Burleigh Bears v Wynnum Manly Seagulls

2007 Wizard Queensland Cup Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Australia > Queensland > State/Metropolitan Level Competition: Wizard Queensland Cup

Wynnum Manly 24 def Burleigh 12
Sun August 19, 2007
Source: www.qrl.com.au

Wynnum Manly has finished the Wizard Cup season on a high, defeating Burleigh 24-12 at Pizzey Park in a fight for pride.

The victory gave the Seagulls their fourth win of their last six games for the year, scoring three tries and six goals in a tight affair.

Sadly for Burleigh veteran Adam Hayden, the result put a dampener on his last game in the competition, having announced his retirement on match eve.

Once described by Arthur Beetson as more talented than Darren Lockyer in his youth, Hayden has faced a tough battle with injuries throughout his career, only recently returning from a broken hand.

The 30-year-old Tweed junior played NRL for the Sydney Roosters, Manly Sea Eagles and Northern Eagles before spending the past seven seasons with Burleigh, winning a premiership in 2004.

Hayden almost escaped with a fitting farewell, after scores were locked 12-all at halftime. However, Wynnum Manly showed the type of poise and patience that could have been advantageous earlier in the season, grafting out the win.

In fact, the Seagulls secured all three grades on the day to boost their spirits, remaining alive for the finals of both the FOGS Cup and FOGS Colts Challenge.

The victory in first grade came minus Jim Ahmat (leg), Darren Bain (rib) and Kurtis Curry (ankle), all late withdrawals from the programmed team.

After being demoted earlier in the week, Paoa Faamita was recalled and scored a try, while Kerry Smith and Fili Sofa were also elevated.

"We played pretty well; nice and tough," Seagulls coach Shane McNally enthused.

"The side aimed up and hardly made any mistakes. We defended well and the completion rate was high. Burleigh's renowned for its line speed and they were in our face all game, but we didn't push things?just slowly built to where we needed to be."

After a club record 62 tackles against Souths Logan a week earlier, Simon Phillips was again a standout, assuming the captaincy in the absence of Bain. Prop Ben Czislowski also stood up to be counted, with rookies like Trent Clark and Chris McQueen continuing their progression.

"We're talking to players now and we're very keen to resign our younger players who've had some success in Colts these last few years," McNally revealed.

"Hopefully it will be a natural progression for them and they'll be playing finals football in a higher grade next year.

"I think we'll have a situation where we get more players from the Brisbane Broncos in 2008, but you have to plan ahead and cater for what happens without them. That will all become clearer at the end of the season."

Wynnum ends the season in ninth spot, one win behind seventh-placed Burleigh. In both encounters between the two clubs this year the Seagulls proved triumphant.

Burleigh has just one team left, with their FOGS Cup side finishing third and facing Ipswich in the first week of finals at QLD Group Stadium. Chief executive Adrian Vowles again strapped on the boots for the Bears' 'reggies'.

WYNNUM MANLY 24 (Tangi Ropati, Paoa Faamita, Shaun Daylight tries; Chris McQueen 3, Denny Lambert 3 goals) d BURLEIGH 12 (Liam Capewell, Alex Glenn tries; Martin Griese, Leigh Coghill goals) at Pizzey Park.

Report sent by: www.qrl.com.au

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