Macarthur Rugby League: Costly slip-ups and a missing Goanna, round 10 talking points

There were gripping contests and a host of stunning individual performances in the Macarthur Rugby League, but not everything followed the script. Eight talking points from Round 10.

Macarthur Rugby League, round 10, 2023.

Here’s what is making news after 10 rounds of the Macarthur Rugby League.

GOANNAS FORFEIT

South West’s season of instability took another ugly turn on Sunday when the reserve grade side forfeited to Collegians.

According to club president Mark Baird, four players withdrew an hour before the start to honour a previous commitment. The 10 South West players who made it to Onslow Oval wanted to take the field, however, Baird refused to compromise their safety.

SIN BIN MAYHEM

It was a Mitch New classic, another explosive solo try by the Thirlmere hooker that appeared to be the final nail in The Oaks’ coffin.

But with an extra player on the field, it was sadly denied after a sin-binned Rooster was incorrectly given the green light to re-enter play 10 seconds ahead of time.

LEE SINKS THE BOOT IN

If Thirlmere fans thought the New no-try was a travesty, they didn’t have to wait long to change their tune

At 20-all and with time running out, teenage half James Lee stepped up before a host of big names, and with a thunderous right-boot kicked the Roosters to an unlikely one-point victory from 42 metres.

From a youngster that has spent most of the season on the wing, it was an amazing effort.

Thirlmere’s James Lee (No. 2) has made a successful transition to the halves. Pic by Julian Andrews.

STOP THE UNSTOPPABLE

We make no excuses about riding the James Coyne bandwagon here. With 16 tries in nine outings, the Mittagong fullback is compulsive viewing.

But as the weeks unfold, there’s certain plays that just keep repeating themselves. Like the centering Tom Maloney kick that Coyne likes to plant under the black-dot.

Most coaches plan for it, but seem powerless to stop it.

HAVE PICTON LEFT IT TOO LATE?

It’s hard to believe that Picton are struggling in ninth spot with just three wins and six losses. Blessed with a squad capable of turning the corner, the question is, have they left it too late.

If eight wins and as many losses is good enough to crack fifth spot, then the Magpies need to win at least five of their remaining seven games.

COLLIES IN THE DOG HOUSE

After 10 rounds Collies are the only team yet to have a bye. They put the feet up this weekend, which is quickly followed by another bye in round 13.

By the time they meet City in round 14 they will have only played twice in the five previous weeks, meaning they should be ultra fresh for a finals charge.

TIGERS’ COSTLY SLIP

After outscoring Thirlmere four tries to three, The Oaks’ heartbreaking one-point loss shows just how close the finals race is.

With defeat, the Tigers slipped from third to fifth and are now just one point above East Campbelltown in sixth.

MITTAGONG LATE MAIL

The latest from the Southern Highlands is tough reading for Lions fans.

A shoulder injury to James Coyne means he’ll miss this week’s clash with The Oaks, and with other commitments, the fullback will also be out for an additional four weeks.

The news comes in addition to Bryson Goodwin’s absence for another three weeks. In the pack, a neck injury is likely to sideline front row enforcer Keiran Rankmore, and Liam Cassidy’s availability still remains under a cloud.

Picton’s Jarrod Brackenhoffer gets his pass away. Picture Steve Montgomery

ROUND 10 WRAP

There was no shortage of chaos in round 10 of the Macarthur Rugby League. After a week’s break, the action returned across five venues on a windy Sunday afternoon.

Catch the latest and see what the coaches had to say in our round 10 wrap.

FUALALO DOUBLE SINKS LIONS

In a contest befitting the competition’s top two sides, Camden sent Mittagong packing with their first loss of the season after a gripping 11-try shootout at Kirkham Park.

Form centre Atini Gafa scored the first of Camden’s six tries, but from the moment Lions fullback James Coyne counted with one of his own in the seventh minute, it was tit for tat until the Rams repelled a late raid to record a memorable 34-28 victory.

Workhorse props Danny Fualalo and Mittagong’s Ben Arandt led their respective packs from the front, but with a double that included the final four-pointer of the afternoon, it was Fualalo’s day as Camden moved to 17 points and an equal share of top spot.

With six lead changes, halves Thomas Maloney and Camden’s Brad Speechley tried everything to get their side over the line after the scores were locked 16-all at halftime.

Lions backrower Adam Jeffery sent winger Thomas Eccleston across the stripe immediately after interval, before Camden fullback Steele Brown negotiated his way through a fractured line to once again level the scores.

Camden’s Danny Fualalo was once again in a try-scoring mood: Pics by Julian Andrews.

And so it continued, Speechley put his side ahead by six before Coyne ran in his second for a 28-all scoreline.

With less than 10 minutes to play Camden thought they’d done enough when Fualalo crashed over off a Ben Powers pass.

In the end they were right, but with prop Brad Hopkins sin binned in the 78th minute, they were forced to dig deep on their own line with 12 men.

“It was a fast game, the completion rates were high and both sides have similar attacking styles,” said Speechley.

“It was great to be the first team to beat them. We found our rhythm after 20 minutes but it was tough,” he said. “Both sides conceded some soft tries but it was more a result of fatigue.

“Danny Fualalo was massive upfront again for us. He played 80 minutes in the absence of the suspended Bailey Dickinson, and he could easily have finished with three tries,” he said.

“Mittagong are a good side, we did our homework on James Coyne and Blake Barbuto but they are just difficult to stop.”

TIGERS ROCKED BY MASSIVE FIELD GOAL

Among a host of big names, it was teenage sensation James Lee who stole the show in Thirlmere’s remarkable one-point win over a gutsy Tigers at Dudley Chesham Sports Ground.

Locked at 20-all in the dying minutes, Thirlmere’s shot a victory looked to have evaporated when Michael Wright’s penalty goal attempt slammed into the left upright.

It was all Lee needed to show his class. Selected in place of the suspended Damon New, the young half braved the blustery conditions, and with a thumping strike from beyond 40 metres landed a miraculous match winning field goal.

Earlier it looked like Thirlmere were in for an easy afternoon. Centre Barry Ruttley set up the first try and then raced away with an intercept to put the Roosters 12 clear.

Thirlmere’s Barry Ruttley was on fire early. Supplied: Thirlmere Roosters.

The Oaks eventually woke from their slumber and when hooker Nathan Rumsby crossed for their fourth, the Tigers were roaring 20-14 with just on half an hour to play.

Fresh from a three match suspension, Curtis Scott delivered when Thirlmere needed it most. Struggling to get out of their own end, the powerful lock did it all himself, busting the line and levelling the scores with a sensational 70m solo effort in the 69th minute.

“It was a gutsy win for us,” said Thirlmere coach Darren McLeod.

“We could have lost our way when five-eighth Tim Simona went off but we stuck to our game. The Oaks are tough and they outscored us four tries to three, it’s not often Mitch Brasington’s boot doesn’t win his side the game.”

For Brasington, it was another frustrating performance that saw the Tigers slip from third to fifth.

“It’s been the story of our year, another slow start and then we get back into the contest,” he said.

“Defensively we had some one-on-one misses, but we still had our chances with the ball but didn’t nail the final pass after a couple of line breaks.

“If we want to be up there with the best, we need to start beating them,” he said. “We only completed 17 of 32 sets, we just can’t afford to give that much ball away – we need to be smarter.”

OAKDALE OUTMUSCLE PICTON

Oakdale made it five straight wins and jumped to outright third place after cruising past Picton 46-16 at Sid Sharpe Oval.

Substitute five-eighth Troy Errington set the scene in the 13th minute, cruising through some brittle defence before skipper Kyle Fraser offloaded for Alec Bush to cross under the posts seven minutes later.

Picton simply had no answer to Oakdale’s size and mobility, and the tries kept coming. A one-armed Errington pass saw Michael Bullock score, and it was 24-0 when Fraser terrorised defenders from 10m out.

Oakdale powerhouse Nathan Davis. Pics by Julian Andrews.

Just after the break, centre Nathan Davis swatted away several defenders to make it 30-0. It threatened to get ugly, but Picton struck back to open their account through backrower Tukaha Kyriacou, and they rolled with the momentum for eight minutes to post another two tries.

Down 30-16, it was a close as the Magpies would get. Another three Oakdale tries in the closing 15 minutes saw the margin once again blowout to 30 points.

12-MAN JETS DOWN CITY

Narellan have overcome the first half dismissal of prop Eddie Faalua to overrun Campbelltown City 38-16 at Fullwood Reserve.

In a feisty contest, City opened an 8-6 lead against a frustrated Jets and were perfectly positioned to go on with the job when Faalua was dismissed for an alleged punch just before halftime.

For their part, City lost Manoa Veikoso to the sin bin for his role in the scuffle, and Narellan wasted no time in taking the advantage when Levi Dodd put Kana Tunupopo over in the unmanned corner.

Hooker Kynan English put in another busy performance for Narellan. Picture Steve Montgomery

Narellan scored again before the break to lead 16-8, and despite the absence of their key big man added another four tries in a win that sees them leapfrog Picton into eighth spot on the ladder.

The victory was Narellan’s third in four starts, but for the normally disciplined Dodd, it’s a match the captain-coach is happy to leave behind.

“We shot ourselves in the foot to be honest,” said Dodd.

“I’m disappointed in myself and the boys for how they handed themselves, we can’t afford to play like that against the top sides and expect to be competitive. Our discipline needs to improve.”

COLLIES SIZZLE IN 13-TRY MASTERCLASS

Campbelltown Collegians put South West to the sword with a 13-try scoring spree to move within three points of fifth place on a jammed competition table.

On an afternoon where Collies warmed up with a 24-0 first half, winger Daniel Muir finished with a hat-trick in a 70-12 rout that included nine second half tries.

Skipper Netane Masima also had a day out. The star half crossed twice and landed nine conversions in a 26-point haul.