Group 2 Rugby League: Wrap, results, standouts from round 11

There were big leads, stirring comebacks, tries galore and a decisive play on the bell as two rivals clashed in a local derby thriller in Group 2.

Nambucca claimed a dramatic two-point win over local rivals Macksville. Picture: Leigh Jensen

Local footy fans were treated to one of the games of the season so far as Nambucca and Macksville clashed in a thrilling local derby during round 11 of Group 2 Rugby League.

Elsewhere, another title contender has returned to form in style. Catch up with a wrap of the action below.

NAMBUCCA, MACKSVILLE CLASH IN EPIC LOCAL DERBY

There were big leads, stirring comebacks, tries galore and a decisive play on the bell to decide the game as Nambucca defeated rivals Macksville 34-32 in a classic local derby at Coronation Park.

After a seesawing game that saw both sides enjoy periods of dominance, two late tries to the Sea Eagles saw it all came down to the final play.

With his team trailing by two, Macksville’s Romain Pallares had a conversion attempt 15m out and 15m to the right of the posts to level things up.

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After having slotted multiple goals from the sideline during the afternoon, Pallares was in good touch. However his kick rattled against the post and Nambucca held on for a dramatic two-point win.

“It was really good. We wanted to get off to a really good start and show a lot of enthusiasm in the early stages,” said Nambucca coach Warwick Jones. “We did that and came of the blocks really well, but to Macksville’s credit they fought their way back into it.”

The Roosters got off to a flyer before holding off a Macksville comeback. Picture: Leigh Jensen

Indeed, the Roosters started very well and raced out to a 16-0 lead inside the first quarter of the game.

It was one of two occasions when the home side held a 16-point lead, with Nambucca even leading by 12 with less than 10 minutes remaining before Macksville set up a dramatic finish with two late tries.

“There were times when I thought we had a chance to skip away but they did well and kept coming back. They had a lot of ball, controlled it well and capitalised on their chances,” said Jones.

“We blew a couple of opportunities in the second half that really took the pressure off Macksville – chances that should’ve put the game beyond their reach,” he added.

“But the spectators definitely got their money’s worth with that one.”

And while it was a hugely entertaining finish and great example of country rugby league at its best, it was far less enjoyable for the coaches watching on from the sidelines as the final play unfolded.

“Obviously I wasn’t happy that we blew a 12-point lead but I was pretty prepared to take a point each. Unfortunately for Macksville but fortunately for us he hit the post and I was happy to get an extra point.”

It was a dramatic finish fitting of what was a brilliant local derby.

After a couple of early errors from both sides, Nambucca took advantage of its chances and centre Jake Saunders went over on the right edge after eight minutes.

Saunders was in the action again almost immediately, making a break just after the kick-off to get the Roosters up field before hooker Jacob Welsh burrowed over from dummy-half to make it two tries in two sets to give the home side a 10-0 lead.

Nambucca was on fire and when a couple of fortuitous deflections from a grubber ended up in the hands of halfback Logan Jones, the team had raced out to a 16-0 lead after just 18 minutes.

Macksville had been stunned by their rivals’ fast start but hit back soon after when Matt Hyland put prop Billy Cockbain through a hole to get his team on the board.

Billy Cockbain got Macksville on the board. Picture: D Wigley

But errors were proving costly for the Sea Eagles, with a knock-on on their own line opening the door once again and Jones bursting through a gap for his second to give Nambucca a 22-6 lead after just 28 minutes.

The game was going from end to end and some individual brilliance saw Macksville go the length of the field with an outstanding try.

With the team defending its own line, centre Clay Saville showed great hands to cleanly take an attacking grubber and then charge up field.

He managed to get the ball away to halfback Pallares, who in turn found fullback Robert Smith.

And while he was tackled, Nambucca’s defensive line was so far behind the ruck, which allowed winger Josh Bartlett to score in the corner from the next play to cap off a brilliant try. Pallares then slotted the conversion from the sideline to make it 22-12 at the break of what was a hugely entertaining half of football.

Macksville had finished the first half on a high and started the second in the same fashion when hooker Zane Doolan burrowed over from dummy-half just two minutes after the restart to slash the deficit to just four points.

But just as the Sea Eagles were getting close, Nambucca stretched further ahead when some nice footwork saw Jones stroll over for his third to put the home side up 28-18 with half an hour to play.

Logan Jones was outstanding for Nambucca. Picture: Nambucca Heads Roosters RLFC

While the Roosters had moved out a 10-point lead, the tit for tat nature of the contest continued soon after when Macksville’s Brodie Bartlett found himself in space down the left touchline and brushed off a defender to once again slash the deficit and make it 28-22 with 15 minutes on the clock.

Mistakes had hurt the Sea Eagles badly throughout the game and this continued in the final stages with an incorrect play-the-ball turning possession over in a dangerous area. A couple of plays later Nambucca prop Khan Jarrett busted through the defensive line and charged over to put the home side up 34-22 with 10 to play.

But if anyone had have thought the game was over they would have been mistaken. Macksville winger Wez Brown went through out wide to score before Sam Shields crashed over to once again make it a two-point ball game with less than a minute remaining.

Pallares then had the chance to level things up, however the ball struck the post with what proved to be the final play of the game.

The win keeps Nambucca in second place and gives the Roosters a sense of redemption after going down to Macksville in round four. Meanwhile the Sea Eagles hold their spot in fifth.

Nambucca 34 (Jones 3, Saunders, Welsh, Jarrett tries; Roberts Jarrett 5 goals) defeated Macksville 32 (Cockbain, J Bartlett, Doolan, B Bartlett, Brown, Shields tries; Pallares 4 goals)

SAWTELL RUNS RIOT OVER REBELS

Sawtell returned to winner’s circle big time in round 11. Picture: Leigh Jensen

Sawtell has snapped a two-game losing streak in style after hammering South Grafton 56-16 at McKittrick Park.

After an fairly even opening, a blistering 10-minute period at the end of the first half blew the game right open as the Panthers ran in 10 tries to three to chalk up their biggest win of the season.

“We wanted a reaction after last week, it was pretty disappointing against Nambucca (32-6 loss) and I challenged the boys during the week to go up to Grafton and have a solid game – and we definitely did that,” said Sawtell captain-coach Sam Johnstone.

Perhaps most impressively for the Panthers was their ability to really put their opponents to the sword, with the team scoring a remarkable four tries in 10 minutes late in the first half as they took the scoreline in what had been a tight contest from 12-all to 34-12 in the blink of an eye.

“We were pretty confident that if we got stuck into the grind early that we’d get them at the back end of the halves and it really showed at the end of the first half when it all started to click,” said Johnstone.

“We stuck to our structure, which we hadn’t done for a couple of weeks, kept playing our footy and ran over the top of them. We also put them away in the second half, which we have struggled to do this year, so that was good.”

On the back of two-straight losses to Nambucca and Macksville, Johnstone was pleased with how his side got the fundamentals right against the Rebels.

“We stripped it right back and went back to basics. I think we’ve been trying to overplay our hand in previous weeks and I think we just worked really hard to win the ruck, which is something that we haven’t been doing too well this season.

Sam Johnstone scored two tries in the big win. Picture: Leigh Jensen

“We started to win the ruck against the Rebels, we started to feel the difference and it really paid off for us. Getting through our sets and winning the ruck is really important and I’d like to see that continue in the next few weeks. We had a bit of a flat patch through the middle of the year and I hope we can build on this win.”

Despite finishing big winners, it was actually South Grafton who crossed first when young fullback Sam Petch went over just four minutes into the game.

However Sawtell didn’t need long to hit back, as a Rebels knock-on was swooped on by Sawtell and centre Jayden O’Shannessy slid over to lock things up at 6-all after 12 minutes.

The tit-for-tat nature of the early stages continued when Johnstone barged over and Rebels lock Tyrhys Brown worked his way through some goal line for the fourth try of the match inside 18 minutes to make it 12-all.

While the contest remained in the balance, Sawtell well and truly took the game away from South Grafton towards the back of the of half with a remarkable four tries in 10 minutes.

It started when Johnstone crashed over for his second before some poor decision-making from South Grafton under the high ball gave the Panthers a repeat set straight off the kick-off. The visitors duly capitalised by putting Hakeem Torrens over out wide.

Holes were opening up everywhere in the Rebels’ defensive line and Sawtell really turned the knife as Robert Brilley bagged a quickfire double to put the visitors up 34-12 lead at the break.

The trend continued after the break as the Panthers ran in another four tries to one to cap off a big win that takes them up into third place on the ladder.

Sawtell 56 (Torrens 3, Johnstone 2, Brilley 2, O’Shannessy, Kemp, Thornton tries; Beattie 8 goals) defeated South Grafton 16 (Petch 2, Brown tries; Petch 2 goals)

In the other round 11 game, Coffs Harbour defeated the Ghosts 34-16.