Group 2 Rugby League: Wrap, results, standouts from the round five catch-up games
One side has surged into the top four after a crucial local derby win while another bounced back from disappointment in emphatic fashion in Group 2.
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One team has bounced back from disappointment in dramatic style, another has given its hopes of playing finals footy a huge shot in the arm, while the competition leaders have moved a step closer to a huge achievement during the rescheduled round five of Group 2 Rugby League.
Check out a wrap of the action below.
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MERCY RULE INVOKED AS NAMBUCCA RUNS RIOT
Nambucca has bounced back in emphatic fashion after two competition points were stripped from the side for a breach of the points system, with the Roosters invoking the mercy rule in a 60-0 thrashing of South Grafton at McKittrick Park.
Dwayne Roberts Jarrett and Brody Simon both bagged doubles as the defending premiers ran in a remarkable 12 tries to none to ensure that the game was called off with more than 13 minutes on the clock.
“I was very happy with their all-round performance,” said coach Warwick Jones. “It was a good way to bounce back and a good reaction to the decision. I was also really happy to keep them to zero.”
It was a particularly ruthless performance in attack, with lock Jack Margetts and halfback Logan Jones both having blinders as Nambucca turned on the razzle dazzle with some quite brilliant attacking footy.
“We were definitely very clinical. Our pack had plenty of go-forward, which made room for the backs, who were able to score some really nice tries,” said Jones.
The thrashing comes after Nambucca became the first club in Group 2 to be stripped of two competition points for going over its Player Points Index System (PPIS) quota.
While the club did not dispute that it breached its 75-point maximum limit, it was disappointed by what it perceived to be a heavy penalty. Nambucca officials pointed to the complexities of the case and the fact that a string of safeguard measures normally designed to prevent teams from exceeding their points did not pick up on the issue until after the game.
“It definitely was (used as motivation),” said Jones. “We spoke to the players about it and filled them in about what was happening and it was a definite motivator.
“It was a good reaction and they’ll definitely use it as a bit of extra motivation. I was really happy with the way they bounced back from the news.”
Despite missing the likes of playmaker Tyreece Sines, centre Jake Saunders and winger Liam Cuffe, the Roosters had no shortage of firepower as Margetts jumped over from dummy-half one play after making a break up field to give the side a fantastic start after just eight minutes.
Shortly after it was Jones’ turn to shine as he stepped one, brushed off another and then ran 90m up field directly from a scrum to score the team’s second.
The early tries had given Nambucca the confidence to chance their arm, with an outstanding flick pass from Jay Melrose handing Roberts Jarrett his first and Jones putting centre Dane Saunders through a gap for another long-range try.
Then when Margetts sliced through the line and put Roberts Jarrett over for his second, the Roosters took a 26-0 into halftime.
It was a similar story after the break as fullback Isaac Jones joined the party by beating three defenders and then putting on the jets to run 80 for an excellent solo try just two minutes after the restart.
The tries kept coming as the Roosters continued to roll up field.
Then when Jones broke through the line to put backrower Dean Goodwin over, the mercy rule was invoked as the full-time whistle was blown with more than 13 minutes remaining on the clock.
The win keeps Nambucca in second, while South Grafton slip down to fifth. In a quirk of the draw given the washout fixture, the two teams will face off again this weekend at Coronation Park.
Nambucca 60 (Roberts Jarrett 2, Simon 2, Margetts, Saunders, Roberts-Davis, Welsh, Goodwin, Leisha tries; Roberts Jarrett 3 goals, Roberts-Davis 3 goals) defeated South Grafton 0
LETHAL WOOPI BURNS THE GHOSTS
Woolgoolga has moved to within one win of claiming the minor premiership after hammering Grafton 54-16 at the Solitary Island Sports Ground.
After the Seahorses shot out to an early lead, the Ghosts hit back and got to within eight points early in the second half, only for the competition leaders to really click into gear with a devastating final period.
Shayde Perham, Brent Cochrane and Dane O’Hehir all scored doubles as the team ran in 10 tries to three to extend its unbeaten run in 2025 to eight games.
“I think we were solid,” said captain-coach Jake Elphick. “Especially in the last 20 minutes we showed what we’ve got. A little bit of ill-discipline kept them in the game but once we sort of clicked into gear in that last 20 we were very dominant.”
Indeed, after Woolgoolga raced out to a 22-6 lead early on, some observers might have thought that a big win was a mere formality.
However penalties drew the Ghosts back into the contest and the sin binning of Seahorses fullback O’Hehir on the back of repeat infringements helped the visitors as they scored tries either side of the halftime to bring the scoreline back to 24-16.
But once they had their full complement on the field the home side turned on the fireworks with six second half tries to really run away with the game.
“Once Dane came back on the field and we had a full side we started playing some open and continuous footy and it just opened up for us,” said Elphick.
The win extends Woolgoolga’s unbeaten run for the season out to eight games, with the round one clash against South Grafton ultimately abandoned.
Sitting five points clear of Nambucca at the top of the table with just three regular-season games remaining, the Seahorses could seal the minor premiership this weekend with a win in the return fixture against the Ghosts at Frank McGuren Field.
“It is something on my mind,” said Elphick. “Obviously you get that home semi-final, and our reserve grade and girls are pushing for that as well, so that could be a really big day for the club.
“I also think it’s a really good draw set up for us, playing Sawtell and Nambucca leading into the finals. That’ll get us finals ready.”
Woolgoolga 54 (B Cochrane 2, Perham 2, O’Hehir 2, Duncombe, I Cochrane, Prince, Elphick tries; Elphick 6 goals, Perham 1 goal) defeated Grafton 16 (Carter 2, Cooper tries; Vickery 2 goals)
COFFS TURNS TABLES IN LOCAL DERBY
Coffs Harbour has charged into the top four after defeating rivals Sawtell 24-4 in an impressive local derby win at Geoff King Motors Oval.
Despite conceding early, the Comets put on an excellent defensive display to shut out the Panthers for the rest of the match and run in four tries of their own to record their second-straight win.
“Our effort was huge, the boys turned up for each other. Our defence was really solid and it was just that effort that led to the win in slippery conditions,” said Coffs coach Scott Street.
In particular, the coach was impressed with his team’s intensity without the ball.
“That’s the biggest area where we’ve sort of lacked this year, just that effort and willingness to show up for each other. It finally clicked and the result showed that.”
Coming into the game needing a win to keep in touch with the top five, Coffs suffered an early blow when Sawtell centre Robert Brilley went over after just 11 minutes.
However it didn’t take the home side long to hit back as lock Kellen Wood scored midway through the half to put the Comets up 6-4.Coffs then really rammed home its advantage late in the first half as tries to halfback Jett McCarthy and backrower Henry Davies gave the side a 16-6 lead at the break.
The game developed into a grind and the Comets extended their lead midway through the second half when Michael Hart slotted a penalty, before a late try to winger Mikey Sharma sealed a very important win.
The victory, the team’s second in a row, pushes Coffs into fourth on the ladder as it looks to play finals footy. The Comets are now equal on points with Sawtell and face off with the Panthers again this weekend.
“It gives us confidence that what we’re doing works,” said Street. “We haven’t put an 80-minute performance together yet and this was probably the closest we got.
“We’ve got a good platform to keep building and hopefully sneak into the five. Then it’s a whole new ballgame from there.
“We’ll take confidence out of back-to-back wins but we’ve got to turn around and do it again next week. We’ve got Sawtell again and we’ve got to back it up again, otherwise it doesn’t sort of mean anything.”
Coffs Harbour 24 (Wood, McCarthy, Davies, Sharma tries; McCarthy 2 goals, Hart 2 goals) defeated Sawtell 4 (Brilley try)
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