The veteran was hellbent on hanging up the boots after last year’s preliminary final defeat, with the birth of his child convincing him it was time to focus on life off the field.

However the Eagles junior was quick to receive a call from coach Matt Geyer, originally telling the former Melbourne Storm champion he was done before conceding and returning to his junior club.

While Burgess said he originally only agreed to one more campaign before calling time, the youth of the Eagles outfit could entice him to go around again.

That young exuberance was on show in Currumbin’s 36-6 season opening win over Helensvale, with every try scorer no older than 24.

“I wasn’t going to play, me and my missus had a baby in September so I said I’d give up and concentrate on us,” Burgess said.

“He (Geyer) enticed me to come back, they had a good young side who needed an older halfback and he’s good with his words and just pushed.

“I said no to him at the start, before Christmas, a then over the Christmas break I had a think about it and (my partner) said if you want to go back I’m all for it.

“I said I’d go around for one more year, but don’t know, I’ll see how this year goes — they (the squad) remind me of when I first came through Currumbin. If they can get their hands on the ball as much as possible it makes my job a bit easier.

“They’re so good on their feet, I just need to get them the ball as much as possible and the front rowers roll through the middle – all I need to do is get a good kick in at the end.”

Burgess will meet his former Seahawks teammates for the first time on Sunday afternoon, having spent three season wearing the blue jersey which included a grand final defeat in 2021.

It will be against a Tugun outfit who have undergone a dramatic player turnover, with the former Tweed Seagull’s close mate and traditional hooker Will Johnstone taking over the halfback duties.

Alongside him in the halves will be Jack Rogers, whose goal kicking saved his new side in a 24-all draw with Runaway Bay — despite scoring four tries to the Seagulls’ six.

His try also continued a rich run of form from last season, in which he finished equal fourth of the scorers tally with 10 while playing for Ormeau.

Burgess said Currumbin would be out to target Rogers to limit the kick pressure he could create, while doing his utmost to prevent new fullback Kyle Williams from gaining too much possession.

The Gold Coast Viking replaced 2022 star Zac Beecher in the number one jumper having made the move from Mudgeeraba in the pre-season, and Burgess said while he expected to be a Seahawks’ target he would not be out to do the same to Williams.

“It’ll be hard to replace Zac Beecher, he was our best player, but Kyle is probably just as fast as him and just has skilful with his hands, so you think they lose someone and they gain someone who’s just as good,” Burgess said.

“They picked up probably five or six new players as well and they’re all very talented so it’ll be a good hit out.

“They’ll be very strong. With my mate Willy Johnstone at halfback … he’s always been a hooker so it’ll be a good little battle — he’s already into me.

“They’ll be going me for sure.”

Currumbin 36 (B Desmond 2, R Jones, J Busby. W Ingleby, L Smith tries; Z Johnson six goals) defeated Helensvale 6 (L Clark try; C Pirihi goal)

Tugun 24 (S Torrens, J Rogers, B Midson, K Murphy tries; J Rogers four goals) drew with Runaway Bay 24 (J Ward 2, E Kane, M Canning, W Smith, Name Unavailable tries)

Burleigh 26 (Name Unavailable 2, Sharp, M Walit, T Eveleigh, T McIntosh tries’ T McIntosh goal) defeated Southport 18 (Name Unavailable 2, M Oldfield, B Scott tries; J Rio goal)

Burleigh lock Jayden Sharp issued a reminder to Queensland Cup coach Luke Burt of his abilities, as he helped inspire his side to their dose of grand final revenge.

Sharp and his teammates were on the receiving end of a 40-0 demolition job against Southport in last year’s decider, however they were quick to shake that off to open their season with a 26-18 victory over the Tigers.

The determined forward cast a turmultuous period behind him last year, having come off a 2021 campaign marred by an ACL injury, to make his QCup debut for the Bears.

He went on to play four games, averaging 70 running metres and 16 tackles a game, and his start to the year will no doubt remind state team selectors of the depth they have beneath them.

The Bears were humbled in their first QCup defeat of the season, with no forward registering 100 run metres in the 38-10 defeat to the Sunshine Coast Falcons, making Sharp’s form all the more timely.

Music icon’s nephew debuts, battles to watch: RLGC Round 1 analysed (April 14)

The Rugby League Gold Coast season is upon us, and the chance to battle for premiership glory begins.

Here we break down each Round 1 match up, and where we believe each contest will be won.

CURRUMBIN VS HELENSVALE

Currumbin coach Matt Geyer has declared this could be the year Reegan Creedy announced himself as one of Rugby League Gold Coast’s leading middle men, while revealing the nephew of an Australian music icon will make his debut on the Glitter Strip.

The Eagles will launch their 2023 account against Helensvale on Saturday, with Creedy tasked to partner captain Jarrod Gill and set the tone from the opening hit up.

Geyer said as his side lost the likes of seasoned veterans Ben Hannant and Pele Peletelese at various stages throughout the season, to was Creedy who was required to regularly step up.

Having endured that “baptism of fire”, and with Peletelese announcing his retirement, the Currumbin mentor challenged his young prop to find another gear for the campaign ahead.

“We’ve got a bunch of outside backs who are fast, young and fit, but you can’t do that without wining the middle and I’m really excited about our big front rower Reegan Creedy,” Geyer said.

“He had a baptism of fire last year because we lost Pele and Benny Hannant, so he took on that role being Gilly’s partner and he was fantastic.

“He came of age against Tugun when he beat them 4-0 at home and he took on a pack that was really good, so I think he’ll take on a senior role this year.

“He knows he’s the number 10 and starting most games if he’s fit and ready.”

Geyer confirmed a host of rookies would be making their debuts in the red and white jumper, with versatile rugby union converts Harry Ball and Tyler Gilbert set to earn maiden stints off the bench.

However it is former St Brendan’s College star James Busby who may come into the season with the highest raps, and he is set to partner returning club junior Michael Burgess in the halves.

Busby, the nephew of Thomas Busby of music duo Busby Marou, has made the move from Rockhampton and is tipped to unseat Geyer’s son, Nash, for the five-eighth role — the latter expected to move into a bench utility role.

Geyer said the experience of Burgess, a stalwart of the Tugun Seahawks and former Tweed Seagulls Queensland Cup halfback, would act as the perfect foil to Busby’s energy in the number six.

He said the youngster had impressed from the outset, having trained with the Burleigh Bears’ QCup squad in the pre-season.

“He’s come back to us and I can’t say anything negative, he’s an energetic kid who wants to go to that next level. He’ll learn a lot off Burgo and having a really settled old sole to compose him,” Geyer said.

“He (Burgess) has such a controlled temperate, he’s obviously a seasoned veteran and he probably knows the competition better than anyone.

“He’s added a lot of confidence to the people around him. He’s very simple and direct, and also it’s a bit of a load off the coach.

“He’s going to know the opposition a lot better, he’s played against these guys for years.”

KEY PLAYER BATTLE: Tyler Creecy (Currumbin) vs Bailey Court (Helensvale)

While the halves battle between Burgess and Hornets gun Campbell Pirihi will prove an enticing prospect, the clash of the hookers could be what makes or breaks the contest.

Currumbin star Tyler Creecy made an immediate impression last season, earning a Gold Coast Vikings call up for the way in which he threw himself into each tackle.

A crafty dummy half who punches well above his weight, Geyer admitted last year he initially felt inclined to try and easy Creecy into A-grade off the bench for his own safety, given the fearless nature he played with.

However he need not have worried, and now the youngster would don the number nine jumper for as long as he wanted it.

“He’s amazing, he’s so fit and he’s going to go be able to go to another level,” Geyer said.

“He’s tough as nails, his energy out of dummy half is amazing and he’s working on his game which is really nice to see.

“I want him to run the ball more and he’s working on his kicking game.”

Creecy’s rival in the other corner, Bailey Court, will meanwhile come into the season on the back of a pre-season training opportunity with the Tweed Seagulls.

Court has been no stranger to these training camps, having done so with Burleigh and Brisbane Tigers in the past.

And his father, Hornets president Wayne Court, said his son still harboured ambitions to make it to the next level.

“He’d sill like to, obviously he’ll be registered with us as well but still has aspirations to play Cup,” Court told NewsCorp in January.

“He’s been at a couple of places but he’s been stuck (Burleigh and Easts) … but he’s busting his guts.”

TUGUN VS RUNAWAY BAY

Tugun coach Clint Barends has challenged forwards duo Tim Wolens and Blake Midson to find another gear, as his side seek to cover several key losses in 2023.

The Seahawks have endured a mass player turnover from their past campaign, during which they fell to Burleigh in the preliminary final 18-16.

Joint representative players of the year Zac Beecher and Matthew Koellner have moved on, as have the likes of Tim Cassidy, Michael Burgess and Juwaan Terekia.

Given the host of changes Barends backline will undergo, the veteran coach has called on his forward pack to set the standard and give his new look attacking arsenal the chance to thrive.

That is where Wolens and Midson come to the fore, with the pair now 12 months on from their respective returns to rugby league.

“I’m more looking for a couple of blokes who joined last year in Timmy Wolens and Blake Midson (to step up),” Barends said.

“They came last year and had their first year of footy in three years. They played at Ormeau together, went through Covid and didn’t end up playing then we got them last year.

“They’re training the house down at the moment so I’m looking forward to seeing those two and how much they’ve improved by being back in contact with the game.”

The loss of Beecher will prove particularly tough to cover, given the influence the crafty fullback had on both sides of the ball.

The addition of 2022 leading point scorer Jack Rogers will prove crucial as he offsets the loss of Burgess, with the number one jersey to be donned by Kyle Williams.

Williams was set to be one of the Mudgeeraba Redbacks’ co-captains in 2023, before financial struggles and player depth issues caused the club to withdraw from the A-grade competition.

And with the need to replace plenty of strike out wide, Barends has sought young gun Caleb Hodges to fill the void, while Solomon Torrens takes his place at lock.

The duo have both featured in the Tweed Seagulls system, with former Future Titan Hodges going on to play four Queensland Cup games since his 2020 debut.

“Unfortunately Zac has gone back home, he took a job back in Ballina and the distance was too far at this stage,” Barends said.

“He’s a big loss, he’s a massive loss. He’s been terrific for us in the last two years and we didn’t see that one coming. It’s no one’s fault, but he’ll be a hard man to replace.

“Tim Cassidy is gone as well … Juwaan Terekia is gone, he’s concentrating on the MMA at this stage. It’s massive for us, especially the outside backs where we’ve been so strong, but the guys we’ve got coming in like Caleb Hodges and Jack Rogers and a few others I think they’ll be more than capable of helping us out.”

KEY PLAYER BATTLE: Kyle Williams (Tugun) vs John Mackin (Runaway Bay)

Williams was praised last season within the Mudgeeraba ranks for his communication out the back, and that could prove crucial against a Runaway Bay outfit known for their flair in attack.

The fullback has made the move to Tugun to replace Beecher, and his strong running game as well as ability to dictate where his defensive unit lines up could make or break the contest.

However the Seagulls will have their own maestro in the number one jersey in John Mackin, who has fended off a challenge from Queensland Cup legend Kurtis Rowe to take the job for coach Nick Gleeson’s side.

Mackin played just four games last year due to other commitments, not playing enough matches to qualify for the finals.

Of those four he played, Runaway Bay won each.

While games are typically won through the middle, which fullback stands up could ultimately provide the x-factor needed to change the context of the clash.

SOUTHPORT VS BURLEIGH

Southport powerhouse Eni Folau has been rewarded for his emphatic 2022 campaign with the Tigers captaincy, and the yellow and black unit prepare for a grand final rematch with Burleigh.

Folau took little time last season to establish himself as one of the leading props on the Gold Coast, proving to be a genuine try scoring threat with the number 13 on his back.

The former Parramatta Eels under-20s lock finished the premiership-winning year with eight tries to his name, equally the likes of Tugun sensation Samiu Latu, Redbacks flyer Te Rangiatea McDonald and Bears winger Michael Walit.

Folau will lead a star-studded line up into the season opener on Sunday afternoon, with his fellow wrecking ball through the middle in former Norths Devils Queensland Cup winner Piki Re Ora Rogers reclaiming the number eight jersey.

Tongan international Sione Katoa and former NRL grand final player with the Melbourne Storm, Cheyse Blair, have also been named in the game day squad, with past South Sydney Rabbitohs under-20s centre Jack Frasca making his Southport debut.

It will mark a stern test for new Bears coach Clay Harris, who replaces outgoing premiership coach Matt Foster.

Foster brought up 100 A-grade games last season for Burleigh, and will now spearhead the club’s colts outfit in the Hasting Deerings competition.

“I just felt I needed a new stimulus for me as a coach a slightly different angle and tact and working with younger developing athletes is different in many ways,” Foster said.

“You’ve got a different demographic and I like the challenge of transitioning those young men into the adults in a semi elite performance area as opposed to coming out of junior football space.”

The Bears could get the chance to roll out new recruit Matthew Koellner, who left the Seahawks for a chance to crack the Queensland Cup side.

He was been named out 18th man for the Burleigh clash against the Sunshine Coast Falcons on Saturday, while the returning Toby McIntosh will replace the outgoing Kurtis Rowe at fullback.

KEY PLAYER BATTLE: Blake Scott (Southport) vs Jordan Scott (Burleigh)

The brothers will go into battle again.

While Blake Scott was lifting the premiership trophy for the Tigers, Jordan Scott was nursing a dislocated shoulder that cruelled him of the chance to take to Cbus Super Stadium.

In the end the yellow and black brigade charged to a 40-0 win, and the Bears will no doubt be out for early season revenge.

Both Scott brothers have plenty of Queensland Cup experience behind them — Blake having played nine games for Tweed last year to following four appearance for Souths Logan, while Jordan has compiled 40 appearances between the Magpies and Bears.

The pair bring similar traits into their respective sides; both defensive workhorses and both with the vision to identify try scoring opportunities for their forward pack near the line.

Blake has earned the chance to start Sunday’s clash over former Panthers and Bulldogs NRL gun Katoa, and will be eager to get one up over his older brother.

nick.wright@news.com.au