Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League: Mid-season review
At the halfway point of the season we’ve taken a look around the competition to see what’s going right, what needs some work and what the story is so far with our NRRRL mid-season review.
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After eight weeks of stunning tries, brutal defence and excellent contests, the NRRRL has hit the halfway stage of the season.
And while three teams have broken free at the top of the competition and a couple have found themselves struggling towards the bottom, the competition has been incredibly even this year, with a huge logjam of sides occupying the middle of the ladder.
With all teams taking a week off to rest those niggling injuries, we’ve decided to take a look at how they’re travelling with our mid-season review.
We’ve put together reviews to see which teams are running hot, which sides have got some work to do and which clubs sit somewhere in the middle.
Kyogle Turkeys
Coach: Michael Woods
Position: Thirteen (zero wins, one draw, six losses, one bye)
Story so far: While the cold-hard results might not paint a glorious picture, there have been plenty of positives for Kyogle in the first half of the season.
“Probably the thing we’re most proud of in the club is to maintain putting four teams on the paddock every single week, five teams when required with the ladies’ tackle,” said coach Michael Woods.
“The smallest town has been able to maintain full numbers and not miss any commitments to grades. As a club we’re extremely proud of fronting up every week in every grade – that was one thing that has been very good.”
While the team is yet to record a win, the Turkeys have been more than competitive in several games this year. They came closest in their 10-all draw with Mullumbimby in round four, and were defeated by margins of 10 by Lower Clarence and Casino, and 12 by Marist Brothers.
And while the team suffered a couple of heavy defeats to competition frontrunners Ballina and Bilambil in recent weeks, Woods is confident of a positive showing in the second half of the season.
“We’ve got eight games to go and what we want to do is build on the stuff we’ve gotten better at and finish the season in a more positive place,” he said.
What has worked: While the results haven’t gone their way, the Turkeys have put up a much stronger showing in most of their games this season, and have shown that they are able to match it with their opponents for longer.
“They’ve been competitive in every game this year, whereas in the last couple of years we’ve struggled to compete for long periods of time,” said Woods. “We’ve had a couple of big scores against us but in one of those we played 35 minutes with only 12 men, which was tough because we were playing Ballina who’s leading the comp.”
He added: “We’ve been able to be more competitive, more consistent and we’ve had periods where we’ve been able to put on points compared to the last couple of years.”
Another positive to come out of the season has been the string of young players to have made an impression in the top grade.
“There have been times when due to numbers and injuries our under-18s have been stepping up or filling the bench, and we’ve had five under-18s over the season do that for us, which has been really pleasing,” said Woods.
What needs working on: In a similar vein, while the team’s competitiveness has improved in 2023, this is also an area that the Turkeys want to keep building on in the second half of the season.
“We want to basically be able to be consistent for the entire game, compete on everything,” said Woods.
“It’s a cliché, but to be able to maintain that commitment to playing hard every week, no matter what the situation is. It’s about being able to compete more consistently, being able to learn to get into the grind and not be intimidated by scoreboards.”
Standout players: Given the team’s focus has been on the collective, Woods says it’s difficult to pick individuals who have stood out throughout the season.
“I don’t think I can single anybody out. They’ve all been hanging in there,” he said. “They’ve been more consistent at training, we’ve been able to transfer that to the paddock and be more consistent in competing and getting into the grind – and obviously enjoying our football.”
Next month: Murwillumbah (H), Byron Bay (A), Tweed Coast (H), Cudgen (A)
Mullumbimby Giants
Captain-coach: Cody Nelson
Position: Fifth (three wins, one draw, three losses, one bye)
Story so far: It has been an excellent start to the season for Mullum, who find themselves in fifth place and ahead of several of the more fancied teams in the competition. While the return has been very good in its own right, the performances are even more impressive considering that the team only managed to win two games during the whole of the 2023 season.
The strong start began early in the season when the Giants ground out a 16-12 win over Lower Clarence in the opening round. A draw with Kyogle and another tight win over Casino temporarily took the team in the top four.
And while they suffered back-to-back heavy defeats at the hands of Ballina and Bilambil, Mullumbimby entered the mid-season break on the back of arguably their best performance of the year with a four-try first half blitz helping the team to a 30-14 victory over Murwillumbah.
With the team taking on Byron Bay in the local derby this weekend, and following that up with clashes against teams in the mid-table logjam, the Giants will be hoping for some positive performances to maintain their position on the ladder.
What has worked: In broad terms, one of the most positive things for Mullum has been the increase in player numbers this season, with former NRL player and local junior Cody Nelson – assisted by former NRL coaching legend Chris Anderson – helping to drive a spike in registrations at the club.
On the field, the team’s ability to compete and grind out tough results has been a real highlight. From beating Lower Clarence 16-12, to defeating Casino 24-18 and then racing out to an insurmountable lead against Murwillumbah, the Giants have significantly improved their capacity close out tight games.
With a strengthened forward pack and a pre-season focus on improving the fundamentals of the game, Mullumbimby has been highly effective throughout 2023.
What needs working on: Like most teams in the competition, the Giants would benefit from some improved consistency. There have been times in their games where errors have placed the team under undue pressure, and have thus invited their opponents back into the contest.
And while the performances have been significantly better than in previous years, the team will be looking to improve its showings against some of the competition heavyweights in the second half of the season.
Standout players: It has well and truly been a team effort from Mullum this year, with the squad as a whole competing well in defence throughout 2023.
The forward pack, including the likes of Matt Wakefield, Aidy Gleeson, Billy Hedditch, Owen Brock and Sean Watkins, have been excellent in keeping things tight and laying the platform for the backs to play.
The experience of captain-coach Cody Nelson has been instrumental, while Mr Fix-Its Brett Kelly-Wirth and Wayde Kelly have covered several crucial positions throughout the season.
In recent weeks Corey Morris has provided the team with plenty of spark, best seen during the team’s win over Murwillumbah, when the fullback scored some scintillating tries and had a hand in a couple of others as the team took home the two points.
Next month: Byron Bay (H), Tweed Coast (A), Cudgen (H), Evans Head (A)
Byron Bay Red Devils
Captain-coach: Sam Saville
Position: Ninth (two wins, one draw, four losses, one bye)
Story so far: It has been a difficult start to the season for the Red Devils, who are sitting in ninth place at the halfway point, well below their third-placed finish at the end of the regular season in 2022.
In a story that is similar to several others in the competition, Byron Bay has been affected by inconsistency.
For example, after an entertaining 20-all draw against Murwillumbah in round one, the team then came from 14-0 down to defeat Tweed Coast one week later . However the team’s positive start to the season went downhill in the following weeks as they were defeated by Cudgen and then hammered 58-0 by Evans over the course of the next fortnight.
A strong win over Marist Brothers put the team back on track, however two losses to Northern United and Lower Clarence have capped off a tough start to the season.
Indeed, those last two games, against teams that finished well below the Red Devils in 2022, have highlighted just some of the challenges in what is an incredibly even competition.
“The comp in general is tighter, a lot more clubs have got better depth and they’ve done well in the off-season with recruiting players,” said captain-coach Sam Saville. “A lot of clubs who we might not have expected to play good footy have really showed up. Last year we probably had a couple of games that we expected to win but this year you’ve got to really turn up, otherwise you’ll get beat and lose the two points.”
What has worked: While the results haven’t always been there, Byron has been competitive in all bar two of its games, with Saville impressed with the team’s attitude.
“We’ve got a few injuries, so it’s more the fact that the guys are just stepping up and having a go,” he said. “The effort’s definitely there, we’ve just got a few fine-tuning things to work on, but once we get that right I think we’ll be ok and we’ll start winning a few more games.”
What needs working on: In what is once again a common theme across the NRRRL, the Red Devils have struggled with ball control over the first eight rounds, which has placed plenty of pressure on their defence.
“We’re dropping way too much footy and are then having to make way too many tackles, so that’s been a bit of a struggle for us and hopefully we can get it right in the second half of the season,” said Saville.
Standout players: A couple of the club’s new recruits have impressed over the first eight rounds, with backrower Logan Wylie and centre Ricardo Peratta among the Red Devils’ best.
On the other side of the ledger, former NRL star Todd Carney has been as consistent as ever, with the 37-year-old playing well since moving to hooker early in the season.
However given the team’s situation, Saville has emphasised the whole squad’s effort as being impressive, and sees this as the key to turning in a better second half of the year.
“Everyone’s just been having a crack,” he said. “It’s more of an effort thing for us. It’s not so much individually but more of a team thing where we all get together and rip in.”
Next month: Mullumbimby (A), Kyogle (H), Casino (A), Ballina (H)
Bilambil Jets
Coach: Arwin Marcus
Position: Second (seven wins, one loss)
Story so far: It has been an excellent start to the season for the Jets as they look to go back to back in 2023. With the second-most points scored (260) and the second-fewest conceded (106), it’s probably no surprise to see Bilambil sitting in second place, just two points behind competition leaders Ballina.
The Jets have shown their resilience and skill by winning in all manner of ways over the first half of the season. They held off a fast-finishing Tweed Coast 26-24 in a round one thriller, snatched victory at the death against Lower Clarence by winning 24-22 in round five, ground out a tough 22-14 win against last year’s grand final rivals Evans Head in round three and led from the front with crushing victories over Mullumbimby (60-4) and Kyogle (56-14).
The team’s only loss came in round six when the Jets went down to the hugely impressive Northern United 20-18 in what was an excellent contest.
Bilambil’s strong start to the season has been all the more impressive given its hefty injury toll, which has seen the club hand out a string of first grade debuts to some of its most promising up-and-coming players.
With some key players set to return to the squad, the Jets will be confident of making a charge for the premiership in the second half of the season.
What has worked: With the second-most points scored and second-fewest conceded, both attack and defence have been working well for the Jets. They have shown the ability to pile on the points and lead from the front, while they have also shut out opposition at various times this season when needed.
Another impressive aspect has been how the team has responded to being defending premiers.
“We’ve spoken about it collectively as a group that last year is done and dusted, and I think that being premiers, every club will be head-hunting us,” said coach Arwin Marcus.
With the exception of the game against Northern United, the team has found a way to grind out tight results. This was perhaps best demonstrated in the round five victory over Lower Clarence.
Down 22-20 with just a couple of minutes to go, prop Jack Durheim made a brilliant one-on-one strip to give Bilambil one last chance, with Tyson Donnelly scoring at the bell to cap off the remarkable victory.
What needs working on: It is difficult to be too critical of the Jets after such a strong first half of the season, however at times the team has suffered from some lapses in concentration and drifted in and out of games. They were pushed all the way by the resurgent Magpies in round five, while they were then defeated by the very good Northern United in round six.
However since then the team has bounced back strongly, scoring a combined 116 points and conceded just 18 in their pat two games.
Standout players: In a team chock-full of superstars, it has been some of the Jets’ big names who have stepped up throughout the season, with backrower Hayden Hansen among the team’s top performers, along with fellow backrowers Kalani Hensby and Tyson Donnelly.
Alex Fitzhugh has been strong at five-eighth, young winger Blake Forder has provided plenty of highlights on the flanks, while the ever-dependable duo of Oliver Regan and skipper Tom Rowles have been standouts at fullback and hooker, respectively.
Next month: Casino (A), Ballina (H), Bye, Murwillumbah (A)
Cudgen Hornets
Coach: Bryce Poisel
Position: Seventh (three wins, four losses, one bye)
Story so far: Like several teams in 2023, Cudgen has had an inconsistent start to the season, winning three and losing four to be sitting among a slew of teams in the middle of the table. One of the main issues for the side has been the lengthy injury list, which has seen a series of lower graders gain experience in the top grade.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries, which makes it pretty hard to get your combinations right when you’ve got a different team on the paddock every week,” said coach Bryce Poisel. “I think we’ve had anywhere from six to 10 injuries every week, so it’s been up and down.”
The absences have included some of the team’s most influential players, with rep players Connor and Caleb Ziebell missing the majority of the season, while other regular first graders like Jackson Rohwedder and Rex Johnson have also spent several weeks on the sidelines.
So bad was the crisis that the club even talked veteran prop Shannon Green out of retirement to help bolster numbers.
“It’s been crazy. I literally had four blokes out before round one, and it’s just gotten worse since then. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Poisel.
While the Hornets recorded an impressive three-match winning streak over Murwillumbah, Byron Bay and Tweed Coast between rounds three and five, the first half of the season has been bookended by narrow losses.
The team opened their account with tight 12-6 loss to Ballina in round one before being beaten 24-4 by Bilambil, while they went into the mid-season break on the back of a heartbreaking 17-16 defeat at the hands of Evans Head and a narrow 16-12 loss to Marist Brothers.
“We’ve been in pretty much every game. It was only the Bilambil which I feel like we shouldn’t have won. But even then it was 10-4 until the last six minutes.”
However with a string of senior players expected to return in the coming weeks, Poisel is confident of a stronger showing in the second half of the season.
“That’s the plan: start playing some good footy, start bringing back some of the injured boys and hopefully finish the season off well.”
What has worked: While the huge number of absences has wreaked havoc with game plans and combinations, Poisel says there are some silver linings to the situation.
“One positive is that we’ve got to blood a lot of young kids. A lot of reserve graders and young kids that have the chance to come up because we’ve had a lot of injuries.”
Meanwhile, despite the long causality list, the Hornets can take plenty of confidence away from the fact that they’ve been in the contest for all of their games so far, losing by margins of 20, six, four and one.
With some key players returning in the coming weeks, the team is hopeful they can string a few wins together and start climbing the ladder.
What needs working on: The main thing that has cruelled Cudgen so far this season has been their errors, which have let the team down in crucial moments on more than one occasion during the first eight rounds.
“We’ve been in every game but it’s just been our poor ball control that has let us down,” said Poisel. “The last couple of games we’ve completed in the low 50s, which is pretty poor from a first grade standard. The effort’s there, it’s the fundamentals that aren’t.”
In addition, with so many close losses, the coach says his side needs to be more clinical in closing out those tight matches.
“We should have closed those games out where we were in it or in front,” he said. “Our game management needs to be a lot better. But we’ve got some key players coming back this week and in the next three weeks, so we should be full strength providing we don’t get any more injuries.”
Standout players: With key forwards the Ziebell brothers out for the majority of the season, front rower Luke Toon has stepped up and led Cudgen’s pack with some outstanding performances.
“Luke Toon has probably been our best player,” said Poisel.
Another experienced operator to impress has been Andrew Battese, who has put his body on the line for the sake of the team in light of the injuries.
“He’s obviously a legend of the comp and has had to play 80 minutes the last couple of weeks.”
Meanwhile, in a promising sign for the future, young fullback Jordan Kempnich has built on his excellent 2022 with a strong showing so far this season.
Next month: Lower Clarence (A), Northern United (H), Mullumbimby (A), Kyogle (H)
Evans Head Bombers
Captain-coach: Trevor Bolt
Position: Sixth (three wins, four losses, one bye)
Story so far: It has been a frustrating start to 2023 for last year’s beaten grand finalists, who find themselves in a mid-table logjam after a string of disappointing results.
While they have lost more games than they have won, the Bombers have fallen on a wrong side of the ledger as a series of fine margins hurt the side. Indeed, the team lost by just four points to ladder leaders Ballina in round two, before going down by margins of four (Murwillumbah), six (Tweed Coast) and eight (Bilambil) in what has been a tough start to the season.
While the results would be undoubtedly frustrating, the fact that the team has managed to stay in the contest is a positive for Evans Head, who have also shown that they can turn on the fireworks, best seen with the team’s 58-0 drubbing of Byron Bay in round five.
The Bombers will be hoping that its fine-margins curse is a thing of the past, with a late Trevor Bolt field goal getting the side over the line with a tight 17-16 victory over Cudgen in their final game before the mid-season break.
With the team showing more than enough glimpses of good form over the first eight rounds, the Bombers will back themselves to climb up the ladder and make a charge for the finals.
What has worked: With 191 points over the first seven games, the Bombers are the fourth-best attacking team in the competition, bettered only by the competition’s three standout teams of Ballina, Bilambil and Northern United.
When they’re on, the Bombers have shown that they can seriously trouble teams with their attack, best witnessed by their 10-try demolition of Byron Bay, when Bolt linked well with his outside men to run riot against the Red Devils.
And while the results may not have always gone their way, Evans Head will be pleased with the fact that they have been competitive and well and truly in the contest for all of their seven games so far. This has been reflected in the team’s positive points difference of 61, which is the fourth-best in the NRRRL.
In a tight competition where just three points separates fourth and ninth, this could well prove crucial as the race for finals spots heats up.
What needs working on: With so many narrow defeats, the Bombers will be looking to improve their ability to close out tight games in the second half of the season. Many of the losses have seen the team go down in the dying stages with the match on the line, often as a result of handling errors or lapses in defence.
Most notably, the team went down to Murwillumbah 30-26 in round four, despite leading 26-12 early in the second half as the Mustangs scored three late tries to steal the win.
Standout players: In what has been a testing season, captain-coach Trevor Bolt has led the way for the Bombers with some outstanding performances. The halfback’s general kicking and attacking games have been excellent, best seen in the victory over Byron Bay when Bolt had a direct hand in five tries as Evans Head had a day out.
Elsewhere, winger Brandon Anderson has proven to be incredibly dangerous on the right wing this season, crossing the stripe 11 times to be leading the competition for tries at the halfway point of the season. This included an incredible four-try haul against the Red Devils back in round four.
Next month: Marist Brothers (A), Lower Clarence (H), Northern United (A), Mullumbimby (H)
Casino Cougars
Captain-coach: Ryan Walker
Position: Twelfth (one win, six losses, one bye)
Story so far: It has been a tough season on the field for the Cougars, who have won just the one game to sit second from bottom at the halfway point of the season. But while the results haven’t been great, simply looking at the competition ladder doesn’t tell the full story for Casino, who are rebuilding as a club.
Given that the club failed to enter a side into the first grade competition last season, the fact they are up and playing feels like a huge positive in itself.
“I think it’s been good and bad in different parts,” said captain-coach Ryan Walker. “But the best thing is that we’ve been able to field a side and we’ve been getting some quality numbers for reserve grade – they’ve even got to do a bit of a rotation system because they’ve got some extra numbers, so some people miss out some weeks.”
Indeed, there were initially concerns about the club’s ability to field a full complement of teams, with Casino forfeiting reserve grade in round one due to a lack of players. However the club managed to turn it around.
“It hasn’t been easy but as the season has gone on we’ve slowly been getting the numbers in. I think our only issue will be how many of those are willing and able to challenge themselves in first grade,” said Walker.
“But basing it off last year, it’s a huge improvement, so we’re pretty happy that we have that issue with reserve grade. To field three grades every week has been great.”
While it might have been a tough season on the field, the highlight undoubtedly came in round six when the Cougars defeated Kyogle 28-18 at home on a bumper match day where 24 junior Casino also sides played at Queen Elizabeth Park.
“As a community and full club it was a very good day,” said Walker. “It was really good to see the amount of juniors that Casino have. I think they have two grades in all ages up until 14s. It actually looked like there was a carnival being held because there were so many Casino teams,” he added.
And while the team has a tough run of games over the next month, they are hoping the high level of competition keeps them in good stead for the final few fixtures of the season.
“The first eight weeks of the comp have given us a good idea of where we’re at, and it’s also given us a chance to see how far we’ve come and how far we’ve got to go,” he said.
What has worked: In addition to improving player numbers and engaging with the community, Walker has been particularly impressed with the determination and resilience of his side in what has been a testing season.
“It is a hard task and it is a huge challenge to keep turning up, because it’s very easy to quit and pull the pin when things aren’t going well and you’re getting 40 or 60 points put on you – it’s not a fun thing to do,” he said.
“But I think we’re both pretty resilient for showing up. I think we can compete for 10 or 15 minutes in matches, so it’s just one of those things that we’ve got to keep working at.”
And while they would have liked to be sitting higher up the ladder in A-grade, the coach says that things need to be put in perspective considering where the club was 12 months ago.
“Reserve grade and under-18s have been going pretty well, and that’s the sign of a good club. It just doesn’t have to be about first grade. Overall, I think the club’s in a better position than it was last year,” he said.
What needs working on: While there are plenty of areas for improvement, Walker has placed a focus on bolstering the team’s defensive structures in the back half of the season.
“The one area that I hope to see some improvement in is our defence. I think understanding how to defend as a line and to defend together, as opposed to trying to make shots on your own and fighting against each other,” he said.
“I think we’ve shown in glimpses that we can attack and do some good shape, and that’ll come in time. But I think defence is the fundamental area.”
Standout players: When it comes to standouts, Walker has chosen to take a holistic view of the squad, and has been heartened by the level of commitment shown by his chargers during a testing season.
“The thing I’ve been impressed with is the players who have been there from the start and who are toughing it out,” he said.
“I’ve been really impressed with those blokes, as well as the blokes who don’t necessarily play first grade but have put their hand up to play first grade, even though they just want to play reserves.
“They’re sticking to it – and that’s what’s impressed me. So it’s not really on the playing side of things where they’re breaking tackles and being the best player on the field, it’s probably just been their attitudes and their resilience and not being willing to walk away.”
Next month: Bilambil (H), Murwillumbah (A), Byron Bay (H), Tweed Coast (A)
Murwillumbah Mustangs
Coach: Brendon Hill
Position: Eleventh (two wins, one draw, five losses)
Story so far: It has been a difficult first half of the season for the Mustangs, who have struggled to recapture the form that took them to the minor premiership last year.
While two wins from their first eight games doesn’t make for great reading, Murwillumbah have been the victims of fine margins throughout the season, losing by just six points to Lower Clarence, two points to Tweed Coast and drawing 20-all with Byron Bay despite outscoring the Red Devils five tries to three.
Undoubtedly the biggest factor so far has been the slew of injuries to hit the squad.
“It’s definitely been a tough first half of the year,” said coach Brendon Hill. “We’ve had a lot of injuries, but we definitely expected to go a lot better than where we’re sitting on the ladder. On any given week we’ve had up to eight blokes out.”
As for the injuries, they have struck some of the team’s most influential players, with halfback and big off-season signing Aaron Booth, gun centre Adam Walker, skipper Wade Riley, vice-captain Rob Shepherd and key prop Luke Campbell among those who have spent a significant chunk of the season on the sidelines.
“We’re a really inexperienced team and just struggling to get people across the park,” said Hill. “We’re relying on a lot of young blokes; for our last game I think our average age was probably 21 years old.”
Although they just have five points so far this season, the tight nature of the competition means the Mustangs still have the chance to turn things around and climb the ladder if they can string a few wins together.
“A lot of people are saying that we need to win every game and they’re probably right,” said Hill. “I’m telling our guys that it’s the grand final every game from here on in. Other than the top two or three teams, everyone else has sort of beaten each other at the moment, so there is the opportunity to sneak into the bottom half of the semis.”
What has worked: While the performances, results and injuries haven’t gone their way, Hill has been impressed with the squad’s camaraderie and ability to stick together during what has been a tough season.
“They’re still talking up and believing in what they’re doing and what we’re trying to achieve. We are a pretty tight-knit club, so that’s been the best thing,” he said.
And while it has been frustrating to see so many players go down with injury, Hill sees a few silver linings to the situation.
“What we’re going through now is going to help us in a couple of years’ time. We’ve got kids who probably weren’t going to get as much first grade experience who all of a sudden have played three-quarters of a year of first grade.”
What needs working on: Ball handling, plain and simple. Lost ball and unforced errors have cruelled the Mustangs’ chances in several games this season.
“I think we’ve had one game where we’ve completed over 50 per cent,” said Hill. “The positive out of that is that we should be getting beaten by most teams by 40 points, but we’ve still been in pretty much all of those games. The one game that we completed at 70 per cent, which is only just a pass mark in my eyes, we won against Marist Brothers.”
With such a young squad on the park, Hill says the team has often lacked the experience to just play conservatively and complete their sets during tough periods of games.
“We know where the problem is but haven’t been able to fix that unfortunately.”
Standout players: With so many players young players getting an opportunity in the top grade, it has been pleasing to see them develop over the first eight rounds. One of the standouts has been young outside back Matt Bollard.
“I coached him in the under-18s a few years ago, he played half a game of first grade last year and I just thought I’d bring him into the squad just more so for the experience early in the year and that he might go back to reserve grade after that,” said Hill.
“He fought his way in and got a wing spot. Then we had a couple of injuries and we moved him into the centres, but he’s probably been our most consistent player.”
Another rock for the team has been lock forward Brock Hamill.
“He’s probably been close to our best every week,” said Hill, who notes that while he has impressed with his ability to put on big shots in defence, there is plenty more of that to come.
“He was a couple of years above my young bloke at school at Keebra Park, and I keep telling everyone: ‘You haven’t seen him hit anyone properly yet!’”
Next month: Kyogle (A), Casino (H), Ballina (A), Bilambil (H)
Ballina Seagulls
Coach: Greg Barnes
Position: First (eight wins, zero losses)
Story so far: It has been pretty much the perfect start to the season for the Seagulls, who have gone through the first eight rounds undefeated to sit in outright first place in the competition.
After starting the season with tight wins over Cudgen and Evans Head, Ballina has since really hit its straps and piled on the points. Since round three, the team has scored more than 40 points in all games bar one, with the run including a 66-6 victory over Kyogle, a 58-4 win over Lower Clarence and a 50-6 drubbing of Marist Brothers.
In a sign of their dominance, the Seagulls have scored a whopping 328 points, 68 clear of their nearest rival Bilambil, and conceded just 74. This translates into an average of 41 points per game, while conceding just 9.5.
And in an ominous sign, at the beginning of the season coach Greg Barnes said he didn’t expect his team to start hitting their straps until six of eight rounds into the season. Considering they’ve managed to go so far without a loss, the Seagulls’ best could well be yet to come.
“We’ve still got a few gears to go,” said Barnes. “We haven’t clicked fully, but when we do it’s going to be interesting.”
What has worked: As a team that comfortably has the best attack and best defence in the competition, it would be easy to simply say ‘everything’.
The Seagulls’ attack has been blistering so far this season, averaging 41 points per game. In particular, the side’s right edge has run riot at various stages throughout the season, with five-eighth Hamish McClintock combining well with centre Tim Cassidy and winger Rowan Mansfield.
The trio have 21 tries between them, with the potency perhaps best shown during Ballina’s recent 46-0 win over Casino, when seven of the team’s eight tries came down the right-hand side.
“Young Hamish McClintock, he looks after that right edge for us,” said coach Greg Barnes. “But he does have some experience there with him. He’s got Timmy Cassidy, who’s extremely good, Rowan Mansfield outside him, and in the second row he’s had Ethan Roberts, who’s played a lot of footy, and Damian Sironen, who’s also been playing prop as well.
“He’s had good players with him on that edge. We’re finding a bit of joy down there, but other teams are going to be awake to that. They are loading up on that side, so we’ve got some other things up our sleeve to counteract that.”
However for all the flashy tries the Seagulls have scored, the coach says he’s been particularly impressed with the team’s defence.
“Our defence has been really good,” said Barnes. “We shut out Casino on the weekend, and I think in the past two weeks we’ve had 100 points for and six against. It’s been pretty good and we’ve kept a lot of teams into single figures,” he added.
“Working together in defence is the main thing that they’ve been doing.”
What needs working on: From the outside looking in it might be hard to come up with too many criticisms, but Barnes is adamant that his team can improve.
“I believe and the team believes that we’ve been at about 70 per cent of where we could be: we’re not playing full games, we’re not playing to our full potential yet. But we are getting results. We’re halfway through the year, so we’re looking to keep building and hopefully peaking a few weeks out from the semis.”
Completions have also been an issue at stages this season, while the coach says the team is still looking to improve its combinations.
“They’re still working each other’s games out in attack,” he said. “Just when we think that we’re there, we’ll have two or three sets where it just doesn’t work out, so probably just a bit more fluency in attack and also probably just knowing each other’s games. We have been getting there, but we’ll have a really good first half and the second will only be about 50 per cent, or vice-versa.”
Standout players: You could almost name the whole squad, but young five-eighth McClintock has been among not only the team’s but one of the competition’s standout players. With an excellent running and passing game, it’s no surprise that the Seagulls have piled on the points down the right edge.
Elsewhere, fullback Zac Beecher has been excellent, as have forwards Jordan Lee, Ethan Roberts and Damian Sironen. Meanwhile, brothers Michael and Billy Dwane – playing hooker and lock, respectively – have been credited as being key to the Seagulls’ early season success.
“They’ve really tightened that middle up. They’re very fit as well,” said Barnes. “As a unit, everyone’s been going really well.”
Next month: Bye, Bilambil (A), Murwillumbah (H), Byron Bay (A)
Northern United Dirawongs
Coach: Chris Binge
Position: Third (six wins, one loss, one bye)
Story so far: The rise of the Dirawongs has arguably been the story of the season so far, with the team bouncing back from finishing eighth last season to be one of three teams – alongside Ballina and Bilambil – to have broken away at the top of the ladder at the halfway point of the competition.
The team has only lost one game so far – a tight 30-22 defeat at the hands of the table-topping Seagulls – and well and truly proved its premiership credentials with an impressive 20-18 victory over last year’s premiers Bilambil in round six.
In addition to an excellent pre-season, coach Chris Binge puts the success down to some strategic recruits that have helped take Northern United to the next level in 2023.
“We were really specific in relation to our recruitment; we just didn’t jump into the deep end, we knew what we wanted in our squad to be successful, and those guys have worked their butts off with the squad that we already had, and we’re in a position in the competition where we’re travelling quite well,” he said.
They include the likes of fullback Hezekiah McKenzie and Jamahl Roberts, who joined from cross-town rivals Marist Brothers, backrower Dave Jacky from Evans Head, winger Damon Coldwell from Ballina and five-eighth Hakeem Torrens, who signed on after playing in the Group 2 competition.
Meanwhile, after not fielding an under-18s team last year, largely due to the effects of the floods in Lismore, Northern United has done extremely well to bring back a youth side this season, with some of the club’s talented youngsters really bolstering their depth.
“We’ve actually had three of those kids debut in the last four weeks, which shows the healthy space that the club’s in – our numbers are really good,” said Binge.
“But we’re not getting too carried away. It is only the halfway point of the season. We’ve had a really good start but we’ve got to have a big finish in the back end of our season to maintain that momentum we’ve given ourselves at this point.”
What has worked: With 228 points in seven games, including cracking 40 three times this year, the Dirawongs’ attack has been hugely impressive so far.
But while that might have gathered headlines for general observers, Binge has been particularly impressed with some other aspects of his side’s performances.
“There are two key factors driving the success that we’ve had,” he said. “One of those is our discipline, we’re a very disciplined team and have worked very hard in that space; and the other factor outside of that is that over the years we were known as a team that could score points but struggled to defend points, but now we’re a really good defensive unit.
“We spent our whole pre-season working on defence, because if you’ve got a good defensive base as a team it can hold you in good stead.”
On this point, Binge has been hugely impressed with his forward pack in laying the platform for the team’s success.
“We’ve got some really good combinations going at the moment and some good camaraderie, which we’ve built up around our key positions of six, seven, one and nine,” he said.
“But our forward pack – we’re a working pack. These guys know when to get into the trenches and do the hard yards. And obviously everything that we do that looks good on the edges comes from the hard work of our middles.”
What needs working on: In a season where they’ve matched it with the big guns and sit towards the top of the ladder, it’s hard to be too critical of the Dirawongs. But despite the fact that they’ve come on in leaps and bounds this season, the coach still believes they haven’t completely hit their straps yet.
“We’re probably 70 per cent of where we want to be, we’ve got so much more room for improvement,” said Binge.
Standout players: Given the excellent performances, you could list a whole host of Dirawongs. But among the high performers, fullback Hezekiah McKenzie has been outstanding for the team in the first half of the season.
Fellow new recruit, five-eighth Hakeem Torrens, has also been excellent, while Binge described second rowers Dave Jacky and Theo Hippi as “two of the best edge players in the competition”.
Meanwhile, with such a strong middle, the team’s front row rotation of Jirra Breckenridge, Anthony Thompson, Djaan Jarrett and Alwyn Roberts has been crucial to Northern United’s success.
Next month: Tweed Coast (H), Cudgen (A), Evans Head (H), Marist Brothers (A)
Lower Clarence Magpies
Captain-coach: Luke Douglas
Position: Eighth (four wins, four losses)
Story so far: The Magpies’ story has been one of the most heartwarming so far this season, with the team laying claim to being one of the most improved in 2023.
With former NRL stalwart and local junior Luke Douglas as a captain-coach and member of the executive, Lower have been successful in enticing a string of locals back to the club.
And while four wins from eight might seem modest to some, context is important when judging Lower’s efforts so far this season. The club was forced to pull out of the first grade competition halfway through last season due to lack of numbers, without registering a win, while in 2021 they only managed two victories in the whole campaign.
Perhaps the progress was no better demonstrated than the team’s round six clash with Murwillumbah. While the mercy rule was implemented last year when the two teams met, 12 months later the Magpies returned home with the two points after a gutsy 28-22 victory.
“We didn’t get them with all these fancy plays but got in the grind. I was really pleased, because they came back at us in the second half but we held on,” said Douglas.
And while they are sitting in eighth, the fact that they haven’t yet had a bye yet means that only three teams have won more games than them, with the Magpies well placed to leap ahead of the logjam of teams they are currently sitting in.
Perhaps even more impressive than the on-field results has been the off-field buy-in, with concerns over player numbers a thing of the past. Remarkably, the Magpies have an incredible 72 players registered for the A-grade and reserve grade teams, not to mention healthy numbers in the under-18s, league tag and women’s tackle sides.
“Hopefully teams start realising that they’ve got to play well to take us down. That’s the goal this year: to get a good feel and be competitive, and hopefully we’re doing that.”
What has worked: While they might not have the flashiest squad in the comp, the Magpies have been incredibly competitive by playing tough, disciplined football. In taking over control of the team, Douglas has emphasised the importance of good old fashion attitude and solidifying the fundamentals of the game.
“If we’re playing as a team and getting the hang of what it takes to compete: stay in games, hang onto the ball, kick long and defend – if we win all those little battles, we’ll go alright,” he said. “We’re definitely exceeding my expectations and hopefully we can just keep improving.”
What needs working on: It’s difficult to be too critical of Lower given their positive start to the year, but their excellent season could have been even better had they closed out some of the tight losses they’ve suffered.
From the 16-12 loss to Mullumbimby in round one, to the heartbreaking 24-22 defeat at the hands of Bilambil and the narrow 18-12 loss to Tweed Coast, Lower have been in positions to win all of those games but have fallen on the wrong side of the ledger on the back some critical areas in key moments.
Standout players: There’s a whole list of Magpies who impressed so far, with the likes of experienced campaigners Vincent Williams, Grant Brown and Dalton Shaw among the team’s best.
They’ve combined well with other returning locals like young outside back Brian Quinlan-Randall, hooker Lachlan Barnes, backrower Cooper Many and brothers Ethan and Liam Foster.
Another one of the team’s standouts has been centre Tyler Essex, who’s provided plenty of spark in attack on the edge, while Douglas himself has been outstanding for the team, leading from the front with distinction.
Next month: Cudgen (H), Evans Head (A), Marist Brothers (H), BYE
Tweed Coast Raiders
Coach: Shane Robinson
Position: Fourth (four wins, three losses)
Story so far: It’s been somewhat of a mixed bag for the Raiders, who have bounced back from a tough start to the season with three straight wins to be sitting in fourth position leading into the mid-season break.
In what has been a season of fine margins for the Raiders – with five of their seven games having been decided by six points or less – the team fell on the wrong side of the ledger early in the season with narrow losses to Bilambil (26-24) in round one and Byron Bay (20-14) in round three, despite leading 14-0 in the latter.
The defeats were compounded by the loss of excellent young halfback Oliver Blood, who suffered a serious, long-term injury against the Red Devils.
A disappointing 36-12 loss to rivals Cudgen in the local derby left the side with one win from four, however the Raiders have bounced back superbly with three straight wins against Evans Head, Marist Brothers and Lower Clarence to jump ahead of the logjam of teams in the middle of the table and sit in fourth place.
“The whole competition’s that even this year, which is good for the NRRRL. There are so many teams who, on their day, can beat anyone,” said coach Shane Robinson.
“Our boys have gotten better over the last few weeks. We’re still not happy with where we’re sitting. We’ve been in every game this year and lost a couple of them – there was only one game where we didn’t really turn up with the right mentality,” he added.
“We’re trying to make amends for that and we’ll keep putting our best foot forward and keep getting better every week.”
He added: “We’ve got a lot of things better than what we had at the start of the year, but I still think we’ve got miles of improvement in us. Once we play for 80 minutes and get right all our attributes that we’re best at, I think we’ll be a real force.”
What has worked: In a team blessed with plenty of talent, one thing that has stood out for the coach has been the team’s attitude and ability to bounce back from adversity.
“The things that have impressed me the most are definitely our grit and determination to want to be better and get our defence in order,” he said. “We’ve still got a lot of improvement, but definitely our grit and mentality has come a long way.”
This has come to the fore in recent weeks, with the team grinding out narrow victories against strong opposition.
What needs working on: Robinson hasn’t minced his words in stating that he thinks the team has plenty of improvement in them, highlighting what the side does with the ball as an area that could certainly do with some fine tuning.
“Definitely our attack. Our attack needs to sharpen up a lot,” he said.
However more broadly speaking, with several newcomers to the squad this season, the coach says that the team in general will be looking to continue to work on combinations in the back end of the year.
“We’re coming together as a team and discovering what sort of team we want to be. It’s just a matter of trying to put it all together on the day, and I’m really confident we can do that in this second half of the season,” he said.
“It’s half the side we had last year and half a completely new mix. We’ve tried to gel combinations and we’re starting to get some combinations that we’re happy with now, so if everyone can stay fit and healthy I think we can make a push for the finals at the end of the year.”
Standout players: Unsurprisingly, one of the Raiders’ stalwarts, Drew Lanston, has once again been a rock for the team in the first half of the season.
“He’s a leader on and off the field,” said Robinson.
And while young Oliver Blood has missed a month with injury, fellow half Brayden Evans has taken on the extra playmaking responsibilities exceptionally with some important performances.
In terms of some of the younger players, fullback Juwaan Terekia and backrower Zion Kamana have been among the team’s best performers, while outside back Spencer Jackson has been excellent since returning from a dislocated shoulder that he suffered in the pre-season.
Next month: Northern United (A), Mullumbimby (H), Kyogle (A), Casino (H)
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