Litchfield Bears beat Brothers in top of the table clash, while South Darwin win first match in more than four years
The Litchfield Bears’ unbeaten run survived a top of the table clash against Darwin Brothers, while South Darwin won for the first time in more than four years.
Northern Territory
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Litchfield Bears have survived a top of the table clash against the Darwin Brothers to keep their unbeaten run alive, while some shock results elsewhere have turned the league on its head.
The Bears’ unbeaten run started with a second half resurgence in Round 1 against the Brethren, and they’ve since beaten all other contenders.
While Brothers’ attacking flair has seen them become the best of the rest since, Litchfield once again proved the fitter side winning 32-16.
It was all Bears early on as they applied the pressure from their big ball carriers including the ever-dangerous Dillan Vanderburg, while Nathan Dixon controlled the flow of the game from the halves.
And they soon got reward for their effort with Vanderburg bulldozing through setting up a fine finish from skipper Trent Wedding.
Bears continued to dominate and the Brothers’ defence almost made it too easy for them at times, with Corey Gregory able to breeze over the line with very little resistance.
Brothers finally had significant time on the ball in the back end of the opening half and almost had their revenge through captain Isaac Seden-Kurnoth.
However, the Bears defence held strong and a tackle on the line forced the ball out of his grip leaving the chance begging.
But it was a sign the Brethren were putting themselves back in the encounter and soon after the Bears found themselves defending against Adrian Rosas, who bulldozed his way over the line.
Despite all the ball Brothers had, Litchfield were able to suck in the pressure leaving more chances begging, and eventually Gregory found himself on the end of a line break running in another try.
Brothers burst out of the gates in the second half forcing a penalty before unleashing Kenneth O’Connor who looked almost untouchable as he charged through for a score.
More chances looked on for the likes of Caleb Niki or Xavier Grant, but still Litchfield held on.
Once again the ball ended up in Bears favour with debutant Brock Priestley able to create a three-on-one overlap as he gifted the ball to vice-captain David Jacobson who scored.
Once more Brothers were forced to react and though they managed a thrilling 70m running try between Seden-Kurnoth and Jarrod Northam they just weren’t doing enough damage on the board.
Litchfield were just more efficient when they had a sniff of the try line making the most of every slipped ball or slipped tackle from Brothers.
Jacobson evaded going down to strengthen the lead again, and another debutant Julius Appo scored the final try of the piece with Vanderburg slotting the conversion after the buzzer.
Dixon, who had a massive match directing play, called the win one that would set the mark for the rest of the season.
“This win really sets the mark for us and defines how our season has been going,” Dixon said.
“The boys just dug in and gave it their full effort. We just stuck to our discipline and played our game rather than getting sucked into their stuff.
“It’s definitely good to still be undefeated, but the job’s not finished yet, we need to keep showing up each week without dropping our heads or getting complacent.
“Our focus has really been on defence and effort there, making sure we’re playing for each other and staying as one big group.
“And just having fun, footy is a lot easier when you’re having fun.”
Meanwhile, there were plenty of surprises across the rest of the comp with the South Darwin Rabbitohs beating Nightcliff 24-6 to take their first senior men’s win in more than four years.
The Bunnies have long struggled in the competition, but very quickly took control of their encounter with Dallas Caulton, Birrigan-Kai Young and Victor Campbell all among the try scorers.
It was a match coach Willie May had been targeting saying if his side cut out their errors they would be in a good place.
“This match against Dragons will be a good opportunity for the boys to possibly get that win, but it comes down to us,” May said prior to the match.
“We’re our own worst enemies at times with silly errors and penalties which put us on the back foot, but the boys are keen and put in a few good training sessions so hopefully that pays off on the day.
“It will just come down to communication on the field and making sure the boys head out there keen and ready for the contest.”
Northern Sharks also sent a statement to the rest of the league smashing reigning premiers Palmerston 74-0 with Bailey Zaro and Mitch Burke among the multiple try scorers.
Over in the women’s competition Darwin Brothers stayed top with a 28-0 win over Litchfield with Latoniya Norris and Ellie Niki both scoring.
Palmerston beat Northern Sharks 26-14 and South Darwin saw off the Nightcliff Dragons 36-0.
South Darwin targeting rare win against Nightcliff in Round 6
South Darwin Rabbitohs are targeting a chance at a rare NRL NT win when they take on the Nightcliff Dragons, while top two Brothers and Litchfield will also be going head to head.
It’s been a long time since the Rabbitohs earned their last senior men’s win, but second-year coach Willie May believes the club is heading in the right direction.
The club has struggled for numbers in recent years, but in 2023 the head coach has enjoyed a turnaround in that department and on field efforts have started to reflect that.
And while their Round 1 36-26 loss to Nightcliff remains their best showing, they’ve shown positive signs since particularly on home turf against Raiders.
“It’s been going good, there was a bit of bad luck on our end with errors which meant we didn’t get the win,” May said.
“Our biggest loss of the season came against Brothers and that shook our confidence a bit and left us on a bit of a down note afterwards.
“But we knocked our heads together and it prompted us to focus on a few areas such as our defence, and we’ve been coming along better on that front.
“The numbers are pretty good. They were good last year, but this year we’re getting heaps of boys down to training which is what we want to see.”
Now into Round 6 they will be targeting the Dragons once again, with their Nightcliff foes also suffering some grim defeats in recent times.
The two sides will be competing for the annual Chico Motlop Shield in Round 11, but with their table placing so close it will be a game both sides will be targeting.
And there are some long-time Rabbitohs who want to be part of the side who finally return the team to the NRL NT winners’ circle.
Edward Wosomo has been one of the big performers for Souths early in the comp, while Tian Nichols and captain Dustin Briscoe give their all each and every week for the club.
But they’ve got their work cut for them against a Nightcliff side looking to make an impression, particularly with dual Frank Johnston medal winner Robbie Butcher in the side.
“They just want the club to get there and thrive again, and I think it’s going to get there pretty soon,” May said.
“This match against Dragons will be a good opportunity for the boys to possibly get that win, but it comes down to us.
“We’re our own worst enemies at times with silly errors and penalties which put us on the back foot, but the boys are keen and put in a few good training sessions so hopefully that pays off on the day.
“It will just come down to communication on the field and making sure the boys head out there keen and ready for the contest.”
Meanwhile, the Darwin Brothers will take on Litchfield Bears in a top of the table clash which could decide who stays top through the next slog of matches.
Litchfield are so far undefeated, but Brothers have been ripping up the league in recent weeks and will be hoping to make a dent against the only side to have beaten them.
And Northern Sharks and Palmerston Raiders will face off once again in the second grand final rematch of the year, with Raiders eager to make an impression.
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM NRL NT ROUND 5
Whether it competing for the Mitchell Russell Shield, finding success in the national championships or showing off Indigenous Round jerseys it was a massive weekend for NRL in the NT.
In the men’s competition it was Brothers, Litchfield and Sharks who triumphed while the NT Titans women’s squad went undefeated on the Gold Coast.
Here are all the talking points from Round 5.
Mitchell Russell Shield remains a spectacle
No matter where Litchfield and Palmerston sit on the premiership table, the Mitchell Russell Shield is always a ferocious encounter - and this year’s edition was no exception.
Russell played for both clubs before he tragically died in a car crash in 2014, and as such it is a game both teams place a great amount of importance on each year.
Incidentally, it was also the battle of reigning premiers Palmerston and the undefeated Litchfield, only helping it live up to its billing.
The intensity and passion was obvious from the start, with hard tackling and stunning tries a plenty from both sides.
But ultimately it was Litchfield that came out on top with the Bears maintaining their unbeaten run in 2023.
There were also a fair few sin bins for backchat, with both sides going down to 11 men at separate stages, and Raiders’ captain Ed Murphy sent off entirely.
Litchfield now have to contend with being the pack leaders as they head into the second third of the season.
Meanwhile, Palmerston will be hoping for some key returnees after losing their third match of their title defence season.
Brothers form sets up big meeting
If form is anything to go by the Round 6 match between Brothers and Litchfield is going to be a ripper.
Darwin Brothers have torn it up the past couple rounds smashing South Darwin, Sharks and Nightcliff to cement their spot in second.
After five rounds, in which everyone has played each other, Brothers have scored the most points with 204 and had the fewest points scored against them with just 60.
And when it comes to individual stats Caleb Niki sits alone the top with eight tries, while captain Isaac Seden-Kurnoth is joint-second with four tries to his name.
While high scores are perhaps expected from a side known for its flair, as the Brothers are, it is a testament to their defence they are where there are.
Hard tackles and a no mercy mentality earned Brothers the win against Sharks in Round 3, and it’s that same mindset they will need to carry through for the rest of the season.
They’ve only had one bad half so far this season, the second half against Litchfield in Round 1.
And it’s that half Brothers will look to make up for when they face the still-undefeated Bears in Round 6, knowing full well Litchfield have that status for a reason.
Either way, expect fireworks this weekend when the current top two sides go head-to-head.
Sharks snap back to winner’s list
Northern Sharks are back among the winners’ circle as they saw off the winless South Darwin after two weeks without a positive result.
While it was probably the result Sharks would have expected heading into the match, it was an important tune-up for a side with genuine title ambitions.
The 2021 premiers stumbled against Litchfield and Brothers in consecutive weeks to make their chase of the minor premiership and the finals double chance just that little bit harder.
Most important is fitness. Sharks of the past two seasons have won games on the back of fitness and they weren’t quite at their own high standard against the Brethren in Round 4.
However, they did exactly what they needed to against Souths, winning 44-8 as Clint Chettle scored four tries.
Cooper Segeyaro showed his talents as well and was judged best on ground charging from full back starting many attacking move.
It’s still a long season, and for a side which knows the agonies of going undefeated only to lose the grand final, Sharks might be enjoying this time to learn some important lessons.
Meanwhile, South Darwin will be putting a lot of focus into their next meeting against Nightcliff, sensing an opportunity to break their winless run.
The Rabbitohs have not won since 2018 and may be sensing blood from the Dragons, who are also in a vulnerable spot right now.
Women’s rep side’s impressive success
Can’t forget the incredible results produced by the NT Titans women side in the National Championships at the weekend.
The women very quickly made their presence known, surprising the rest of the country on their way to going undefeated across their four matches.
And with the side’s average age hanging around the 20-21 region, it’s also a strong sign this NT side will be a force for years to come.
But more importantly it has shown the rest of the country women’s league is alive and thriving in the Territory, and more eyes on the game up here, the better.
Latoniya Norris and Nanise Vakacavu were among the standouts from the NT team and were both named in the team of the tournament.
Ellie Niki and Ilisapeci Bari dominated in the forwards and there were plenty of other big performances from the NT women across the competition.
It’s also now the benchmark for NT teams to come with plenty of under-16s and under-18s Territory girls now having a target they will want to emulate.
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