Round 7
Wynnum Manly Seagulls 22 drew Easts Tigers 22

2008 Wizard Queensland Cup Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats]

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

Tense Draw At Kougari
Sun April 27, 2008
Source: www.qrl.com.au

EASTS five-eighth Isaac Kaufmann summed up the general feeling around BMD Kougari Oval when he walked slowly from the field following the draw with Wynnum Manly.

"It's disappointing," Kaufmann said, reflecting on the 22-22 draw.

"We really needed to win this game."

Wynnum Manly players, and their long suffering supporters who again packed into the famous Chook Pen, would no doubt have shared similar sentiments.

In fact, the vocal Wynnum Manly supporters were probably even more frustrated than a "disappointed" Kaufmann and his Easts teammates.

After all, Wynnum Manly had led 16-0 in the first half following tries from Aoterangi Herangi, Matt Seamark and Luke Dalziel Don.

However, the Tigers clawed their back into the physical contest on the back of quick tries from Kaufmann and Liam Campbell.

Wynnum Manly again grabbed the ascendancy on the stroke of half-time when big Fili Sofa charged over for a try underneath the goal posts.

The converted try put the Seagulls in front 22-12 at the break.

But the Seagulls were kept scoreless in a gripping second half. The Tigers, led superbly by powerhouse young prop Fred Tila and backrower Marcus Jensen, needed only 20 minutes to level the score.

But neither side could break the deadlock in a tense final 20 minute period of the second half.

Both sides came within inches of scoring in the final 10 minutes.

"It sort of felt like we were getting close, but not close enough," Kaufmann said.

"We were getting a foot away from the line but we just couldn't get there."

Like the Tigers, an exhausted Wynnum Manly outfit came agonisingly close to sealing a match-winner.

Only some desperate last-ditch defence prevented nippy Seagulls halfback Matt Seamark from crossing near the posts in the final 10 minutes.

Seamark was one of the Seagulls' better performers but the most dangerous player on the park was the Tigers' Fred Tila.

The explosive young prop's power and speed regularly troubled the home team.

"He's only young so he's getting better every week," Kaufmann said of Tila.

"He keeps following Charlie (Tonga), running off Charlie a bit."

Easts managed to maintain their shaky grip on fifth place following today's draw.

But with Redcliffe hot on their heels, the Tigers can ill-afford to slip up against the Ipswich Jets at Langlands Park next Saturday.

"They're the form team, so if we can't rise for that we're in trouble," Kaufmann said.

Wynnum Manly sits one point behind the Tigers in seventh spot. The Seagulls have now recorded two draws in a mixed start to the season.

However, Shane McNally's charges remain just one win behind fourth-placed Burleigh and they could possibly jump two sides on the ladder with a victory over the Central Comets in Rockhampton on Saturday.

WYNNUM MANLY 22 (Matt Seamark, Luke Dalziel Don, Aorterangi Herangi, Fili Sofa tries; Matt Seamark 3 goals) drew EASTS TIGERS 22 (Luke Wright, Liam Campbell, Isaac Kaufmann, Tom MacGougan tries; Dane Campbell 3 goals) at BMD Kougari Oval.

News sent by: www.qrl.com.au

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