Searing Seagulls are landed

iSelect Titans feeder team Tweed Heads Seagulls’ incredible 12-match winning streak ended in Cairns yesterday when they played Northern Pride in a curtain-raiser to the NRL clash between South Sydney and Newcastle.

However, they fought right to the last minute to keep their sequence going after fighting back from 22-6 to 22-18 against the competition leaders, pushing the Pride’s line and searching for the winning try in the final two minutes.

Injuries in the Titans squad saw only two of our contracted players, Sam Irwin and Jamal Fogarty, play the match after Tom Kingston, in Townsville with the NRL squad of 19, was ruled out with an ankle complaint.

The Pride shot to an 18-6 half-time lead but were rocked by game-ending injuries to Alex Starmer (ankle), Javid Bowen (ribs), and Ben Jeffries (arm).

But the 14 men left standing hung on bravely against a fast-finishing Seagulls outfit, after scoring their first two tries in the opening nine minutes.

The Seagulls were on the board after 18 minutes when interchange player Ayden Lee powered through a gap to reduce the arrears to 12-6.

But Pride are made of stern stuff and hit back immediately as halfback Sam Obst produced a darting  run from 10m to extend the Pride's advantage.

Unfortunately for the hosts the injuries kept coming as Bowen and then interchange debutant Jeffries were both forced from the field before half-time.

This meant Pride would be down to 14 men for the entire second half and Tweed Heads sensed the Far North Queensland side's vulnerability.

The visitors started to play much more aggressively and Seagulls captain Matt King and Pride counterpart Jason Roos were both sent to the bin after a scuffle between both sides.

On 54 minutes, Pride looked to have put the game to bed as Crampton scored his second with a 60m intercept try to push the hosts' lead out to 22-6.

But this only served to inspire Tweed Heads as tries from back-rower Cory Blair and prop Damian Sironen set up a showdown finish.

Centre James Wood, who was dangerous all afternoon, twice went close for the Seagulls in the dying minutes.

But it was all in vain as Pride bravely held on and edged closer to their second straight minor premiership. 

The Titans’ other feeder team, Burleigh Bears, had the bye.

NORTHERN PRIDE 22 (Davin Crampton 2, Lincoln Port, Sam Obst tries; Shaun Nona 3 goals) def TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 18 (Damian Sironen, Cory Blair, Ayden Lee tries; Jamal Fogarty 3 goals) at Barlow Park.

Tweed Heads Seagulls: 1. Jamal Fogarty 2. Blake Anderson 3. Luke Dumas 4. James Wood (c) 18. Steve Gillett 6. Sam Irwin 7. Michael Burgess 8. Pele Peletelese 9. Matt King (c) 10. Damian Sironen 11. Cory Blair 12. Chris Piper 13. Sam Saville 14. Ricardo Parata 15. Trent Richardson 16. Ayden Lee 17. Reg Saunders 

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