Eagles swoop into playoffs

Bilambil Jet Wade Hall shows his strength against the odds.

CRYSTAL SPENCER

BILAMBIL Jets may have beaten Currumbin 29-10 at Bilambil yesterday but it was the gutsy 10 points the Eagles scored in the final 10 minutes that kept the Eagles’ Bycroft Cup hopes alive.

“Currumbin had a 10-point better differential points difference than Parkwood and it was this difference that allowed the Eagles to finish fifth,” Gold Coast Rugby League operations manager Tom Marzella said.

After 69 minutes at Bilambil yesterday, the Jets looked certain of victory but Currumbin were still playing for fifth spot and a place in next weekend’s playoffs.

Currumbin five-eighth Michael Burgess scored near the left upright in the 70th minute with halfback Trent Iselin landing the conversion and then in the 76th minute winger Nick Daley crossed for a four-pointer to keep the Eagles alive.

Bilambil’s win guarantee them second spot and they will now take on the Tugun Seahawks in the qualifying final at Bilambil next Sunday.

The Jets’ victory meant they won all three grades, securing Bilambil the club championship.

“It’s great news for our whole club, including the under-17s who frequently stepped up a grade to help the club out,” Jets president Peter Rigney said.

“We have been in the Gold Coast league for three seasons and we are a small club battling without the help of a licenced club, so were a pleased to win this coveted championship.”

Tough defence was a feature of the first half with the rival packs tearing into each other with hard tackles often punctuating play.

It was the Bilambil quick play-the-balls and repeated runs through the forwards that more than kept the rugged Currumbin defence honest.

In the 25th minute, benchman James Marcus made a spirited break before passing to winger Guy Lanston who beat three defenders on his way to the tryline.

Pivot Matt Nuttall booted the conversion to give the Jets a 6-0 lead.

Two minutes before the break, Nuttall landed a field goal but the Jets continued their momentum when back- rower Wade Hall made a 45 metre break before being pulled down.

From the next play-the-ball, lock Tom Dawney found a gap and sent the ball inside to fullback Drew Langston who scored near the posts, providing Nuttall with an easy conversion attempt for a 13-0 lead.

The Jets continued their roll in the second half, lock Tom Dawney sprinting 80 metres to score out wide in the 56th minute. Four minutes later, hooker and captain Andrew Cross burrowed over from dummy half. Nuttall added the extras before scoring a try of his own just five minutes later for the Jest to lead 29-0.

With the match finished as a contest, Currumbin raced in two late tries.