Central Coast Rugby League: Semi-final previews and players to watch
With the local footy finals set to kick off this weekend, we’ve taken a look at how the blockbuster clashes are shaping up and the key players to watch.
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The Central Coast Rugby League finals will kick off this weekend with semi-finials for all five grades taking place at Ted Doyle Oval and Woy Woy Oval on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Ahead of the blockbuster clashes, we’ve previewed both the elimination and major semi-finals in first grade, highlighting how the teams are shaping up and the players to keep an eye on over the finals series.
Terrigal v Wyong
Saturday 3:05pm – Ted Doyle Oval, Berkeley Vale
Head to head in 2023: Wyong 2-0
They might have finished third and fourth respectively, but Terrigal and Wyong have arguably been the form teams of the competition over the second half of the season, turning what long appeared to be a two-horse race into a comp with four genuine contenders for the premiership.
Under captain-coach Dylan McKeown, the Sharks have proven hard to beat all season, picking up 12 of a possible 16 points since the mid-season wet weather round. Building the foundations of their success on defence, the team’s attack has also improved over the second half of the season to offer a more potent threat with the ball in hand.
Meanwhile Wyong have won five of their past six to surge back into the top four after it appeared as though their finals chances were slipping out of reach following an inconsistent start to the season.
The team has taken confidence from its 2014 premiership-winning campaign, when current captain-coach Todd Lewis was a young up-and-comer in a Roos team that scraped into fifth place before winning five straight to take out the grand final.
“It’s funny, last time we were in this position we won the comp in 2014, so although that’s a little while ago, for a couple of us older boys it was refreshing to say that we’ve been here before and we know what to do,” he said.
However despite their impressive run of recent form, both sides will come into the elimination semi on the back of a loss, with Erina going down to Toukley and Wyong suffering a surprise defeat at the hands of Woy Woy in the final round of the season.
The Roos have had the wood on the Sharks so far this season, knocking them off 16-6 in round four and then 24-10 in round 11, and will be hoping to make it a three-peat on Saturday.
“They’ve got a huge pack, and this year they’ve been super physical with the boys they’ve recruited,” said Lewis.
“Dyl (McKeown) himself and Eden (Syme) are two of the best front-rowers in the comp with the standard they play, and as fit as they are, we’ve just got to keep the ball in play and make sure they’re not getting a rest.”
Unfortunately for the Sharks they will be without Syme and young playmaker Hemi Knebel through injury, however captain-coach Dylan McKeown is confident his team can turn around the head-to-head record and do the business.
“We’ve always had blokes to step up and take their place, and I hope that continues in the big games,” he said.
“We’ve lost to them twice so we know how good they can be. It’s been our kryptonite all year: in those games we’ve handed it over too much.
Players to watch
Elih Jackson (Terrigal)
The lock has been an absolute star for the Sharks this season, playing 80 minutes in the middle week after week and complementing the good work of props McKeown and Syme.
“He’s been one of our best all year,” said McKeown. “He does all that hard work and I believe that if he’s playing good then we’re playing good. He’s been unreal every week for us.”
Beni Valu (Terrigal)
The huge backrower brings incredible strike power to the edge and has caused plenty of havoc for opponents this season, scoring eight tries, including four in a rampaging display against Kincumber back in round nine.
“He’s a big tryscorer and a big attacking weapon for us,” said McKeown. “When he’s on he’s hard to stop, so hopefully we can use him to his potential.”
Caydn Rosemeyer (Terrigal)
One of the more underrated members of Terrigal’s side, the hardworking centre is a solid performer who plays a key role in getting the team’s sets rolling up field.
“He’s just a tough worker, he does those tough carries out of our own half and has been one of our most consistent performers week in, week out,” said McKeown.
Terence Seuseu (Wyong)
The 36-year-old former NRL player and Samoa international is one of the best players not only in Wyong’s team but the competition at large.
Crafty out of dummy-half with excellent attacking nous and game awareness, a lot of the Roos’ attacking plays go through the 36-year-old, who attracts praise from both teammates and opponents alike.
“They are also very good at getting in and around the ruck off Terence,” said Terrigal coach McKeown. “Terence is a key indicator for them, a good player, so we’ll have to be good on him because I believe everything comes off Terence.”
Stephen Gordon
Another veteran with plenty to offer, the 37-year-old centre – who has enjoyed a glittering career that included a brief stint in the NRL and plenty of success in Newcastle’s Denton Engineering Cup – has been excellent for the Roos since rejoining the club halfway through the season.
“His experience coming back has been great,” said Lewis.
“His attitude is all about wanting to give back to the younger boys with the experience he’s got and after career he’s had, so when we had that call mid-season and heard his intentions, we thought we could definitely use someone like that.”
Aaiden Wright
The 32-year-old five-eighth is a tough competitor for the Roos and is one of a string of experienced campaigners – alongside Seuseu, Gordon, and Lewis himself – who play an important role in piecing together the team’s attack.
“They’ve been instrumental for us all year, they’re the most experienced, and I think it means a bit more for the older boys now that we’re getting to the end of our careers,” said Lewis. “We know these things don’t come around too often.”
Toukley v Erina
Sunday, 3:05pm – Woy Woy Oval
Head to head in 2023: Toukley 2-0
It’s a rematch of last year’s grand final in this first versus second major semi-final blockbuster at Woy Woy Oval, with the winner to book their spot directly in the grand final.
While both teams have been the absolute standouts throughout the regular season, they’ve gone about their business in very different ways.
The Hawks have built their success on their experienced pack and defence, with Toukley far and away the best defensive team in the competition, conceding a miserly 160 points across their 14 games this season.
While the Hawks have crushed teams into the ground with their defence, Erina has blown teams away with its attack, with the young Eagles’ expansive, free-flowing football yielding an incredible 476 points so far.
Toukley have got the better of Erina both times this year, winning 18-10 in round two and 34-16 in the return game. Buoyed by claiming the club’s first ever first grade minor premiership last weekend, the Hawks will head into the game full of confidence.
“It’s the same thing for us, we just try and focus on ourselves and our game,” said captain-coach Jake Fitzpatrick. “Erina throw the ball around well so you’ve got to be agile in defence to able to close them down, but we’ll just be focusing on winning the battle in the middle.”
As for the Eagles, despite falling to their rivals on both occasions this year, coach Dane Allen says they won’t be making wholesale changes to the way they play.
“We’ve played half-decent footy both times we’ve played them and the result was taken out of our hands on both occasions,” he said.
“But we’re confident that if we play the right brand of footy we can get the win, so we’ll just go about our business like we have the last couple of times and hopefully get the bounce of the ball and a couple of decent decisions and get the win.”
Players to watch
Jakob Giles (Toukley)
The backrower has been in rare form over the back half of the season, with his excellent line running yielding four tries over the past four weeks.
Strong in defence and a potent weapon in attack, Giles will be one to keep an eye on.
Kiran Page (Toukley)
The young outside back has come on in leaps and bounds this season after shifting from the wing to fullback.
Safe as houses at the back, good value when it comes to carting the ball out from his own end and a key figure in attacking plays, Page will be key to Toukley’s game plan on Sunday.
Blake Carter and Brady Barwick (Toukley)
It’s impossible to split these two, who have been the bedrock of Toukley’s title defence this season.
Tough as nails and absolute workhorses in the middle, the pair have been central to the Hawks’ minor premiership-winning season so far.
“They’ve been outstanding for us all year in controlling that middle,” said Fitzpatrick.
Nick Newman (Erina)
The five-eighth has been key to the Eagles’ attacking fluency this season.
While scoring nine tries himself, Newman’s hand in directing attacking plays can’t be understated.
“He has been exceptional for us all year,” said Allen.
Joel Frazer (Erina)
In a team that has blooded 12 players under the age of 21 this season, no one has shown more leadership than the skipper.
“He’s been unreal. Up front, he leads by example every week,” said Allen. “And there have been a couple of weeks where we’ve had some injuries to some forwards and Joel’s just stepped up. He’s been unreal.”
Finn Douch (Erina)
The young outside back has been a standout since returning to his junior club this season from a stint at Wyong in the Denton Cup.
Strong in both attack and defence, Douch was excellent in the centres at the beginning of the year before moving to fullback to cover for Lincoln Tubridy.
His goalkicking is another string to his bow, with Douch finishing the regular season as the competition’s top scorer with 140 points.
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