Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL): Casino defeats Ballina to break nine-year drought

The unpredictable start to the NRRRL season has continued as Casino snapped a decade-long hoodoo with a stunning win.

Casino has snapped a nine-year hoodoo in the NRRRL. Picture: DC Sports Photography

Casino has broken a near decade-long hoodoo and kickstarted its season with a 22-12 victory over defending premiers Ballina in the rescheduled round one clash at Queen Elizabeth Park.

A couple of pieces of individual brilliance and some gritty defence helped lay the platform for what was the Cougars’ first victory over the Seagulls in nine years.

Despite coming off two straight losses to kick off the season, Casino started brightly and took the lead in just the fifth minute.

Attacking the Ballina line, halfback Roy Bell put the ball on the boot for his outside men, with centre Harry Cusack doing well to jump, take the ball and then find Nic Morrissey in support to score.

Despite the early setback, Ballina enjoyed plenty of ball in good field position.

Eddie Walker Williams in action for the Cougars. Picture: DC Sports Photography

However poor final-tackle options, miscued kicks and errors were cruelling the Seagulls.

Half an hour in five-eighth Reece McKenzie-O’Brien sliced through the line in what was a promising attacking opportunity, only for the referee to pull play back for an incorrect play-the-ball.

Casino had been on the back foot for much of the half but sprung to life late with a couple of big chances.

Cusack almost had a hand in another try after reaching out and fumbling a clever chip kick from Eddie Walker-Williams.

However with just three and a half to go, the Cougars did strike. Attacking down the blind side, young half Waylon Caldwell fired off a sharp cut-out for winger Gairo Kapana, who was too strong for his opposite number and crashed over in the corner to give his side a 10-0 lead at the break.

The home side carried the momentum into the second half, with Kapana making a big break up field after catching the Seagulls off guard from a 20m tap.

Two plays later some nice footwork and an offload from Morrissey put hooker Josiah Clifford over for his team’s third of the day just a couple of minutes after the restart.

It was a tough day out for Ballina. Picture: DC Sports Photography

Up 16-0, Casino was in a commanding position and Bell in particular was showing all his experience by kicking to the corners and forcing the Seagulls to continually come out from their own end.

Things just weren’t going Ballina’s way, with McKenzie-O’Brien surging towards the line, only to lose the ball while trying to plant it down.

A couple of minutes later the Cougars then rubbed salt into the wound.

Putting in a grubber into the in-goal area, Caldwell didn’t give up on the ball and dramatically dived and threw it back inside for his teammate Charles Kumbi to score a spectacular try and give Casino a stunning 22-0 lead with 20 minutes to play.

It had been a nightmare afternoon for Ballina, however the defending premiers finally got on the board with 15 to go when Fred Pitt crashed over in the corner.

And while Anthony Colman also went through for a try in the final minute, it was nothing more than a consolation as Casino capped off a famous win.

After two losses to kick off the season, the win was the Cougars’ first of the season. Meanwhile Ballina’s difficult start to the season has continued, with the defending premiers now having lost two of their opening three games.

Casino 22 (Morrissey, Kapana, Clifford, Kumbi tries; Walker-Williams three goals) defeated Ballina 12 (Pitt, Colman tries; two goals)