The try-scoring prop

Nate Peteru is one of the many little known NRL squad members around the competition; the guys who are on base contracts and have to work hard to try to establish a future in the game.

The 24-year-old prop came here right on the June 30 registration deadline last year from the Warriors, hoping for better opportunity in the NRL.

He played four NRL matches last season, scoring a try on debut against Manly in round 18, and was chosen for our Auckland Nines squad this February which gave him good encouragement that 2016 was going to be good for him.

But a knee injury in the tournament set him back and it was round seven before he again took the field, for Burleigh Bears in the Intrust Super Cup, by which time David Shillington, Ryan James, Luke Douglas, newcomer Leivaha Pulu and Peteru’s former Warriors teammate Agnatius Paasi had established themselves as the up-front men in the Titans line-up.

However, this Saturday in the Bears’ clash with Northern Pride, Nathaniel (but everyone calls him Nate) he will play on consecutive weekends for the first time in 2016 as a key man in Jim Lenihan’s in-form side.

And he has shown that his NRL debut try was not out of character with four tries in his three appearances for the Bears – giving him the best try-scoring strike-rate of any Titans player in any grade this season.

“It will be good to play consecutive games for the first time this weekend; I feel I’m starting to get into the swing of things now,” Nate said.

“I played my first game then had to miss the next because of an abductor injury, then after one more game there was the bye because of the rep weekend, and then I played my third game last weekend.

“It has been a bit of a bumpy road but looking to get on track for the rest of the season.

“It was a tough period mentally after I got injured. I did a good pre-season and was as fit as I had been, so to pick up injury at Nines was frustrating.

“But I feel I’m getting some consistent footy under my belt now.

“It has been really good back at Burleigh, Jim Lenihan is great to play for, and I can’t speak highly enough of my teammates in welcoming me.

“I know I’m playing for a contract for next year so I want to show some good form and earn that. I risked a lot coming here but I have enjoyed it and I want to repay the faith Neil and the coaching staff have shown in me.”

Bears coach Jim Lenihan likes Peteru’s big frame and aggression which has given a powerful pack and extra dimension. But he also likes his attitude.

“Nate’s been really good for us and been getting better every week as he gets more match fitness,” he said.

“He came off the bench and played 60 minutes straight against the Jets which has been his longest stint.

“He just focuses on running hard and tackling hard and he has come up with a few tries doing that too.

“His fitness level is getting back up to NRL standard and he has shown that there is no doubt he’s a good back up for Neil’s middle men as he gets more games under his belt.

“But what I like about him too is that he has come back from the NRL squad and has really bought into what we’re trying to achieve at Burleigh and gelled well with his teammates, where some NRL players struggle with that, so that’s a real credit to him too.”

The Bears are lying third on the table still after a strong 30-18 win against the unconventional Ipswich Jets, last year’s premiers, their seventh win of the season and fourth straight away from Pizzey Park.

With the Jets throwing all of their now famous flair and unconventional play at the Bears, Jim Lenihan was pleased with his side’s mental application in defence.

“It was always going to be dangerous game. I don’t think (Ipswich) have had many home games up until this point,” Lenihan said.  

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Seagulls winger David Sheridan has developed quite a cult following at Piggabeen with his head-gear and slight frame but pace and evasive skills.

He picked up three tries in the Gull’s 22-16 win against Sunshine Coast Falcons which gave them three successive wins after a lean patch.

Sheridan got on the board early in the match played a Piggabeen which the Seagulls and how now scored at least six tries in his past three outings for the Seagulls.

The Sunshine Coast finished strongly in the match, but it was not enough, as they had given the Gulls too much of a head-start at their home ground, with Tweed Heads taking a 16-4 lead into the half-time break.

TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 22 (David Sheridan 3, Samuel Irwin tries; Sam Meskell 3 goals) def SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS 16 (Rowan Klein 2, Pat Hollis, Samuel Wright tries) at Piggabeen Sports.

BURLEIGH BEARS 30 (Pat Politoni, Jamal Fogarty, Nathaniel Peteru, Cameron Cullen tries; Jamal Fogarty 7 goals) def IPSWICH JETS 18 (Josh Robinson 2, Carlin Anderson tries; Haydan Lipp 3 goals) at North Ipswich Reserve.

TEAMS:

BURLEIGH BEARS: Kurtis Rowe, Connor Broadhurst, Sami Sauiluma, Nathan Davis, Oliver Regan, Daniel Schwass, Jamal Fogarty, Luke Page, Pat Politoni, Paterika Vaivai, Louis Fanene, Hayden Schwass, Lachlan Burr. Interchange: Thomas Rowles, Jeff Lynch Josh Ailaomai, Jarrod Tua.

TWEED SEAGULLS: Shannon Walker, David Sheridan, Shaun Carney, John OIive, Leva Li, Sam Irwin, Mitchell Burgess, Will Bugden, Sam Meskell, Mitch Sharp, Matt Robinson, Cory Blair, Sam Saville. Interchange: Karl Lawton, Blake Anderson, Dane Clarke, Jarrod Morphett.

THIS WEEKEND:

Burleigh Bears play Northern Pride in Atherton, 7pm Saturday.

Tweed Seagulls play Wynnum Manly at Piggabeen at 2pm Sunday.

To watch the highlights of the Bears-Jets clash, click this link: http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2016/05/15/bears_down_jets_to_c.html

To watch the Seagulls-Falcons clash, click this link: http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2016/05/16/highlights_rd10_twee.html

INTRUST SUPER CUP LADDER