On a muggy night with intermittent rainfall, Samuels sent the discus out to 63.70 metres with her opening throw of the year, whilst Watt improved on his performance last week in Canberra, leaping 8.15m (-0.7 m/s).Samuels was pleased with her performance after a slight injury setback.
"I had a little bit of a wrist injury over Christmas and I had a week or two longer off than I usually would," Samuels said.
"I feel technically that I'm strong but that there are a few little things to fix up. That was kind of shown tonight with two fouls and then a 61 metre and 63 metre throw.
"Things are looking good and I'm feeling really positive and I'm a metre ahead of where I was this time last year, so hopefully I'm on track to get a PB by Commonwealth Games."
Watt also has a long season ahead of him, with the world indoor championships, Diamond League meets and ultimately the Commonwealth Games on his plate. His performance today was competent but he admitted that talk of a national record was slightly premature.
"At comps like these people talk about breaking it but it is the start of the season and I don't even get a break off training for these comps," he said following the competition.
"It makes it hard to jump those really long distances but I think it can come later in the year."
Watt described that with a long season ahead of him he is focusing on enjoying himself throughout the domestic season and will contest a few 100m races. Prior to competing in Europe last year he set a personal best on the Gold Coast - wearing long jump spikes - of 10.37 seconds.
"I'd like to run a few more hundreds. Most of the top long jumpers in the world can run low 10 so I want to see how close I compare to them," he said.
"But also, there is not as much riding on nationals so I'm going to have a bit of fun. I'm not too fussed - I'm not going to go out there trying to win it so I won't be too nervous."
Despite having the potential to place highly at the nationals - todays 100m was taken out by Patrick Johnson in only 10.42 seconds - Watt has ruled out competing in the relay at the Commonwealth Games.
"Even if somehow miraculously I win I won't be putting my hand up for the relay. I'm a long jumper and Eric Hollingsworth wants to keep me as a long jumper, so I won't be running the relay."
The other action of the meet was in the field, with Dale Stevenson recording another A-qualifier with a throw of 19.45m whilst local high jumper Liam Zamel-Paez thrilled the crowd with a personal best and A-qualifier of 2.25m and made some promising attempts at a new Queensland record of 2.30m.In other action Matt Davies and Jody Henry clocked B-qualifiers in the 200m and 400m respectively with runs of 20.76 seconds (+0.0 m/s) and 52.76 seconds, whilst Liz Parnov and Amanda Bisk recorded B-qualifiers of 4.10m in the pole vault, with Parnov taking out the competition on countback. Kathryn Mitchell (55.18m) and Laura Cornford (54.37m) also recorded B-qualifiers in the javelin.
Melissa Breen took out the sprint double with performances of 11.62 seconds (+1.0 m/s) and 23.74 seconds (+0.1 m/s) and the 800m races provided entertaining, although not fast, performances. The men's and women's races were contrasting, with Lachlan Renshaw followed the pacemaker Kuey Diew, who misjudged his role and took the field through the bell in 53 seconds rather than the requested 51 seconds. Renshaw looked strong on the second lap and won by over a second in 1:47.96. On the other hand, the women's race didn't have a pacemaker and a brave front running effort from Trychelle Kingdom was rewarded with victory. The 2008 world junior finalist held on for the win in 2:05.31 ahead of fast runs home from Holly Noack and Bridey Delaney, who were spaced a tenth of a second apart.
The Australian Athletics Tour moves on to Hobart next Friday with the distance orientated Briggs Classic.
Inside Athletics' photographic coverage of the meet will be available later this evening.
