[B]Seagulls ready for Piggabeen return[/B]

[TITAN PETE]

Luke Turgeon | April 2nd, 2011


TWEED Heads Seagulls will make a highly anticipated return to their traditional home at Piggabeen tomorrow when they host Mackay.

The Intrust Super Cup clash will headline a massive afternoon for the century-old club, which will see all four senior grades in action.

The last time the Seagulls played at Piggabeen, they won the state league premiership in 2007.

After three lean years at Cudgen, the return has reinvigorated the proud club, who are unbeaten after the opening two rounds.

"It used to be a bit of a fortress for the club and in going to Cudgen, we seemed to lose a bit of our home-game support," Seagulls coach Ben Anderson said.

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"Cudgen is a good venue but it wasn't home.

"This is back to our real home now, around the corner from our leagues club, so there is definitely a good feeling around the place that we once again have a place of our own."

Tweed Heads have secured $85,000 from the State Government to complete the first stage of upgrades at Piggabeen, which include new corporate facilities.

The Seagulls also boast their most competitive playing roster in recent memory and unprecedented depth following the decision to withdraw their reserve-grade side from the FOGS Cup to play in the Gold Coast's Bycroft Cup.

"We have got a really good group of players here this year," Anderson said.

"The depth we have and competition for spots is something we haven't had in my time here and from what I can tell, beforehand as well.

"We have got sides there now from under-7s right up to the Queensland Cup with a feeder side in the Gold Coast comp.

"Kids from the Tweed don't have to leave home to have a shot."

Meanwhile, Paul Bramley hopes the challenge of winning at Dolphin Oval can inspire the Burleigh Bears tomorrow after learning co-captain Scott Smith will miss the remainder of the 2011 Intrust Super Cup.

Smith suffered a horse-shoe tear of the meniscus in last weekend's 20-all draw with Ipswich, forcing Bears coach Bramley to shift backrower Kurt Sorensen into dummy-half with Matt Pow moving to lock.

But Bramley, who has never won as a coach at Dolphin Oval, said it was an opportunity for his players to assume control.

"Redcliffe were clinical (in beating Easts last weekend) and they were very professional which is a typical John Dixon-coached team," Bramley said. "If we complete our sets and go set for set we can turn it into a contest but if we make the errors we've made in recent weeks they'll turn it into points."

[dee13]

I am going down o Piggabeen this afternoon. Should be a good build up to next weeks Cowboys V Titans match. Cowboys players Ben Jones and Grant Rovelli playing for Cutters and a host of past and presant Titans contracted players playing for Tweed.