Burleigh Bears to benefit from added experience in bid to return to Rugby League Gold Coast finals

Burleigh will turn to a more experienced core to rebound from a rare failure to make the Rugby League Gold Coast play-offs last season.

BURLEIGH will turn to a more experienced core to rebound from a rare failure to make the Rugby League Gold Coast play-offs last season.

The Bears fielded a remarkably young squad under Stuart Wilkins in 2018 and ultimately could not recover from a slow start, despite charging home at the back end of the regular season.

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For a team that had played in the previous three RLGC deciders, it was an eerie feeling to be sitting on the sidelines come September.

The man who guided them to the 2015 premiership, Matt Foster, has returned to the A-grade post as part of a coaching reshuffle.

Foster admits being one of three teams to miss the cut did sting.

Stuart Wilkins with Toby McIntosh at the 2018 Rugby League Gold Coast season launch. Picture: Mike Batterham

“It does a little bit but I think everyone is fully understanding kind of where that was last year,” he said.

“We had a very, very young side that were kind of learning to play against men I suppose and in that sense, by the end of the year we had a lot of success out of those guys being exposed to open-age adult football as opposed to 18s or 20s.

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“You want to be playing in all finals but at Burleigh we understand QCup are the top team. The A-grade team, we want to be successful and everyone is proud of the fact of when they are, but there is a progression of making footballers out of players and good men out of players too.”

Conner Toia is among the more experienced crew to join Burleigh, having played a vital role in Runaway Bay’s RLGC premiership triumph last year. Picture: Jerad Williams

Part of that progression, he said, was to play at A-grade level instead of age-capped divisions if a player was the best person available in that position, to help prepare them for ISC footy.

While youngsters like halves Matt Egan and Taine Tuaupiki have impressed all pre-season, the Bears may find their biggest benefit – for the short-term at least – in having some older heads around the RLGC group.

Among the recruits that tick that box are Sam Saville, Conner Toia, Oliver Percy, Gene Ropoama and Brett Stratton, who has returned to the club from an overseas stint.

“There will be a little bit more experience there,” Foster agreed.

Burleigh and Tweed Heads will play off in trial games across various levels, including ISC, on Saturday at the Bears’ junior fields.

Kurtis Rowe will have the No.1 on his back this weekend. Picture: AAP Image

Burleigh ISC trial team: 1. Kurtis Rowe, 2. Troy Leo, 3. Sami Sauiluma, 4. Josh Berkers, 5. Tyronne Roberts-Davis, 6. Matt Egan, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Luke Page, 9. Pat Politoni, 10. Jack Buchanan, 11. Apiata Noema, 12. Hayden Schwass, 13. Sam Coster. Interchange: 14. Hayden Hansen, 15. Jesse Savage, 16. Josh Ailaomai, 17. Jeff Lynch.

Kalani Going. Picture: SMP Images

Tweed Heads ISC trial team: 1. Talor Walters, 2. Tevita Folau, 3. Kody Parsons, 4. Lamar Liolevave, 5. Ryland Jacobs, 6. Lindon McGrady, 7. Luke Jurd, 8. Shane Gillham, 9. Jack Cook, 10. Harrison Hughes, 11. Kalani Going, 12. Jaleel Seve, 13. Kirk Murphy. Interchange: 14. Liam Hampson, 15. Bayley Faull, 16. Dan Palavi, 17. Mike Gray.