Huge Southport omissions keep Runaway Bay Seagulls wary: Eight battles to decide RLGC Round 4
A pair of representative forwards have missed the cut ahead of a huge clash, but the men who take those jerseys have a champion coach wary of what could come.
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Two huge exclusions from the Southport Tigers forward pack has Seagulls coach Nick Gleeson on guard for what is to come, in what he said could be the club’s biggest game of the year.
Vikings representative duo Denzal Ngati and Brock Hamill — the Tigers junior who was previously signed by the Canterbury Bulldogs — plied their trade in reserve grade last week, with Ngati named there again and Hamill’s number not called on either team sheet.
Billy Mozer has also been named among the Southport reserve grade side, with the likes of Benjamin Thomas and 2021 North Devils Queensland Cup winner Piki Rogers given the chance to cement their places in A-grade.
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The yellow and black outfit are seeking to go back-to-back for the first time in 2022, but to do so, they will need to overcome an unbeaten Runaway Bay side.
And despite the calibre of Tigers not making the cut, Gleeson said he was far from relieved the big men would not take the field.
In his eyes, if those players were unable to crack the top tier it only meant whoever had unseated them were in equally captivating form — or even better.
Therefore he said the key would not be in shutting down the bookends who lined up, but the man in charge of guiding them from dummy-half.
“They’ve got a really good forward pack but a really crafty hooker. If we contain their middles we contain Sione Katoa,” Gleeson said ahead of the Seagulls battle against the former Penrith and Canterbury hooker.
“I’ve coached against these blokes (Ngati and Hamill) before, they’re quality players but whatever they’ve got there is just as good … it means there’s something better up top.
“I think the more noticeable one for them is Piki Rogers; winning a grand final last year in the Queensland Cup he brings a lot of experience to their pack.
“I’d say most clubs are in the same boat, you look at the Burleigh guys who won a grand final are in ressies and I’ve go two or three who would play A-grade at any club.
“It shows they are clubmen if they’re looking to stay in those lower grades, for our boys it makes them a bit more hungry.”
Ngati and Hamill’s omissions come despite their selections in the Gold Coast Vikings representative squad to take on teams from Brisbane and Ipswich next weekend.
Vikings coach Wayne Forbes said he had witnessed Ngati play for a long time now, and knew what he would bring to the rep arena regardless of where he lined up for Southport.
“Knowing his background and what he can do, with rep football he’ll be ready,” he said.
“I think he was one of their best in the reserve grade game, and one of the best in A-grade. “He has received quite a good wrap from his A-grade coach. All these (people picked) aren’t necessarily the best and most skilled in individual positions, but as a unit they’ll come together.”
The Seagulls will attempt to win back the annual Bycroft Shield in the ANZAC Round clash without gun halfback Aaron Booth, who succumbed to a sternum injury after the side’s 40-4 triumph over Helensvale.
He is expected to be sidelined for “a few weeks”.
“Aaron’s a real competitor, he competes on anything and doesn’t die wondering,” Gleeson said. “We plays a lot of eyes up footy and Aaron is really good at that, whether it’s a kick behind the line or he’ll look to throw a long ball.”
RUNAWAY BAY VS SOUTHPORT
Quielle Murray (Seagulls) vs John Folau (Tigers)
Fresh off his selection in the Vikings side, and determined to thrust his name into Tweed Seagulls calculations, Quielle Murray will have a massive task in front of him on Sunday.
Facing off with former Parramatta Eel John Folau, Murray will be hoping speed beats out power when the two wingers collide.
“He likes to take a few carries in the middle of the field Q. He wants to play winger, but he’s a centre for me — it’s just trying to figure out which position is suited for him,” Gleeson said.
“He’s down training with Tweed hoping to get a QCup start, but there’s a fair bit of talent there. He’s had a few injuries the last few weeks but he really excelled last week.”
Folau’s shift since round one from the centres to the wing coincided with the Tigers first victory in 2022, with his imposing frame a powerful asset carrying the football out of his own end.
With another former Eel in Michael Oldfield lining up in the centres, all the duo will need is a hint of a chance to capitalise if the likes of Murray are not on their guard.
Jenan Wedderburn-Parrish (Seagull) vs Sione Katoa (Tigers)
Gleeson was quick to point out just how crucial shutting down Tigers rake Sione Katoa would be to their prospects, and Runaway Bay number nine Jenan Wedderburn-Parrish will spearhead those attempts.
The former Gold Coast player of the year will face off with a man who boasts 75 appearances for the Penrith Panthers and Canterbury Bulldogs, and who has proven a handful at dummy-half for the Tigers.
It has not only been Katoa’s running game which has sparked plenty of speed in the Southport pack, but his kicking game out of the ruck has been a valuable weapon in keeping rivals on their heels.
HELENSVALE VS BURLEIGH
Jay Blazek (Hornets) vs Lochlyn Sheldon (Bears)
Jay Blazek has quickly become a favourite of Helensvale coach Clinton Toopi’s, but now he has to vindicate the hype against a man on the Queensland Cup periphery.
Despite the Hornets claiming just one win thus far, their round two triumph over Currumbin bookend by heavy defeats to Ormeau and Runaway Bay, Blazek has been the heartbeat of his side’s forward pack.
Leaning off everything former Cronulla NRL premiership winner Sam Tagataese can teach him, the Hornets lock will now seek to get one over his Burleigh rival in the number 13 jumper.
Bears lock Lochlyn Sheldon broke through for his QCup debut last year, playing six games for five victories.
It was his staunch defence which perhaps stood out the most, missing just three tackles from 102 attempts in the state league.
Now Sheldon will be determined to win a spot back, and each performance will be one of impact. Blazek will need to be up for a true test to reignited Helensvale’s campaign.
Sam Tagataese (Hornets) vs Jayden Sharp (Bears)
After the Hornets won their round two clash against Currumbin, assistant coach Julius Kuresa said Sam Tagataese was still working his way back towards A-grade level fitness.
Against one of Burleigh’s most resilient men, the NRL champion will need to prove he has hit his stride.
While Tagataese has brought much needed leadership to the Helensvale ranks, Bears middle man Jayden Sharp has begun 2022 with a head of steam.
Starting at lock in round one against Southport, Sharp led the charge on every tackle and was constantly demanding more than one hit up a set in a commanding 72 minute display.
Given the injury history he has endured, the Burleigh gun is out to make up for lost time and will be eager to get one over his more experienced foe when they face off.
MUDGEERABA VS ORMEAU
Dallas Wells (Redbacks) vs Jack Rogers (Shearers)
Two past Burleigh competitors now line up for different teams, and each will be out to prove they still deserve a shot at the next level.
Redbacks halfback Dallas Wells, has not been sighted in the Bears Queensland Cup side since his debut appearance in 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic ended that campaign.
Even having trained alongside the Gold Coast Titans he has been unable to fight his way back into the mix, and will be out to do so for Mudgeeraba.
His composure in the number seven jumper was crucial in their round two win over Southport, scoring a pair of tries having missed his side’s opening round.
Ormeau halfback Jack Rogers made the jump to Ormeau from the Bears, and his efforts have been key in what has turned out to be an on-song attack.
In their defeat to Runaway Bay the Shearers were still able to score 26 points, backing up from the 42 they put on Helensvale.
Despite Ormeau’s round three match being postponed due to weather, Rogers is still second in the competition for points — trailing Tyler Han by two points, whose Seagulls have been afforded all three of their scheduled fixtures.
Jesse Malcolm (Redbacks) vs James Tutuila (Shearers)
These two props have the potential to make the ground shake if they come to blows.
In the Redbacks corner, Jesse Malcolm‘s late offload proving a nightmare for rival defences.
With plenty of size behind him, and a front-on running style which carries defenders in his wake, Malcolm has already been a handful in the early stages of 2022.
For the Shearers, James Tutuila’s two tries on his Ormeau debut in the opening round announced him as a man to watch among the competition’s forwards.
Wherever marquee recruit, hooker Issac Luke, runs Malcolm is there on his tail hunting for an opportunity to barge over close to the line.
If these big men go head to head on the field, anticipate a palpable battle.
CURRUMBIN VS TUGUN
Noah Croudace (Eagles) vs Fetuli Talanoa (Seahawks)
A youngster eager to make an impression before a potential representative crack will get no better challenge Gold Coast rugby league than in his forthcoming battle against Tugun.
Currumbin centre Noah Croudace has been chosen in the Vikings squad on the back of an impressive start to the season which his coach Matt Geyer labelled “meteoric”.
Geyer said often Croudace would employ a “brutal" style of rugby league, disregarding the size of his rivals as he sought to take the task head on.
But size will be an immediately noticeable factor on Sunday when he takes on Fetuli Talanoa.
He may be 34 now, but Talanoa has still shone plenty of signs to suggest he has the same hard hitting and damaging potential that led him to a trio of Test caps for Tonga.
Backed with 223 games of first-grade between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Hull F.C, Talanoa’s influence coming out of the Seahawks end has been key to their strong start to the season.
Talanoa may have the experience, but given Croudace’s approach and desire to make a statement this could be the battle that decides the contest.
Jakob Smith (Eagles) vs Kody Parsons (Seahawks)
Another pair of Vikings hopefuls will battle it out on Sunday.
Smith has been an Eagles clubman for the best part of five years, having moved from the New South Wales bush in pursuit of greater competition.
While he came as a centre in the under-18s, he has since transitioned to the forward pack and established himself as a “dominant player” for Geyer’s side.
For Parsons, himself a former centre, this season and the upcoming Vikings games present the chance to push back into Queensland Cup reckoning.
With 18 Tweed Seagulls appearances to his name, the last in 2020, the 24-year-old will be out to show his time in the backrow could be a masterstroke for the teams he plays for and his career as a whole.
This match up could decide who wins the Vikings jumper.
Originally published as Huge Southport omissions keep Runaway Bay Seagulls wary: Eight battles to decide RLGC Round 4
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