Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL): Marist Brothers hammer Tweed Coast

One of the NRRRL’s brightest stars put on yet another attacking masterclass as his side continued its strong start to the season.

Marist Brothers chalked up a big win in its catch-up game against Tweed Coast. Picture: DC Sports Photography

Marist Brothers have continued their bright start to the season with a 34-6 thrashing of Tweed Coast in the rescheduled round four clash at Les Burger Field.

Halfback Shallin Fuller was at his brilliant best, scoring one try and setting up another three as the Rams ran in six tries to one to condemn the Raiders to their third-straight defeat.

In the only catch-up game of the long weekend, Marist had the early running as a Tweed Coast knock-on gave the side a good opportunity.

Winger Damon Coldwell went closest in the opening stages when he was held up over the line.

As the game went on both sides were presented with ball in dangerous territory but couldn’t ice their chances.

Shallin Fuller out on another clinic for the Rams. Picture: DC Sports Photography

That was until midway through the first half when some lovely hands from Fuller put backrower Henry Lee through a gap, with the halfback backing up on the inside to finish off what he started and put the Rams up 6-0.

Things continued to go back and forth, however a penalty gave Marist great field position and a shift to the left saw Fuller put his halves partner Jye Davis through a gap to score on the half-hour mark and make it 12-0.

The Rams then capped off the double-blow in the very next set.

Working its way out of its own end, the team shifted the ball right and centre Kye Cooper put his outside man Andrew Ferguson-Fitzgerald into space down the touchline. The winger then turned the ball inside to fullback Noah King in support for his team’s third of the afternoon to give Marist a commanding 18-0 lead at the break.

After conceding two quick tries the Raiders were in need of a fast start in the second half. However a failure to clean up a Marist grubber turned the ball over in dangerous territory.

It was then all too easy for Cooper, who strolled over on the right edge five minutes after the restart, while Fuller nailed the conversion from the sideline to make it 24-0.

The Rams were having a field day, with Mitch Krause doing well to diffuse a Tweed Coast before making a break up field. A couple of plays later Fuller stepped made half a break and offloaded to backrower Jack Elmore for the team’s fifth of the day.

As good as Marist had been with the ball in hand, the team also showed up in defence, bundling Raiders backrower Luca Todd over the sideline to snuff out a dangerous play.

There was a flashpoint midway through the second half when Marist prop James Durheim was penalised and put on report for leading with the forearm while carrying the ball.

It was another tough day out for the Raiders. Picture: supplied

The Raiders finally had some success from the ensuing set when young prop Oscar Holt crashed over.

It only proved to a momentary reprieve, however, as a cut-out ball from Fuller created an overlap for young winger Tyler Murphy to go over in the corner.

The match then ended on a rather unsavoury note when a big hit and some afters on the ground from Tweed Coast sparked an all-in melee, with Raiders forward Cameron Pollard sent to the sin bin for his involvement to see his side finish the game with 12.

The victory moves Marist into sixth place with a record of two wins, one draw and one loss from its four games. Meanwhile after a bright start that saw them win two of their first three games, the Raiders have now slumped to three straight losses in a worrying dip in form.

Marist Brothers 34 (Fuller, Davis, King, Cooper, Elmore, Murphy tries; Fuller four goals; Ferguson-Fitzgerald one goal) defeated Tweed Coast 6 (Holt try, one goal)