BEN Linde and his Illawarra Steelers SG Ball side have failed in their attempt to bring the Mal Meninga Cup (under 18s national championship) back to NSW, after going down to Tweed Heads 48-14 in Sunday's decider.
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One week after ending a 23-year premiership drought against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Linde's Steelers ran out of gas against the Queensland under 18s champions at Dolphin Oval.
The Seagulls got off to a flying start when centre Xavier Coates crossed in the seventh minute, following a crossfield kick from his halfback Toby Sexton.
But Linde's troops didn't drop their heads and were the next to score through winger Tyrell Sloan.
Unfortunately, the rest of the first half belonged to Tweed, as they ran in two more tries, including one to Caleb Hodge just before the break, to go into half-time up 18-4.
The second half started the same way the first ended, with a Seagulls try - as Coates grabbed his second, after evading numerous defender and running 90 metres to score.
The scarlett and white, featuring Warilla-Lake South's Blake Dowel and Sam Hooper, Milton-Ulladulla's Oscar Fitzpatrick, Berry-Shoalhaven Heads' Oliver Parrish and Albion Park-Oak Flats' Joshua Coric, then added two quick tries, through Sloan and other winger Max Feagai but they were merely interruptions in the steady stream of scores that came from the slick Seagulls.
Tweed fullback Reece Walsh crossed for a brace, while Josh Bevan also claimed a four-pointer, before the final try of the match was fittingly scored by man of match Sexton, to put the icing on the cake of the 36-point win.