Wallaroos win league battle with Seagulls

22nd April 2008

Richard Harvey

You don't have to look good to win a game of rugby league Wallaroos proved that at Torquay's Stafford Park on Sunday. Wallaroos beat arch rivals, the Hervey Bay Seagulls, 20-18 in round three of the Bundaberg Rugby League A grade competition.

It was a performance Wallaroos coach, former Australian, Queensland and Brisbane Broncos fullback, Colin Scott described as far from pretty.

"You could describe it as a real ugly win," Scott said after watching his team score its first win of the season.

"Saying that, a win is a win and we'll certainly take it after the start we've made to the year.

"Now we've got something to work on and we will improve." Man of the match Manny Blair, Daniel Beatty, Brendan and Mark Saltner scored the tries for Wallaroos.

Beatty also kicked two goals.

While Scott and his players were celebrating their first success of the season, the Hervey Bay Seagulls were left thinking what might have been.

Winless and at the bottom of the ladder, Seagulls had five tries disallowed during the physical encounter, three of them in the last few minutes of play.

Although he was frustrated the decisions had not gone the way of his team, Seagulls president Mark Williams said he was not going go on about it.

"What happened happened and the game is over," Williams said.

"We've just got to move on and concentrate on playing football.

"They (the decisions) didn't help our cause but we didn't help ourselves we made mistakes at crucial times."

Simon Robb and Ashley Rainbow were the try scorers for Seagulls.

Tyrone Hopgood kicked the extras.

Wallaroos play Isis this week while Seagulls take on Easts.