Affiliate wrap: Tough weekend for Titans’ Hostplus Cup sides

It proved a challenging Round 6 in the Hostplus Cup for the Gold Coast Titans’ affiliate clubs, with both the Tweed Seagulls and Ipswich Jets falling short in tightly contested clashes.

The Ipswich Jets were edged in a thriller, going down 26-24 to the PNG Hunters in Port Moresby.

Despite the narrow defeat, Titans players stood tall, led by Tony Francis who continued his strong start to the season.

The outside back crossed for a try and was a constant all day, racking up an impressive 212 running metres in another strong performance.

Max Feagai also made his presence felt, chalking up 144 metres and five tackle breaks in a powerful display on the edge, while the Jets pushed the Hunters all the way after leading at halftime.

Over in Mackay, the Tweed Seagulls were unable to go with the ladder-leading Cutters, falling 46-18 at BB Print Stadium.

The contest was evenly poised early, locked at 12-all at the break, before the Cutters piled on points in the second half to run away with the result.

Hooker Luke Sommerton put in a tireless shift for the full 80 minutes, continuing his consistent form in the middle despite the scoreboard.

Following Round 6, the Jets remain well placed in third on the ladder, while the Seagulls sit 11th as they look to build momentum in the coming weeks.

Attention now turns to Round 7, with Tweed set to host the Central Queensland Capras this Saturday on ANZAC Day, while Ipswich will look to bounce back when they face the Mackay Cutters on Sunday.