Macarthur RL: Injuries and big names return, round five talking points
With a quarter of the season behind us, we look at what is making news after a massive weekend of Macarthur Rugby League. Catch up on the eight talking points, plus PHOTO GALLERY.
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With five rounds completed, we look at the eight major talking points in Macarthur Rugby League.
GOODWIN OVERSHADOWED
Shielded among the avalanche of points scored by Nautu’a Masima and Liam Cassidy was Bryson Goodwin’s tally of 22 points in Mittagong’s big win over City.
The ex-Rabbitoh left-footer had a day out, kicking seven from 10 and finishing with a late double that included a run away effort along the left touchline.
LIONS ROAR LEFT
Speaking of Mittagong’s left edge, it’s becoming a real head scratcher for opposition coaches.
With a mix of power and pace, Cassidy toyed with City’s right side defence scoring an unbelievable five tries. But with a deft passing game, the classy backrower set up another two, including a bullet pass to unmarked winger Thomas Eccleston.
Including Goodwin’s double, the Lions finished with 10 tries, all scored to the left of the uprights.
GOUGH ROUNDS UP RAMS
With time just about up and the Rams finishing strong, Oakdale appeared headed for a heartbreaking fourth straight defeat.
Trailing by two, Camden attacked on the final play and looked certain to convert an overlap into the matching winning try.
But before centre Hugh Prebble could get the final pass away, Mitchell Gough shut down the raid with a smothering body shot.
UNLUCKY JETS
As they edge closer to their first win of the season, the Jets just can’t take a trick.
They had the better of The Oaks for the majority of last week’s contest, and seemed certain to regain the lead on the hour. A short side raid ended in the hands of Joel Gadd, only for the unmarked winger to spill the ball with the line wide open.
COLLIES FIT FOR 80
Collies’ cracking start to the season shows little signs of slowing down.
Arguably the fittest team in the comp, the majority of players arrive early to training and complete extras off their own bat.
TIGERS SKIPPER ON ONE LEG
In worrying signs for The Oaks, linchpin Mitchell Brasington played the second half against Narellan with his right knee heavily strapped.
Desperate to play in Saturday’s Oakdale derby, the skipper is hopeful of making a full recovery.
BIG NAMES RETURN
Thirlmere were outclassed last week against the Eagles on a heavy track at Waminda Oval. This week they tackle Collegians, but will be better for the return of Curtis Scott from suspension, and remain hopeful Tim Simona will overcome bruised ribs.
In another big return, captain-coach Kyle Fraser will add strength to Oakdale’s pack when he takes the field for the first time since his opening round suspension.
BOTTOM OF THE TABLE SHOOTOUT
With no wins between them, this week’s Narellan and South West clash promises to be a passionate affair.
Both sides have shown spades of improvement throughout the opening five rounds and can expect plenty of support at Narellan Sports Ground.
ROUND 6 DRAW
Oakdale v The Oaks at Sid Sharpe Memorial Oval
Camden v Campbelltown City at Kirkham Park
Mittagong v East Campbelltown at Mittagong Sports Ground
Narellan v South West at Narellan Sports Ground
Thirlmere v Campbelltown Collegians Thirlmere Sports Ground
ROUND FIVE WRAP
Catch up on the full wrap of each first grade match and all the results from the top two grades.
COLLIES SOUND OMINOUS WARNING AT PICTON
The only thing more astonishing than Collegians’ 48-4 hammering of Picton on their home patch was the 32 points scored by Nautu’a Masima.
In a blistering first 13 minutes, the Fijian World Cup half notched an incredible hat-trick as Collies set about silencing the home crowd with an impressive 24-0 first half.
In an off day for the Magpies, they simply had no answer to the sustained pressure applied by a relentless Collies middle, who continued to dominate after the break as the side posted another four tries.
Masima added a fourth in the second half on an afternoon where he was faultless from the tee with eight conversions.
Coming off a round four loss to the Eagles, coach Glen DeBono couldn’t have been happier with the response of his players
“It was important for us to bounce back from last week’s defeat,” he said.
“We needed to respond and rectify our start. One of our strengths is our go forward, and we dominated pretty much from the get-go.
“We had to make a couple of changes to the pack after we lost two players on Saturday, and we only played with a squad of 16.”
Once again, backrower John-Wesley Boath-Moananu was massive in a physical pack.
“Filia Utoikamanu also stood out too, he’s a workhorse,” DeBono said.
“Aaron Teariki played 80 minutes at prop, and finished just as he started, always looking for the collision.”
And on Masima’s haul, he thought there could have been more.
“He should have finished with five tries, but had one taken off him,” said DeBono before highlighting a potential issue for his side.
“He was impressive, and he played half the game with a rib cartilage problem too. Hopefully it’s nothing major.”
CASSIDY SCORES FIVE AS LIONS MASTER THE ROAD
Lions newcomer Liam Cassidy is fast making a name for himself.
After scoring a double last week, the blazing backrower single-handedly destroyed Campbelltown City with five tries in the Lions’ comfortable 54-4 victory at Fullwood Reserve.
After a horrid 2022 whey they failed to register a win on the road, Mittagong head to Campbelltown with trepidation. But they had little to fear. Leading 14-0 after a physical first half, the Lions eased through the gears after the break adding seven more tries.
Captain-coach James Grehan can scarcely believe how his star recruit is performing.
“We had to work hard to get on top in the first half,” he said.
“Once again, props Ben Arandt and Keiran Rackmore got through the tough stuff, then everything just fell Liam’s way.
“He scored one try in the first half, he set up a couple too and scored another four later in the game. Our left edge of Cassidy, Goodwin and five-eighth Nick Eccleston is running red hot at the moment.
“Cassidy did all that and still spent 10 minutes in the sin bin too.”
It was the only dark spot in a great day for the Lions. Marched for his part in an awkward lifting tackle, Cassidy may have some questions to answer during the week.
TIGERS HOLD OFF JETS IN DRIVING RAIN
Once again the Narellan Jets matched it with a competition heavyweight for an hour, this time conceding the final two tries in a 30-22 loss to The Oaks on Saturday night.
Halfback Tyreece Rea-Milford got Narellan off to a perfect start, pouncing on his own grubber kick to score in the opening minutes, and they led 10-0 after 13 minutes when Levi Dodd put Joel Gadd across in the right corner.
Chasing their tails in heavy rain, the Tigers hit back through inspirational playmaker Daniel Payne. In the space of 15 minutes the mercurial half kicked a 40-20, and his second solo try reduced Narellan’s advantage to 16-12.
And if not for a moment of Daniel Smith and Luke Gibson brilliance it would have remained the halftime score.
With The Oaks treading water deep in their own territory just before the interval, fullback Smith put in an audacious chip-kick. Gibson swooped on the greasy ball but was quickly rounded up by the Jets cover near halfway. But as the tacklers slipped off, the centre returned to his feet, racing away to open an unlikely 18-16 lead.
Narellan struck back immediately after the restart, fullback Faaletino Tavana crossing from a lovely Rea-Milford short ball.
In a seesawing contest, The Oaks then regained the lead 24-22 after backrower Ben Scambary powered over the line.
In the closing stages, Narellan had several chances to at least draw level, but it wasn’t to be their night. And when Smith beat several tired defenders to score late in the game, the Tigers had extended their unbeaten start to the season to an impressive four matches.
For winning captain-coach Mitchell Brasington, the victory brought great relief.
“Narellan are a big and physically dangerous side,” he said.
“They’re not far off a win, and when they break through it could shape the backend of their season.”
The skipper thought the kick for Gibson’s miracle try was ambitious, and on the brilliant performance by Payne, he said fans should expect more as the season unfolds.
“Payne is great for us, he’s not afraid to take the line on. He’s a handy player, but we are still working ways to get him more involved.”
OAKDALE SINK CAMDEN
Oakdale have held off a late charge by the Camden Rams to end a three match losing streak with a 24-22 win at Kirkham Park.
Last week the Rams dodged a bullet after falling behind the Jets, and they came close to reeling in a defiant Workers in the final minutes before eventually falling to their first loss of the season.
A try to centre Nathan Davis in the 69th minutes put Oakdale ahead 24-18, but the reigning premiers kept coming and struck back through Logan Matapuku.
With the wingers try in the corner, five-eighth Jackson Willis had the chance to level the scores with less than three minutes remaining. His kick sailed wide and the Workers held on for their second win of the season.
Halfback Jacob McKinnon was the best for Oakdale in a contest where the visitors scored three first half tries, including a double to winger Cooper Dupond to lead 14-6 at the break.
Tries to captain Brad Speechley and Atini Gafa put Camden in front 18-14 with 25 minutes to play. But then Jacob Rockwell crossed for Oakdale, seven minutes before Davis scored what turned out to be the match winner.
EAGLES OUTCLASS WEAKENED ROOSTERS
East Campbelltown have overcome a halftime deficit to defeat a depleted Thirlmere 22-12 at Waminda Oval.
Despite the absence of Blake Ferguson, Tim Simona and the suspended Curtis Scott, the Roosters looked like extending their three match unbeaten run after opening an 8-4 halftime lead.
Young winger James Lee joined reliable Roosters hooker Mitch New on the first half score sheet, while winger Blake Clayton finished an acrobatic effort in the right corner for the Eagles’ only try.
Winger Clive Haselhuhn was the only Rooster to score after the break but it wasn’t enough against a determined Eagles who crossed for three of their own to round out the club’s third win of the year and second in a row.
PHOTO GALLERY
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