Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL): Wrap, results, standouts from round 11
A spot in the top six was up for grabs as a late try sealed a crucial win in the NRRRL.
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There was plenty of late drama during round 11 of the NRRRL, with a penalty at the death deciding one thriller, while another side continued its brilliant run of form with its sixth straight win.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
MUSTANGS CLIMB INTO THE TOP SIX
Murwillumbah has jumped up into the top six for the first time this season after edging out Casino 28-22 in a seesawing clash at the Murwillumbah Leagues Club ground.
Quickfire doubles in both halves proved to be crucial as the Mustangs outscored the Cougars five tries to four to extend the team’s strong recent run of form.
With both sides coming into the game having lost just one of their past five games, Casino started well and went close early on through Josh Beech, however Murbah’s Matt Bollard saved a try by coming in to stop the big forward’s outstretched arm as he tried to plant it down.
The Cougars had the better of field position and almost went in again a couple of minutes later when Tim Torrens did extremely well to leap high and take a cross-field kick from Waylon Caldwell, only to spill the ball as he prepared to plant it down.
But the visitors kept knocking on the door and went over on the quarter-hour mark when Caldwell put in a beautiful banana kick for his halves partner Eddie Walker-Williams to score under the sticks.
Casino was well on top until it put a kick out on the full to give the Mustangs a sniff. They didn’t need a second invitation as centre Danyon Wise crashed over to score.
Murbah then went back to back after forcing a knock-on out of the Cougars with the high ball, with five-eighth Josiah Afu powering over on the left edge.
After being put under pressure for much of the opening, suddenly the Mustangs were ahead 10-6 and nearly extended their lead in the next set after Bollard made a break up field. With only the fullback to beat, halfback Riley Lack had the ball knocked from his arms as Casino’s Josiah Clifford saved a try.
The game was going from end to end and Casino struck back within a couple of minutes after Caldwell picked up the scraps from a kick to score in the corner. Walker-Williams then slotted the conversion from the sideline to give the Cougars a 12-10 lead after half an hour.
The contest was going at a frenetic pace as Casino’s Tim Torrens made a break up the touchline just a couple of plays after the kick-off, with his teammate Gairo Kapana going incredibly close to scoring in the corner.
However the Mustangs held out and Casino took a two-point lead into the sheds.
Coming into the second half the game was finely poised, and it was Murbah who took control of the contest with a quickfire double.
After a penalty helped the team up field backrower Sam Saville crashed over on the edge, while in the very next set the team went the length of the field, with Afu putting in a clever chip and chase and passing onto Bollard to score under the sticks.
Within the blink of an eye the home side had turned a two-point deficit into a 10-point lead.
They had all the momentum until a big play dragged Casino back into the game.
With his team defending in its own half, Cougars backrower Kale Fraser charged down an attempted bomb from Afu, with Caldwell on hand to pick up the bouncing ball and run 60m to score under the sticks and make it 22-18 with 22 minutes to play.
Now Casino had a spring in its step and drew level shortly after when Kapana showed all his strength to brush off four defenders and plant the ball down in the corner.
With 15 minutes to go it was all to play as both sides threw the kitchen sink at each other.
And while neither had been able to break through with their opportunities, with the clock ticking down Murbah struck as Saville once again found space down the right to put the home side in front with just four minutes remaining.
Tensions boiled over in the dying moments as both sides had a man sent to the sin bin for some push and shove, with the Mustangs holding on for a crucial six-point win.
The victory lifts the side into sixth place on the ladder, with Murbah having lost just one of its last six games. They go ahead of Casino, which remains in a mid-table logjam just two points behind.
Murwillumbah 28 (Saville 2, Wise, Afu, Bollard tries; Lack 4 goals) defeated Casino 22 (Caldwell 2, Walker-Williams, Kapana tries; Walker-Williams 3 goals)
KYOGLE STUNS WITH SIX-MINUTE BLITZ
Kyogle has kept the heat on the NRRRL top six after defeating Byron Bay 32-14 at Red Devil Park.
A stunning three-try, six-minute blitz late in the first half set the Turkeys up for victory as they ran in seven tries to three in what was their fifth win of the season.
Kyogle came out of the blocks with plenty of intensity, with lock Hayden Pratt going close early after a strong charge.
Two minutes later the Turkeys should have gone over but bombed a certain try.
It started when hooker Ashton Harley sliced through the line with a clever dummy. With just the fullback to beat he passed on to Lynton Close in support, however with clear air ahead of him the young five-eighth put the ball down.
Despite not icing their early chances Kyogle looked dangerous and struck 13 minutes in when a beautiful no-look pass from Close put fullback Juwaan Terekia through a gap to score the opener.
Byron hit back shortly after through winger Wil Sheridan to level things up at 4-all.
The game remained even as it approached the half-hour mark before Kyogle blew the contest right out of the water with a stunning six-minute blitz.
It started in the 30th minute when centre Thomas McGrady gave his opposite number the big don’t argue and got a nice offload away to winger Brock Westerman to score.
The Turkeys then went all the way with their next set, making a break up field through Tyrell Appo, who put the ball on the toe and forced an error out of the Red Devils. From the scrum Kyogle went right for centre Layne Hardy to score.
The visitors then made it three in a row when Appo chipped the ball over the top and regathered before the ball found its way over to McGrady to score the team’s third try within a blink of an eye.
The only thing keeping Byron in touch was wayward goalkicking, with the Turkeys missing all four of their conversions attempts to take a 16-4 lead into the break.
Kyogle snuffed out any chance of a comeback just five minutes after the restart when Pratt crashed over after a powerful.
And while Byron centre Patrick Thornton pulled one back with a chargedown and 80m run up field, that was cancelled out shortly after when winger Shannon Walker showed too much strength to go over on the blind side.
The teams then traded tries in the final stages as the Turkeys ran out 18-point winners.
The victory takes Kyogle to seventh on the ladder, just one point behind Murwillumbah and Evans Head in the top side. Meanwhile Byron Bay remains second last in 13th place, with just one win to the team’s name so far.
Kyogle 32 (Hardy 2, Terekia, Westerman, McGrady, Pratt, S Walker tries; Appo 1 goal, O Walker 1 goal) defeated Byron Bay 14 (Thornton 2, Sheridan tries; Spencer 1 goal)
BALLINA SINKS MULLUM WITH LATE PENALTY
Ballina has continued its mid-season surge up the ladder, defeating Mullumbimby 14-12 in a nailbiting clash at Kingsford Smith Park.
A late penalty goal proved to be the difference between the two sides after a late brain fade from the Giants allowed the Seagulls to record their fourth straight win.
Coming off a good run of form, Ballina started brightly and enjoyed good field position for much of the early stages.
Young prop Charlie Strong came closest in the opening period when he was held up over the line after a powerful charge.
The Mullum defence was stoic under pressure and managed to hold out plenty of attacks, however after three consecutive sets the Giants finally cracked as Ballina five-eighth Tyrone Roberts crashed over on the right edge after 22 minutes.
The extra defending was taking its toll on Mullum and a couple of minutes later a wayward pass from the back of a scrum was pounced on by Roberts, who crossed for his second to give Ballina a 12-0 lead after half an hour.
After a difficult opening, Mullum started to string some sets together and enjoyed some ball in good territory.
After knocking on the door with a couple of big charges the Giants finally got on the board on the stroke of halftime when Zephanaiah Takitaki crashed over from close range to bring things back to 12-6 at the break.
After the restart things went from end to end as both sides pushed hard for points.
Reece McKenzie O’Brien went close for Ballina as he was held up over the line, while Mullumbimby also had dominant periods but couldn’t ice their opportunities.
That was until halfback Jacob Miller put backrower Cody Nelson through a gap, with the backrower showing enough strength and speed to crash over. Mason Davies then nailed the conversion from the sideline to lock things up at 12-all with 12 minutes to play.
With a grandstand finish at hand, Ballina regained the ascendancy and went close on a couple of occasions, with Mullum winger Lucas Grainey pulling off a clutch take to snuff out a dangerous cross-field kick.
Ballina thought they had scored with eight to go when Nick Troy picked up the scraps from a Roberts kick, but the Seagulls were penalised for pushing the Mullum winger Mason Davies in the air.
With the clock ticking down Roberts then went for a field goal, only for the ball to strike the post. The Seagulls regathered the ball and McKenzie-O’Brien put in a chip over the top in what proved to be the decisive moment of the game. While Mullum appeared to have the chip covered comfortably, McKenzie-O’Brien followed through and was caught high by a Mullum player, with the referee blowing a penalty in favour of Ballina.
Lining up 15m out and 10 to the left of the posts, Roberts then slotted the penalty goal to put the Seagulls up by two with just three minutes remaining.
From here the home side managed to go up and close out the game, securing its fourth win in a row to sit in fourth place on the ladder.
Ballina 14 (Roberts 2 tries; Roberts 2 goals) defeated Mullumbimby 12 (Takitaki, Nelson tries; Davies 2 goals)
CUDGEN EDGES BILAMBIL IN HEAVYWEIGHT CLASH
Cudgen has extended its lead at the top of the NRRRL ladder after edging out Bilambil 18-14 in a top of the table clash at Ned Byrne Field.
Goalkicking was all that separated the sides in the end as the Hornets picked up a crucial victory ahead of the run to the finals.
While the home side claimed the points, it was Bilambil who started brightly.
An early error from Cudgen opened the door for their rivals, who shifted left from an attacking scrum for the competition’s leading tryscorer Blake Graham to score his 11th of the season after just six minutes.
Cudgen thought they had hit back 18 minutes in through Cooper Cambey, however he was ruled to have been stopped just short of the line.
Then just a couple of minutes later the team was denied again.
It started when a towering bomb from Caleb Ziebell was allowed to bounce. It then took a wicked turn before landing in the arms of oncoming Cudgen winger Malachi Dumas to plant the ball down. However once again the referee disallowed the try.
The Hornets had been knocking on the door and finally broke through when Elliott Speed put centre Callum Prichard over to lock things up at 4-all after half an hour.
Cudgen was muscling up in defence and started forcing errors out of the Jets.
From here the Hornets enjoyed three consecutive sets on the Bilambil line. And just when it looked like they might break though, Bilambil centre Lachlan Hallard took a crucial intercept and charged up field.
A couple of plays later the Jets almost pulled off the ultimate sucker punch when Caleb Nicholls did well to leap high and take a Harry Fitzhugh chip, only to drop the ball before grounding it as the sides remained level at halftime.
Cudgen came home strong at the back end of the first half and took this momentum into the second as the team forced a knock-on out of Bilambil in their own end.
After the Hornets received a penalty, Cudgen forward Parker Bryant caught the defence off-guard and charged over the line. While the Bilambil players protested to the referee and claimed that they weren’t ready for the tap, a try was awarded and Cudgen took a 10-4 lead just six minutes after the restart.
From here Cudgen was very much on top and enjoyed plenty of ball at Bilambil’s end.
And while they weren’t able to break through for another try, Speed stretched the lead out to eight with a penalty goal after the Jets were pinged for lying in the ruck.
The Jets appeared to be up against it. But after forcing an error out of Cudgen they struck back as Graham charged out of dummy-half and barged over five Hornets defenders for his second of the game.
Unfortunately for Bilambil the conversion attempt went wide and Cudgen led 12-8 with 15 minutes to play.
Suddenly the Jets had all the momentum and camped themselves on the Cudgen line.
However with the game in the balance one of the Hornets’ big guns stood up, with prop Connor Ziebell making a break and offloading to Joel Hare to put the game to bed.
And while Caleb Nicholls crossed for Bilambil with 90 seconds to play, it was too little, too late as Cudgen closed out the four-point win.
The win gives the Hornets an impressive five-point lead at the top of the table, while the loss, Bilambil’s third in a row, sees the Jets slip down to third place.
Cudgen 18 (Prichard, Bryant, Hare tries; Speed 3 goals) defeated Bilambil 14 (Graham 2, Nicholls tries; Smallwood 1 goal)
MARIST GO SIX STRAIGHT
Marist Brothers have won six straight games for the first time in more than three years and continued their charge up the ladder with a 38-14 victory over Evans Head at Stan Payne Oval.
After an end-to-end opening period the Rams took control of the contest either side of halftime, with halfback Shallin Fuller once again starring for the side as they ran in seven tries to three.
It continues the team’s excellent run of form, with Marist now having won six consecutive games for the first time since the Rams put together a run of seven straight victories between the back half of 2021 and early 2022.
In an eventful opening, Marist went close to breaking through early, with Andrew Ferguson-Fitzgerald and Mitchell Krause both dropping the ball over the line in the first three minutes.
After surviving the early scares, Evans Head went up the other end and made it count, with Zach Roberts leaping high to take a David Gibbons kick to score the opener in just the fifth minute.
It didn’t take the Rams long to hit back, with the Bombers putting down a high ball and Krause crashing over on the next play to level things up at 6-all after 10 minutes.
It was a frenetic opening period as an error directly from the kick-off gave Evans Head another golden opportunity, with fullback Kiedan Hartley picking up the scraps from a kick to make to 10-6.
There were mistakes galore, with the Bombers allowing the kick-off to go dead in what was the third straight error from the kick-off inside the first 15 minutes.
Marist capitalised out wide with a try to Damon Coldwell as the visitors led 12-10. They then made it back-to-back tries when playmaking ace Fuller followed through on his own grubber to put the Rams up 16-10 after just 20 minutes.
It was all too easy for Marist as Fuller put lock Nathan Stewart through a gap for the team’s fourth try inside the opening half an hour.
It got worse for the home side shortly after as Liam Anderson was sent to the sin bin for a late shot on Fuller and winger Malachi Ferguson was forced from the field with a shoulder injury as Marist took a 22-10 lead into the break.
The Rams had taken all the momentum into halftime and picked it up exactly where they left off after the restart when a nice blind side play put Henry Lee over just three minutes into the second half to put them up by 18 points.
The game was in danger slipping away from the Bombers, who thought they had pulled one back 25 minutes from time when centre Torben Milton outjumped Marist fullback Noah King to take a David Gibbons kick and plant the ball down. However just as the team was celebrating the referee penalised Evans Head for being offside in the kick chase.
A couple of minutes later Marist then put the result beyond any doubt when Fuller fed his halves partner Jye Davis through a gap with an inside ball to make it 32-12 with 20 minutes to go.
The Rams were having a field day as Krause showed fantastic hands to cleanly take a grubber on his own tryline and then make a break up field. On the next play they shifted the ball left where Fuller put Cooper Love over out wide for another try.
And while Jordy Sly scored a late consolation for the Bombers, Marist ran away with another very impressive win.
The victory moves Marist temporarily up into second place ahead of Sunday’s games. Meanwhile the loss, Evans Head’s third in succession, continues the team’s slide down the ladder, with the Bombers at risk of potentially slipping out of the top six.
Marist Brothers 38 (Krause, Coldwell, Fuller, Stewart, Lee, Davis, Love tries; Fuller five goals) defeated Evans Head 14 (Roberts, Hartley, Sly tries; Gibbons one goal)
In other round 11 results, the Tweed Seagulls defeated Lower Clarence 34-10, Kyogle downed Byron Bay 32-14 and Tweed Coast got over the top of Northern United 42-32 in a high-scoring contest. Elsewhere, Murwillumbah improved its finals hopes with a 28-22 victory over in-form Casino.
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