Kelly's return the good in the bad

ISelect Titans back-rower Tom Kingston admitted Tweed Heads Seagulls ruined their chances of staving off the PNG Hunters and cementing a finals spot against second-placed Easts Tigers yesterday with a 50 per cent completion rate in the 36-4 hammering.

After winning 13 straight games the Seagulls have now suffered three straight defeats but there was good news on the day in the return of Titans halfback Albert Kelly.

Kelly played the entire match after starting in the centres and came through well.

Fortunately the Hunters went down 28-10 to third-placed Wynnum Manly which means if they beat last-placed Sunshine Coast this weekend, Seagulls should wrap up fifth spot and a place in the minor semi-final, although victory yesterday would have given them fourth place and a chance of leap-frogging Wynnum into third.

Meanwhile, a solid effort by Burleigh Bears in pouring rain saw them beat Souths Logan Magpies 20-6 at Pizzey Park on Saturday.

“We completed at 45 per cent in the first half and 55 per cent in the second and you can’t win with those stats, especially against a good side like Easts,” said Kingston who made three appearances for the Titans this season.

“And we missed something like 50 tackles too. We have to get switched back on again if we want to make something of the season.”

Kelly tentatively returned to the field after a long lay-off with a serious of leg injuries but benefitted from the work out, while Titans under-20s co-captain Jahrome Hughes was impressive in senior company while filling in for the injured Jamal Fogarty.

The Bears’ defence was much more solid than their Seagulls counterparts in the greasy conditions on Saturday.

The Magpies had plenty of possession and spent a large part of the game attacking Burleigh’s line, but the Bears wouldn’t let them through and frustrated them out of the contest.

“Defence generally is a big indicator of your attitude and today it was spot on,” Bears coach Jim Lenihan said.

“Defence is all about attitude more than a skillset. If you turn up with the right attitude defence tends to follow.

“We needed that after last week’s poor effort, to bounce back with the right attitude at home. Like I keep saying, it’s about winning the support from our followers and that kind of defensive effort will do that.”

Halfback Tyler Chadburn had one of his strongest performances of the season while Shane Gray stood out in the back row as did Shaun Maloney off the bench.

Lenihan praised the efforts of Gray as well as five-eighth Daniel Schwass and lock Jake Hughes (both called up from the Colts) who were new additions to the team.

“I think they gave that bit of added enthusiasm that we lacked last week,” he said. “Enthusiasm is contagious. The rest of the boys really fed off that.”

Earlier in the day the Bears Colts went down 19-16. It was the minor premiers’ first loss since round three.

BURLEIGH BEARS 20 (Tyler Chadburn, Shaun Maloney, Jamie Anderson tries; Tyler Chadburn 3, Daniel Schwass goals) def SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES 6 (Herschel Gideon try; Patrick Mago goal) at Pizzey Park.

EASTS TIGERS 40 (Richie Kennar 3, Jarrod McInally 2, Cody Walker 2, Shane Neumann, Troy Giess tries; Cameron Munster, Cody Walker goals) def TWEED HEADS SEAGULLS 4 (Blake Anderson try) at Langlands Park.

LADDER

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