making inroads.

He will be fresh, rejuvenated and ready to take to Lockwood head on.

nick.wright@news.com.au