1995 The Year that was!

Round 1 – 12/3/95

Wynnum 22 d Wests 14 (Purtell Park)

The Wynnum Seagulls rugby league side defeated last year’s grand finalists Wests 22-14 in the first fixture of the 1995 XXXX Cup at Purtell Park on Sunday.  The Seagulls went to the lead in the sixth minute and were never headed although the Panthers kept coming back to restrict the margin in what was a very tough encounter.

Wynnum’s balanced forward pack, with a front row that is making “hard yards” and a back row with- mobility and ball skills, laid the foundation for the win.  Second rower Geoff Hassan, who has an instinct for the “main chance”, crossed for three of the Seagulls four tries.

In what must have been a difficult choice, the ABC TV man of the match went to Ricky Taylor.  Taylor has made the transition from centre to lock this season and had a hand in the lead-up work to the Seagulls’ tries.  Halfback Adam Francis played a role in the tries and organised play around the rucks.  

Wynnum’s outside backs did not get space to move with their opposites up quickly to interfere with the attack.  The bayside backs did a good job of muzzling a dangerous Panthers backline.

Five-eighth Ian Cash produced some deep tactical kicks which centre Dale Jensen chased to put Wests fullback Brett Schultz under pressure.  Jensen’s defence in general play was first rate white fullback Matt Olszewski chimed into the attack to score a try and kick three goals.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 22 (G.Hassen 3, M.Olszewski tries, Olszewski 3 goals) defeated Wests 14 (C.Elliott, M. McGuire tries, McGuire 3 goals).

 

Round 2 -19/3/95

Souths 32 d Wynnum 22 (Davies Park)

Souths had a major scare when they went to sleep in the second half of their clash with Wynnum Manly at Davies Park on the weekend, but still managed to take out the game 32 – 22.

A major second half lapse almost cost the Magpies after going to the halftime break with a commanding 22 – 2 lead.  Coach Chris Phelan is sure to set priorities at training to being complacent against any side for the rest of the season. Things weren’t helped with Souths winger Michael Bissell having an off day with the boot, kicking only one goal from his first six attempts. Aaron Durant took over the kicking and managed to pot one goal.

Best for Souths were Craig Grauf and Peter Nacon, whilst Wynnum Manly prop Clayton Maher, fullback David Chapman and Matt Olszewski shone for the Seagulls. 

Scorers: Souths 32 (M.Lane 2, A.Durrant, G.Huxtable, P.Cameron, J.Wakefield, I Ratudina tries, M.Bissell, A.Durrant goals) defeated Wynnum Manly 22 (D.Chapman, A.Francis, C.Maher, S.Mathers tries, M.Olszewski 3 goals).

 

Round 3 – 26/3/95

Easts 30 d Wynnum 8 (Kougari Oval)

Eastern Suburbs Rugby League Club demonstrated an impressive depth of talent by defeating Wynnum Seagulls in all grades at Kougari Oval on Sunday.

The Seagulls A grade team con­tributed to its 8-30 defeat by complet­ing only four sets of six from 24 possessions in the first-half and one set of six from 18 in the second­ half.

The baysiders spent much of the game on the defensive and the tactical boot of Tigers fullback Ken Jackson, in the first 40 minutes, ensured the Seagulls attack started mostly in their 22-metre area.  It took 25 minutes for Easts back­line to crack Wynnum Manly’s defence via a towering bomb that Jackson pounced on in the Seagull’s in-goal area.

Wynnum’s task became even harder when they were reduced to 12 men, first by stand-in five-eighth Ricky Taylor earning 10 minutes in the sin bin and then by inter­change Greg Alexander, who was dismissed for a high tackle.

Taylor later engineered a try by slicing through the Easts three quarter line and off-loading to fullback Matt Olszewski who passed inside for wing Dean Penrose to touch down.  Olszewski converted and also kick­ed a penalty goal.

Seagulls front-rower Andrew Ollenberg tested the defence with some powerful running and was well supported by fellow front-row and captain Pat O’Doherty.   The return from injury of forward Clayton Maher will bolster the Seagulls pack for this Sunday’s clash with Caboolture-Vallevs at Neumann Oval.

Taylor and second-rower Geoff Hassen have been selected in the Brisbane representative side to play Sydney Metropolitan at Redfern Oval on April 12..

Scorers: Easts 30 (K.Jackson, P.Turner, G.Strutton, S.Dowden, M.Besgrove tries, Jackson 3, M.Dwyer 2 goals) defeated Wynnum Manly 8 (D.Penrose try, M.Olszewski 2 goals).

 

Round 4 – 02/4/95

Wynnum 22 d Caboolture Valleys 14 (Neumann Oval)

THE Wynnum Seagulls emerged 22-14 victors over Caboolture Valleys after a second half comeback from a 6-14 deficit at Neumann Oval on Sunday.  Three players were sent off in the second half highlighting the Diehards desperation to record a first win and the Seagulls determination to stay in touch with the leading teams in the XXXX Premier League.­

Wynnum will be without sec­ond rower John Drews for an as yet to be determined period after a flare-up with Valleys Brett Vincent in the 47th min­ute.  Drews and Vincent were giv­en 10 minutes in the sin-bin.  Ten minutes later, Valleys, five-eighth Mitchell Hynes received his marching orders for a “coat-hanger” on Seagulls wing Mark Colley who was helped off the field.

The Baysiders were down 2-8 at the time but displayed com­posure to focus on the match.  Seagulls skipper Pat O’Do­herty was prominent during this testing period by-settling and rallying his team-mates.  The forward pack again played well and the backs provided a glimpse of their attacking potential with heavy involve­ment in Wynnum’s three crucial tries which clinched the game for them.

Coach Peter Donkin was pleased with the team’s second half resurgence.  “If we can perform against Redcliffe this weekend as we did in the latter stages against Valleys, we’ll be a show,” he said.  An unbeaten Redcliffe will host the Seagulls at Dolphin Oval on Sunday.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 22 (D.Chapman, D.Whipps, R.Taylor, G.Hassen tries, M.Olszewski 3 goals) Defeated Caboolture Valleys 14 (B.Vincent, G.Walker tries, S.Williamson 3 goals).

 

Round 5 – 09/4/95

Redcliffe 48 d Wynnum 10 (Dolphin Oval)

The Wynnum Seagulls will need to address the problem of falling off tackles out wide as they prepare for Easter Sunday’s home game against the Crushers.  Premiers Redcliffe took full advantage of the Seagulls’ casual tackling to record their fifth successive win, 48-10 at Dolphin Oval on Sunday. 

Five of the Dolphins’ nine tries were scored on the last tackle when they elected to run the ball instead of kicking. The tactic seemed to catch the Wynnum defence unaware, although Coach Peter Donkin raised the issue at halftime. Wynnum sorely missed the direction of injured skipper Pat O’Doherty and the mobility of second-rower John Drews who is on four weeks’ suspension.

Ricky Taylor, who deputised for O’Doherty, had a solid individual game scoring a try with customary determination.  

Scorers: Redcliffe 48 (M.Peckham 3, A.Schick 2, B.Canning, J.McGrady, B.Roedher, J.Hinchey tries, W.Miller 6 goals) defeated Wynnum Manly 10 (D.Reid, R.Taylor tries, M.Olszewski goal).

 

Round 6 – 16/4/95

Wynnum 16 d Crushers 8 (Kougari Oval)

Wynnum Seagulls defeated the South Queens­land Crushers 16-8 in an entertaining Premier League fixture at Kougari Oval on Sunday.  The win represented an excellent turnaround of form from tile previous week when the Seagulls were soundly beaten by Redcliffe. Neither Wynnum nor the Crushers could score a try in the first half. Spurred on by enthusiastic home supporters, the Seagulls created good field position with quality ball handling in wet conditions.

The Crushers had an opportunity to score just before half-time when winger Simon Rames looked try-bound for the corner.  But he was bundled into touch in the cover defence of centre Ricky Taylor and half-back Jason Predl.  Seagulls went to the break leading 4-2 through two penalty goals to Matt Olszewski. Sustained pressure by Wynnum following the resumption yielded tries in the 51st and 69th minutes with hooker Peter Rackemann and five-eighth David Chapman crossing under the posts. Olszewski converted both tries to stretch the lead to 16-2.

A late try to Crushers lock Paul Miers and conversion by fullback Clinton Schifcofske completed the scoring. Coach Peter Donkin attributed the turnaround in form to the players sticking to the game plan and tactics devised at training.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 16 (D.Chapman, P.Rackermann tries, M.Olszewski 4 goals) defeated South QLD Crushers 8 (P.Miers try, C.Schifcosfke 2 goals).

 

Round 7 – 23/4/95

Broncos 24 d Wynnum 12 (Kougari Oval)

AN eventful 10 minutes early in the second half was the turning point in the  Wynnum Seagulis 12-24 1oss to the Broncos in round seven of XXXX Premier Rugby League at Kougari Oval on Sunday play were enterprising inthefirst half but Rugby League at Kougari Oval on Sunday.  The Seagulls were leading 12-8 when they bombed two tries and lost one man to the sin bin.

Wynnum defended desperately but to no avail as a revved-up Broncos outfit  used possession from the split passes to  counter-attack the length of the field and score two converted tries, putting the  scoreboard 20-12 in their favor.

The Seagulls scored a try in the 17th minute of the first half when second­ rower Geoff Hassen finished off a Dean Penrose/RickyTaylor-inspired 70m move­ment down the left flank.

Wynnum fullback Sean Davis showed a lot of pace when he almost recovered a spectacular “downtown” kick by five-eighth David Chapman as the half-time hooter sounded.

The Seagulls handling and general play were enterprising in the first half but deteriorated noticably as the Bronco’s gained the upper hand.  Coach Peter Donkin was disappointed with the loss and said his players had to realise the game was played over the full 80 minutes.  “We’re just too inconsistent at the moment and our concentration needs to improve some of the mistakes we made in the second half were inexcusable,” he said.

Scorers: Brisbane Broncos 24 (M.Pattie 2, R.Troutman, M.Bird, C.Hurren tries, R.Troutman 2 goals) defeated Wynnum Manly 12 (M.Olszewski, G.Hassen tries, Olszewski 2 goals).

 

Round 8 – 30/4/95

Wynnum 22 d Logan City 20 (Meakin Park)

A converted try in the final minute of play allowed Wynnum Seagulls to take a 22-20 win over Logan in round eight of the XXXX Premier League at Meakin Park on Sunday. The last-minute scenario evo­ked memories of the Meakin Park fixture last year when the Seagulls came off the ropes in the final moments to outpoint Logan 26-24 with a Karl Howard try.

On Sunday, the Seagulls were down 16-20 and nearly out of time when skipper Pat O’Do­herty took advantage of Logan’s tiring defence to dive under the posts.  Matt Olszewski added the conversion, avoiding the possi­bility of a draw as the full-time hooter sounded.

The win ended third-placed Logan’s winning run of five games and improved the Baysiders record to-four wins from eight fixtures.  Wynnum looked sharp in the first half completing 15 sets of six and keeping the errors to a minimum.  They went to the break with a comfortable 16-4 lead after tries to Shaun Davis, Peter Akermann and Darren Filewood and two goals to Olszewski.

But in the second half the Scorpions, who were backing up from a mid-week game with Norths, came out revitalised to register a further 15 points to ensure a close contest.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 22 (S.Davis, P.O’Doherty, P.Rackermann, D.Filewood tries, M.Olszewski 3 goals) defeated Logan City 20 (B.Hamilton, P.Wardle, B.Taylor tries, Hamilton 2 goals).

 

Round 9 – 07/5/95

Wynnum 28 drew with Pine Rivers Brothers 28 (Kougari Oval)

Wynnum Seagulls had to settle for a 28-all draw with Brothers in round nine of the XXXX Premier rugby league competition at Kougari Oval on Sunday.

In a virtual re-run of last week’s game against Logan City, the Baysiders were dynamic for most of the first half when they established a commanding lead.  After 32 minutes of play the Seagulls led 14-2. Hooker Peter Rackemann and centre Matt Olszewski had scored tries after sustained pressure from the Seagulls and Olszewski kicked the conversions and a penalty.  A few minutes later, Olszewski misjudged a high kick that spilled into Brothers hands allowing their winger Shane Himstedt to score in the corner.

As half-time loomed Brothers grubber-kicked through Wynnum’s defence and the ball was touched in-flight changing Brothers’ Richard Ackerman’s status from offside to onside.  Ackerman had a favorable bounce and the Seagulls, caught off guard, were not quick enough to stop Himstedt from touching down again.  The referee awarded a penalty to Brothers in addition to the try after a late indiscretion from Seagulls centre Ricky Taylor.  At half-time the scoreboard read 14-all.

In the second half both teams had the opportunity to clinch the game but they finished with five tries four goals and one premiership point each.  Coach Peter Donkin said it was imperative the Seagulls win their final two games of the round against Ipswich and Norths to stay in touch with the leading teams.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 28 (M.Olszewski 2, G.Street, J.Predl, P.Rackermann tries, M.Olszewski 4 goals) drew with Brothers 28 (R.Hewinson 2, S.Himstedt 2, S.Maguire tries, Maguire 4 goals).

 

Round 10 – 20/5/95

Ipswich 22 d Wynnum 12 (Briggs Road)

A depleted Seagulls rugby league side went down 12-22 to a full-strength Ipswich Jets outfit in round 11 of the XXXX Cup at Briggs Rd Saturday night. 

Wynnum was plagued by the non-­availability of four regular players and serious injuries to two others during the Ipswich clash.  Goal kicker Matt Olsezwski and full­back Sean Davis declared themselves unavailable in addition to Geoff Hassan and Ricky Taylor who were on represent­ative duty. 

Seagulls had a rough ride in the game, losing Captain Pat O’Doherty and five-­eighth David Chapman who were carried by stretcher from the field.  O’Doherty dislocated his knee and play was suspended for 25 minutes while an ambulance was called for Chapman, who was initially knocked unconscious and lost feeling in one arm.  The knock Chapman sustained has pinched an artery and he is awaiting examination by an orthopaedic surgeon.

Coach Peter Donkin elevated colts player Neil Horton to the fullback spot and two Under 21 forwards were used as interchange players.  The Seagulls, who were down 0-6 at the time, could have been overrun but they displayed character to draw 12-all in the 65th minute after two tries from lock Tony Batten and conversions to centre Nathan Croft.

The second stanza was a rugged affair with both sides reduced to 11 men at one stage.  Seagulls conceded many penalties (15-5) and the extra possession helped Ipswich run in two late tries and a conversion to secure the win.  Donkin attributed the Seagulls’ per­formance to the game’s many disruptions and the depletion of the reserves bench.  “It was the one that got away from us,” he said.

Scorers: Ipswich 22 (M.Ralph, G.Minz, B.Chicken, P.Triggs tries, M.Ralph 2, S.Ward goals) defeated Wynnum Manly 12 (A.Batten 2 tries, N.Croft 2 goals).

 

Round 11 – 28/5/95

Wynnum 44 d Norths 18 (Bishop Park)

Wynnum Seagulls capitalised on Norths sluggish start to post a 44-18 win in their XXXX Cup rugby league match at Bishop Park on Sunday.  Wynnum shocked the Devils with four tries in the opening 15 minutes and led 22-0 before Norths posted its first points.

The Seagulls opened their scoring in the third minute with prop Greg Alexander’s try next to the posts.  Four minutes later. Seagulls’ five­-eighth Darren Whipps finished off a strong Wynnum attacking raid to send the Baysiders to a 12-0 lead.  After their strong beginning. Wynnum appeared to have the game in their keeping but Norths fought back and looked likely to score an upset victory.

After tries to replacement Neil Stanley and full-back Michael Rhodes. Norths centre Jason Webber broke some sloppy Wynnum defence and scored to leave the Devils trailing 26-18.  The Seagulls ended Norths come­back and ran in three tries in the final 20 minutes with Whipps scoring his second try in the 71st minute.  Wynnum coach Peter Donkin was pleased with his side’s improved support play.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 44 (D.Penrose 2, D.Whipps 2, C.Maher 2, N.Horton, G.Alexander tries, M.Olszewski 3, R.Taylor 3 goals) defeated Norths 18 (M.Rhodes, J.Webber, N.Stanley tries, D.Whalley 2, R.Paul goals).

 

Round 12 – 04/6/95

Wynnum 24 d Wests 10 (Kougari Oval)

Wynnum Seagulls share sixth spot on the XXXX Premier League after a 24-10 win over cellar dwellers Wests at Kougari Oval on Sunday.  The Seagulls, on 13 points, trail Redcliffe (20), Easts (19), Brothers (15), Souths and the Crushers (14).  Club officials believe the Seagulls need to win six of the remaining 10 fixtures to secure a finals berth.  Six of those games are at home starting with this Sunday’s outing against Souths.

Best for the Seagulls were Ricky Taylor and Geoff Hassen, whilst Dean Penrose had one of his best games of the season.

A fierce contest is anticipated as a loss to either side could mean being left behind on the ladder.  Regular five-eighth David Chap­man, who suffered concussion and a pinched nerve against Ipswich two weeks ago, made a confident return to the field on Sunday.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 24 (N.Horton, D.Penrose, R.Taylor, G.Hassen tries, M.Olszewski 4 goals) defeated Wests 10 (M.Maguire, D.Fuller tries, M.Maguire goal).

 

Round 13 – 11/6/95

Wynnum 10 d Souths 8 (Kougari Oval)

Wynnum Seagulls defeated South­ern Suburbs 10-8 in a tense game in round 13 of the XXXX Premier League at Kougari Oval on Sunday.  The Seagulls now move to equal fifth with Ipswich and the weekend’s clash continues the team’s winning run of three on the trot.

Souths big pack looked set to dominate proceedings early when it produced some heavy hits and gained good yards against a Seagulls set that is currently without its two biggest men, front rowers Pat O’Do­herty and Andrew Ollenberg.  The pressure worked and Souths front rower Peter Deaves put his side in front with a try in the 12th minute. 

The Seagulls equalised just five minutes later when halfback Jason Predl made a 40m break to achieve good attacking position.  The ball was then slung across the backline with centre Greg Street drawing the defence to set wing Matt Olszewski clear for the corner.

In the second half the Magpies broke the deadlock with a try to winger Geoff Huxtable in the 60th minute.  But Seagulls captain and centre Ricky Taylor backed up a series of good rolling rucks by the forwards to score near the posts. Olszewski kicked the conversion and good defence enabled the Seagulls to retain their slender 10-8 margin during the final 10 minutes.

A special mention to the Kevin McGarrity coached reserve grade made an astonishing recovery from a 0-28 deficit to defeat fifth placed Souths 30-28.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 10 (M.Olszewski, R.Taylor tries, Olszewski goal) defeated Souths 8 (G.Huxtable, P.Deaves try).

 

Round 14 – 17/6/95

Wynnum 26 d Easts 8 (Langlands Park)

Wynnum Seagulls share third place in the XXXX Premier League competition after downing Eastern Suburbs 26-8 at Langlands Park on Saturday.  Good handling and support play was a feature of the Baysider’s win and a reflection of Coach Peter Donkin’s emphasis on these skills.  Wynnum displayed tenacious defence to restrict the usually prolific Tigers to two tries.

Captain Ricky Taylor said team harmony had contributed to the team’s run of wins.  “We’ve been getting better and better in recent weeks and the players really believe in one another now,” he said.  “We’ve made a commitment to do the best for each other on the field and therefore the best for our supporters.  “We’re not conceding as many points now as we did earlier in the season our defence against Easts and against Souths the previous week was top notch.”

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 26 (D.Chapman 2, J.Predl, G.Hassen, tries, M.Olszewski 4 goals) defeated Easts 8 (D.Williams, T.Baker tries).

 

Round 15 – 25/6/95

Wynnum 56 d Caboolture Valleys 12 (Kougari Oval)

Wynnum Manly are starting to stamp their mark on the competition after their fifth consecutive win, thumping Caboolture Valleys 56-12  at Kougari Oval.

Wynnum dominated proceedings from the start with the Wynnum backline scoring 10 of the 11 tries scored.  Led by halfback Jason Predl the Wynnum backline had a day out at the park against the hapless Valleys side.  Both David Chapman and Ricky Taylor were devastating, cutting the Valleys defence to shreds every time they touched the ball, with Predl scoring his first hat trick of tries in his first grade career.

Winger Matt Olszewski finished the match with a personal tally of 18 points for the game.  Best for the seagulls were John Drews, Taylor, Predl and Chapman.  Valleys Shane Buckley tried hard for the Diehards.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 56 (J.Predl 3, M.Olszewski 2, D.Chapman 2, R.Taylor 2, D.Filewood, J.Drews tries, Olszewski 5, Chapman goals) defeated Valleys 12 (S.Buckley, J.Merimba tries, J.Brown 2 goals).

 

Round 16 – 02/7/95

Wynnum 16 d Redcliffe 14 (Kougari Oval)

Wynnum Seagulls share sec­ond spot on the XXXX Premier League ladder after defeating Redcliffe 16-14 in a tight Herald Cup encounter at Kougari Oval on Sunday.  The win means the Seagulls, with Easts and Brothers, are one point behind the Dolphins with six rounds remaining.  Despite losing, Redcliffe re­tained the Herald Cup because of its decisive win earlier in the season.

In the first stanza hard de­fence meant Wynnum and Red­cliffe had their share of handling errors and the Baysiders spent plenty of time in their own half. But in the 20th minute the premiers put up the bomb al­lowing the Dolphins to break through the Seagulls’ defence and score in the corner.  Wynnum replied soon after with a try from Jason Predl and a conversion from Matt Olszewski bringing the scoreboard to 6-4.  The baysiders displayed committed defence as they held Redcliffe back from its line but the Dolphins quick play in possession allowed them to cross just before the break to nudge ahead 8-6.  Wynnum gave Redcliffe a scare in the dying seconds of with a try which was disallowed. 

Redcliffe came back from the break exerting pressure kicking to keep Wynnum inside its 22m.  The pressure paid off and the Dolphins scored in the first ten minutes taking the score to 14-6.  Ten minutes later the Seagulls Herculean task to hold out  Redcliffe near its line for several sets of six.  Dolphins forward Graham Cotter crossed twice in two minutes but was held up each time.

Coach Peter Donkin said: “I want to praise the players jerseys numbered one to 17.”

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 16 (J.Predl, G.Kugler, G.Street tries, R.Taylor, M.Olzsewski goals) defeated Redcliffe 14 (G.Morianos 2, T.Evans tries, M.Peckman goal).

 

Round 17 – 09/7/95

Crushers 38 d Wynnum 6 (Suncorp Stadium)

Wynnum Seagulls six-game XXXX Premier League winning spree came to an end at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday after being beaten 6-38 by the Crushers.  The Baysiders have been per­forming close to their best in recent weeks to down strong sides like Redcliffe, Easts and Souths.  But the tight and inspired play that was a feature of those wins was not evident against a highly physical Crushers outfit.

Attacking movements broke down through wrong options or lack of support play.  In contrast the Crushers, des­perate for a win to stay in touch for the finals, displayed sound cover defence and converted their opportunities to points on the board.

Seagulls coach Peter Donkin said: “That was our worst effort since we lost to Redcliffe in the first round.  “It’s worrying-all facets of our game were down while not wishing to make excuses this is a young and fairly inex­perienced side.”  Donkin praised the efforts of hooker Peter Rackemann, centre Greg Street and second-rower John Drews who made 41 tackles and 16 hit-ups.

Scorers: South QLD Crushers 38 (P.Tideman 2, P.Tong, N.Atonik, S.Pickles tries, C.Schifcofske 9 goals) defeated Wynnum Manly 6 (G.Street try, R.Taylor goal).

 

Round 18 – 16/7/95

Wynnum 34 d Broncos 20 (ANZ Stadium)

An inspired performance from hooker Peter Rackemann helped Wynnum Seagulls rugby league side defeat the Broncos 34-20 at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.  Wynnum, with 23 points, shares third place on die XXXX Cup ladder with last year’s premiers Redcliffe.  Brothers lead the competition with 25 points while Souths and Easts are just one point behind.

Rackemann scored two of the Seagulls’ six tries, topped the tackle count with 24 and won a vital serum against the feed.  The ex-Foley Shield player displayed the sleight of hand normally associated with crafty scrum-halves in creating his second try.  Rackemann broke clear of the ruck and found Broncos full-back Tony Devlln barring his path.  He dummied the bail and was able to proceed to the try line.  Seagulls full-back David Chapman created two tries while centre Greg Street scored and also produced his trademark defence with 18 quality tackles.

Glen Waia, in his first grade debut, played capably at five-eighth and front-rower Kirk Lawton kept the Seagulls moving forward and was rewarded with a try.  Lawton, a mid-season signing from the North Queensland Cowboys, is proving an asset to the Seagulls with regular props Pat O’Doherty and Andrew Ollenberg on the long-term injured list.  Prop Clayton Maher and lock Tony Batten contributed the hard and necessary work in the middle while skipper and centre Ricky Taylor kicked five conversions from six attempts.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 34 (P.Rackermann 2, D.Chapman 2, G.Street, K.Lawton tries, R.Taylor 5 goals) defeated Broncos 20 (T.Devlin, M.Pattie, R.Bawden, J.Twohill tries, R.Troutman 2 goals).

 

Round 19 – 23/7/95

Wynnum 36 d Logan City 28 (Kougari Oval)

Wynnum Seagulls have remained third on the XXXX Premier League ladder after a 36-28 win over Logan City at Kougari Oval on Sunday.  The somewhat unconvincing win keeps the Bavsiders in contention for the semis and perhaps a spot in the top three where they would get two chances to go into the grand final.  Brothers, who face Wynnum at Pine Rivers on Sunday, lead the competition with 27 points followed by Fasts (26), Wynnum and Redcliffe (25), Souths (24) and the Broncos and Crushers (22).

Seagulls coach Peter Donkin said his side’s performance against Logan was not up to par. “The side has lost just two of the last 12 games and the players are starting to feel the grind.” he said. “It appears we’ve lost second rower John Drews with a knee injury and we’ll miss his high work rate.  “How will we go against Brothers’ I think we will go very close (to winning) – the minor premiership could hinge on the result.”

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 36 (D.Filewood 2, D.Chapman, G.Street, J.Predl, G.Hassen, K.Lawton tries, R.Taylor 2, M.Olszewski 2 goals) defeated Logan City 28 (A.Stewart 2, T.North, G.Feitz, B.Kuhl tries, B.Hamilton 4 goals).

 

Round 20 – 30/7/95

Wynnum 34 d Pine Rivers Brothers 22 (Pine Rivers)

Wynnum Seagulls boosted their hopes of a XXXX Premier League top-three spot after a 34-22 win over Brothers at Bray Park on Sunday.  Easts lead the way on 28 points while Wynnum, Brothers and Red­cliffe are equal second on 27 points.  Third-placed Souths are on 26 and Broncos and Crushers share fourth position with 24.

The Baysiders form should be good enough to account for out of contention sides Ipswich and Norths in the last two fixtures. And the Brothers/Redcliffe clash at Dolphin Oval on Sunday offers the prospect of a successful Wynnum advancing over the losing side.

Brothers, quick backs, notably wing Aaron Douglas, produced a 20-12 scoreline midway through the game but the second half belonged to the Seagulls when they scored 22 points and restricted the Brethren to one penalty goal.

Outstanding for Wynnum was full­back David Chapman who was every­where in attack and defence.  Chapman was supported by skip­per and centre Ricky Taylor.

Seagulls coach Peter Donkin was pleased with the second stanza effort, while club president Bob McMullen said the win was the best of the season.  Brothers were previously unde­feated at home.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 34 (D.Chapman 2, R.Taylor, G.Street, A.Batten, G.Hassen tries, M.Olszewski 4, R.Taylor goals) defeated Brothers 22 (A.Douglas 2, R.Hewison, S.Maguire tries, Maguire 3 goals). 

 

Round 21 – 06/8/95

Wynnum 44 d Ipswich 12 (Kougari Oval)

Wynnum Seagulls are assured of a top-five XXXX Premier League position after their 44-12 demolition of eighth ­placed Ipswich at Kougari Oval on Sunday.  With the final set of fixtures this weekend the Seagulls (29 points) share second place with Brothers, just one point adrift of leaders Easts.  A win over Norths at Kougari Oval on Sunday will guarantee the Baysiders one of the top three positions for the finals.  Should Easts and Brothers lose their games, a successful Wynnum would finish minor premiers.

Ipswich started strongly against the Seagulls and established a 12-4 lead midway through the first half.  But any possibility of the Jets causing an upset vanished moments later when their five-eighth Matt Ralph, was sent off for a high tackle on Wynnum full­back David Chapman.

After Ralph’s dismissal Ipswich did not add to its tally while Wynnum piled on 40 points.  Seagulls coach Peter Donkin had qualified praise for the team’s perform­ance.  “We put ourselves under too much pressure in the early stages with handling errors,” he said.  “However, we came out in the second half and played like we knew we could.  I’m unconcerned from what spot we contest the finals, as long as it is from within the top three.” 

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 44 (D.Filewood 2, G.Street, G.Waia, K.Larson, G.Hassen, C.Reberger, M.Smetheram tries, M.Olszewski 6 goals) defeated Ipswich 12 (C.Beresford, M.Durham tries, M.Ralph 2 goals).

 

Round 22 – 13/8/95

Wynnum 36 d Norths 16 (Kougari Oval)

Wynnum Seagulls will meet Brothers in the first XXXX Premier League preliminary semi­-final at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.  The Seagulls earned third-place and a date with the Brothers with a 36-16 win over Norths at Kougari Oval on Sunday.  Wynnum finished equal second with Brothers but were relegated to third on their for and ­against record.  The winner of the Brothers/Wynnum clash will meet minor premiers Easts the following week for the right to advance to the grand final.  The loser will have another chance to resurrect its chances by playing the winner of the knockout minor preliminary semi-final between Redcliffe and a yet-to-be determined fifth team.

The Seagulls’ win over Norths may have come at some cost. with several players sustaining injury.  Most worrying is a knee injury to fullback David Chapman.  Wynnum coach Peter Donkin praised the efforts of forward Kirk Lawton, centre and skipper Ricky Taylor and wing Matt Olszewski.

Donkin remained philosophical about Chap­man’s injury cloud­  “We copped a few injuries but we’ve got to get over that,” he said.  “We’ve been doing a lot of heavy stuff at training but this week we’ll lighten it up a bit and concentrate on sharp work.”

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 36 (M.Olszewski, D.Filewood, R.Taylor, G.Waia, J.Predl, G.Hassen, G.Kugler tries, M.Olszewski 4 goals) defeated Norths 16 (J.Webber, N.Stanley, A.Bradnam tries, D.Whalley, D.Ibbotson goals).

 

Qualifying Semi Final -19/8/95

Wynnum 22 d Pine Rivers Brothers 20 (Suncorp Stadium)

Wynnum Seagulls staged a second half comeback against Brothers on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium to make a date with Easts in the XXXX Premier League major semi-final this Sunday. The winner of Sunday’s match will advance to the grand final while the loser will have another finals chance, meeting the victor of this Saturday’s Brothers/Souths minor semi clash.

Despite scoring at the 10-minute mark Seagulls had a lacklustre first stanza, spending plenty of time in their half and succumbing to hand­ling errors.  Five minutes later the game had a controversial moment when Wy­nnum’s Dean Penrose, in a position to retrieve a kick in-goal, was taken out of play to allow the Brethren in for a try.  Brothers continued their domi­nation of the first stanza with tries in the 30th and 39th minutes to notch up 14-4 at half-time.

The Baysiders, encouraged loyal and vocal supporters, came back with a vengeance with a try to skipper Ricky Taylor in the 43rd minute.  Improved ball control gave Seagulls their third try soon after, while a penalty kick put the Baysiders at 16-14.  Wynnum five-eighth Jason Predl was instrumental in the Seagulls fourth try, in which the ball passed through six sets of hands before Predl scored in the corner.  With 15 seconds remaining Wynnum led 22-14 but a late Brothers try narrowed the victory to two points.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 22 (J.Predl 2, R.Taylor, G.Hassen, M.Olszewski 3 goals) defeated Brothers 20 (A.Anderson, R.Hewinson, J.Wainwright, B.Collins tries, S.Maguire 2 goals)

 

Major Semi Final – 27/8/95

Easts 44 d Wynnum 16 (Suncorp Stadium)

Wynnum Seagulls face a XXXX Premier League preliminary final against Brothers with a 44-16 loss to Easts at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.  Minor premiers Easts advance directly to the grand final on September 10 while Wynnum must defeat minor semi-final winners Brothers to claim a berth in the grand finals.  The clash at Suncorp Stadium this Saturday will be a curtain-raiser to the Winfield Cup semi-final between Canberra and Brisbane. 

On Sunday the Seagulls made a promising start against Easts in the fourth minute with halfback Jason Predl crossing for a try after a break from second-row Geoff Hassen.  The Tigers levelled the score 4-4 through centre Graham Stratton in the 28th minute. Easts led 10-4 at half-time.

Easts backs went on a try-scoring rampage in the second stanza dismissing any chance of a Wynnum comeback similar to the previous week’s second-half resurgence against Brothers.  Coach Peter Donkin said Wynnum lacked focus against Easts and would have their “backs to the wall” against Brothers on Saturday.

In the under 21 major semi-final Souths downed Wynnum 12-8 sending the Baysiders to the preliminary final against Redcliffe at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday at 1pm.

Scorers: Easts 44 (A.Duncan 3, D.Smith 2, D.Williams, M.Sessarago, G.Strutton tries, Sessarago 6 goals) defeated Wynnum Manly 16 (R.Taylor, G.Street, J.Predl tries, M.Olszewski 2 goals).

 

Preliminary Semi Final – 02/9/95

Wynnum 26 d Pine Rivers Brothers 16 (Suncorp Stadium)

An inspiring preliminary final performance from Wynnum Seagulls has carat them a place in the first XXXX Premier League stand final since 1986.  Wynnum will clash with Easts in the final at Suncorp Stadium on-Sunday. Their grand final appointment follows a 26-16 win over Brothers in the knockout preliminary at the Cauldron on Saturday. 

Seagulls lashed out early, with solid support leading to skipper Ricky Taylor ploughing past four Brothers players to cross.  Soon after Taylor and second ­rower Geoff Hassan, were in­strumental in getting Peter Rackemann across the line, boosting the score to 12-0. Brothers replied with a con­verted try after Wynnum failed to stop Aaron Douglas. Seagulls’ Greg Street, assisted by Taylor and full-back David Chapman, pushed his side ahead 16-6 with a try seven minutes before half-time.  The Baysiders strong defence and absence of errors helped them ward off Brethren pressure on their territory.

Shortly before half-time a Brothers player was sin-binned and a penalty to Wynnum put them 18-6 ahead at the break. In the second stanza the Breth­ren put Seagulls defence to the test, running in two tries.  A bomb from Wynnum half­back Jason Predl put Taylor across the line and seemingly sealed the grand final spot with the 24-16 lead.  But Brothers were down, not out, and in the 74th minute, Taylor had to make a try-saving tackle on Richard Ackerman to protect the eight-point buffer.  The lead was stretched to 10 points with a penalty against Brothers three minutes before full-time.

Coach Peter Donkin was pleased with the result and dismissed last month’s 44-16 fixture loss to the Tigers as an aberration.

Scorers: Wynnum Manly 26 (R.Taylor 2, P.Rackermann, G.Street tries, M.Olszewski 5 goals) defeated Brothers 16 (A.Douglas 2, A.Ackerman tries, S.Maguire 2 goals).

 

Photos Sources: Wynnum Manly Rugby League Football Club

Story Sources: The Wynnum Herald – 1995