Macarthur Rugby League: 12 magic moments to remember from season 2023
From miracle comebacks to off-field antics and epic blow-ups, there was always something to talk about in a memorable Macarthur Rugby League season. Check out our 12 magic moments.
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The 2023 Macarthur Rugby League season will go down as one to remember.
Thirlmere claimed the trophy, but it was anything but plain sailing, as the Roosters gave their fans heart palpitations during every week of an incredible finals series.
Elsewhere, there were epic derby contests, verbal sprays and monumental blow-ups. Throw in some wild off-field antics, and there was something for everyone.
Here’s our 12 magic moments.
POST SIREN SUPERBOOT
Talk about a stressful start to the season. By the end of round two, Tigers fans had already chewed off their fingernails.
In the opening week a Mitch Brasington penalty goal saw The Oaks draw level with Camden after the final siren, then a week later against Picton, the superboot five-eighth was at it again.
Locked at 22-22, The Oaks were awarded a penalty for a high tackle in the final play of the game.
Once again the result would hinge on Brasington’s boot. But from 45 metres out and 10 in from touch, there was still plenty to do.
“Yeah, I hit it pretty sweet,” recalled Brasington. “There was plenty of supporters there and they were pretty happy about it that’s for sure.”
COLLIES OFF THE LEASH
Campbelltown Collegians’ season got off to a flyer, but it was the side’s fourth win in five starts that set tongues wagging.
The only thing more astonishing than the 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.
Masima – the Macarthur player of the season – scored another after the break, and could have scored more.
“He should have finished with five tries, but had one taken off him,” said coach Glen DeBono.
EPIC DERBY
In round six, The Oaks and Oakdale lit up Sid Sharpe Oval with a 14-try epic that will be long remembered.
At 34-all with less than 10 minutes to play, it could have gone either way.
In a rollicking derby that a times resembled a bar room brawl, both sides finished with 12 after Tigers prop Hayden Bunce and Oakdale’s Ben Whitehouse were dismissed by the referee.
In the end Oakdale got the chocolates following late tries to skipper Kyle Fraser and Jacob Rockwell.
“It was one of the best derby games I have been involved in, and the biggest crowd too,” said a relieved Fraser.
RATTLER DERAILS THIRLMERE
A week after The Oaks and Oakdale’s epic derby, Thirlmere trailed cross town rivals Picton 16-4 with 20 minutes to play.
The Roosters surged back into contention with back-to-back tries in the space of five minutes. Down by two, Levi Bromfield set about continuing Thirlmere’s charge from the restart.
But after hitting top gear, the menacing prop was counting stars, folded in half by a Nick Soloa-Toomata rib rattler.
It not only took the wind out of the big No.8, it stopped Thirlmere’s comeback right in its tracks and the Magpies held on to win 16-14.
DELUXE BLOW-UP
It was the round eight contest that continued for the best part of a week. After leaving Mittagong with a 22-all draw, Thirlmere coach Darren McLeod was left fuming upon hearing two of his players had been suspended following subsequent complaints by Mittagong to the NSWRL.
With comments that spiced up the back-end of the season, McLeod didn’t pull any punches.
“They are just sulking because they didn’t beat us when we were missing Curtis Scott and three or four others,” he said.
“It’s really poor form by Mittagong, especially after the ugly Liam Cassidy spear tackle wasn’t referred to the judiciary in their game with City back in round five.”
SIN BIN SIN
In another Tigers nailbiter, Thirlmere’s Mitch New thought his late try was enough to get the Roosters over the line in round 10.
But with an extra player on the field, it was comically denied after a sin-binned Rooster was incorrectly given the green light to re-enter play 10 seconds ahead of time.
But at 20-all, Thirlmere teenager James Lee took matters into his own hands, landing a monstrous drop goal to secure a memorable one-point victory.
EAGLE BUNKERED
It sits among the plays of the season and it occurred miles from the nearest footy ground.
But for East Campbelltown’s Kobe Chamberlain, what happens on tour doesn’t always stay on tour.
Under strict instructions from coach Richard Barnes to ‘take it easy’, several of the Eagles’ finest headed out during the side’s round 10 bye.
All except Chamberlain returned to face Narellan. Ruled out with an ankle injury, the backrower remained under ice after he was ‘accidentally’ run over by a teammate in a golf cart.
BIG SCREEN, BIGGER FINISH
Despite a difficult season, Picton came to the party in round 13 as the club switched on its new scoreboard at Victoria Park.
Named in honour of loyal club servants Merv and Freda Davies, the Magpies put on a sparkling performance to light up the flashy LED screen with a 26-14 upset of The Oaks.
GOANNAS TRICK SHOT
In a season loaded with sensational tries, South West’s effort in round 14 against The Oaks will be difficult to repeat.
With five minutes gone at Onslow Oval, Rinaldo Palumbo’s last play kick didn’t have much going for it. That was until it bounced off the crossbar and into the waiting hands of centre Jared Ross, who gleefully grounded the ball for the opening try of the match.
OAKDALE MIRACLE
Needing a win to remain alongside the frontrunners, Oakdale were on the ropes in round 15 when they trailed Mittagong 26-4 midway through the second half.
Oakdale centre Jackson Blatch crossed on debut to initiate the comeback before Kyle Fraser brushed away two defenders to power over the line for the match winning play in the dying minutes.
“Being in the middle, I haven’t scored too many match winners,” said a buzzing Fraser.
Stunned by Oakdale’s brisk five-try comeback, Lions coach James Grehan wasn’t sure where to look.
“It just snowballed when Liam Cassidy went the sin bin. It just seemed like we were defending for the last 20 minutes, I didn’t really know what to say to the boys back in the sheds.”
COSTLY SPRAY
It was the ultimate meltdown that eventually ruled a line through East Campbelltown’s season.
Leading Thirlmere 32-22 with four minutes on the clock in round 16, it was the Eagles’ to lose, and that’s exactly what they did.
With East Campbelltown in possession centre Abiarthur Tuilaepa was sent to the sin bin for verbal dissent. Roosters prop Kye Madden powered over in the next set, and from the restart Tim Simona rounded off a miraculous comeback when he dashed clear to plant the ball under the crossbar.
“It sums up our year to be honest,” said dejected Eagles coach Richard Barnes.
COOL AS A CUCUMBER
In a finals series jammed with spectacular moments, it was hard to bypass Josh Bryant’s last minute heroics in the preliminary final, but with the title on the line, Thirlmere’s Damon New brought the magic.
In a pulsating grand final with Camden, Roosters winger Wiremu Tuiletufuga crashed over for his third try to level the scores at 26-all.
With the ball placed just inside the touchline and with less than two minutes on the clock, New lived out every kids dream, raising the flags with the premiership winning conversion.
“I just tried to block the noise out and go through my routine,” said New. “I looked at the goalposts and thought ‘this is going over’, then I just kicked the thing and thank god it went over … it felt so good.”
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