Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL): Wrap, results, standouts from round one
There were morale-boosting wins, local derby thrillers and one game that ended in controversy as the NRRRL returned with a bang.
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Local footy returned over the weekend as round one of the NRRRL kicked off around the Northern Rivers.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
MULLUM DOWNS TWEED IN CONTROVERSIAL CLASH
Mullumbimby has kicked off the season with victory and in the process spoiled the Tweed Seagulls’ return to A-grade football after prevailing 22-18 in a controversial clash at Piggabeen Sports Complex.
The Giants were forced to come from behind and work hard for the two points in a seesawing affair that featured a lengthy injury delay and ended in unsavoury circumstances when a spectator jumped the fence to attack a Mullumbimby player.
After a bright start and early try to Mullumbimby, the game was forced into a long delay due to a serious injury to a Seagulls player, who had to be taken to hospital by the ambulance.
The home side then reacted best after the resumption of play, running in two quick tries to take a 12-4 lead at the break.
However the Giants recovered and regained the ascendancy thanks to a double to half Jack Murphy, which put the side back in front 18-12.
With a passionate home crowd on hand to watch the team’s first game of A-grade football in the NRRRL for two decades, the Seagulls hit back to lock things up at 18-all and set up a grandstand finish.
However Mullum showed its class and hit back with its fourth try of the day to seal the win.
“We were really, really good to start the game,” said Mullumbimby captain Cody Nelson. “They had a bloke injured and we had to wait like 50 minutes for the ambulance to get there and get him off the field.
“Obviously it’s a long wait, you’ve warmed up and then to have to warm up again, start again and go back and play footy isn’t easy. We were a bit off the pace after the break,” he added.
“Tweed scored twice before we livened up and played a bit of footy again. But once we sort of clicked and threw some shape at them we played some really good footy at the back end and did really well to win the game.”
Nelson heaped praise on the Giants’ marquee signing Jacob Miller, who after more than a decade playing professional football in the NRL and UK Super League, turned out for his junior club.
“It’s a game that in previous years we could have quite easily thrown away, so it was a massive positive having Jacob Miller back out there.
“There was no panic in our footy, whether we’re behind or whatever. It was pleasing to do what we needed to do to win the game of footy and we’ll be heaps better for the game.”
In an unfortunate incident, the game ended in acrimony when a spectator jumped the fence, entered the field of play and hit Nelson in the final minute of play. While the Mullum skipper wasn’t hurt, the game was nevertheless called off with around 30 seconds remaining and an investigation into the incident has been launched.
Mullumbimby 22 defeated Tweed Heads Seagulls 18
BILAMBIL FLEX MUSCLES IN TWEED DERBY
Bilambil has produced arguably the most impressive performance of round one, with the Jets turning on the fireworks to hammer local rivals Tweed Coast 40-6 at The Valley.
Brothers Alex and Harry Fitzhugh were outstanding for the home side as they ran in seven tries to one to send an early message to the rest of the competition.
Coming into its first game with captain-coach Hayden Hansen at the helm, Bilambil opened its account 10 minutes in when halfback Harry Fitzhugh put Caleb Nicholls through a gap on the left edge. From here the centre passed on to his wing partner Blake Graham to score the first of the contest.
Fitzhugh was in the thick of the action and had his second assist nine minutes later when he put in an excellent chip kick that bounced back beautifully into the path of five-eighth Aaron Hill, who came screaming through to pluck the ball out of the air and score.
The halfback was having a blinder to kick off the season and he crossed for one of his own 23 minutes in after a nice wrap around with backrower Kalani Hensby to make it 16-0 to the Jets.
It was all one-way traffic and Bilambil further extended its lead late in the half when Tweed Coast’s Oliver Blood knocked on a chip kick from who else but Harry Fitzhugh, which allowed prop Lane Ticehurst to go over and stretch the scoreline out to 22-0 at the break.
Unfortunately for the Raiders the change of ends didn’t result in a change in fortunate as Bilambil continued to put the foot down.
Centre Lachlan Hallard went over 10 minutes after the restart before some clever work out of dummy-half from Tom Rowles put Riley Buchanan through to make it 34-0 with still 25 minutes to play.
And while the Raiders did rally in the final quarter of the match and got one the scoreboard when Abele Atunaisa capitalised on a Bilambil error, the Jets had the final say as Hallard sliced through the line and found Alex Fitzhugh in the middle to cap off an impressive round one win.
Bilambil 40 (Graham, Hill, H Fitzhugh, Ticehurst, Hallard, Buchanan, A Fitzhugh tries; Smallwood six goals) defeated Tweed Coast 6 (Atunaisa try; one goal)
YOUNG GUN, NEW RECRUITS FIRE FOR KYOGLE
Kyogle has gotten off to its best start of the season in years after the Turkeys defeated Lower Clarence 24-18 with an impressive performance in front of their home fans at New Park.
Young winger Clayton Guiney showed plenty of speed and footwork to claim a hat-trick while new recruits Tahne Robinson and Hakeem Torrens were impressive in the halves at Kyogle racked up a deserved win.
Looking to start the season brightly after claiming the last three wooden spoons, Kyogle almost went in early as winger Alex Gibbon was put in space down the right-hand touchline, only for Lower fullback Tyler Essex to bundle him into touch with an outstanding trysaving tackle.
However the Turkeys looked sharp and weren’t to be denied 12 minutes in, when a stunning break down the middle from prop Deon Bianchetti gave the side great field position, before a powerful run and flick pass from Layne Hardy put winger Clayton Guiney over in the corner.
It was a good start from the Turkeys and they added to this midway through the half with a brilliant long-range effort.
With a scrum 10m out from its own line, Kyogle shifted the ball right where Hardy and Guiney once again combined. Showing some nice footwork and plenty of speed, Guiney shot down the touchline and then outran the chasing defenders for his second of the day to give the home side a 12-0 lead.
Kyogle almost went in again straight away after a Tahne Robinson 40/20 helped the side up field, and while Gibbon did go over in the left-hand corner, the final pass was called forward.
The Turkeys’ go-forward and kicking game ensured that it had good field position, and when Kyogle received a penalty late in the half, Robinson added another two points to make it 14-0 at the break.
The game continued to go from end to end early in the second half in what was an entertaining contest.
And while both sides had their chances, it was Lower who struck first when hooker Callan Hollis showed his speed and footwork out of dummy-half to score 10 minutes after the restart and make it 14-6.
However just as the Magpies had worked their way back into the game, Kyogle came up with some outstanding razzle dazzle football once again surge further ahead.
Following through on a towering midfield bomb from five-eighth Hakeem Torrens, Kyogle backrower Kaleb Dorsman did incredibly well to take the ball ahead of Lower’s Grant Byers. He then threw it back over his to once again find Torrens, who in turn shifted the ball right to Guiney to go over for his hat-trick to make it 18-6 with 22 minutes remaining.
With Kyogle’s confidence up there was almost a case of deja vu in the very next set.
Torrens once again put up a midfield bomb and appeared to be taken out after kicking the ball. Expecting a penalty to be blown against them, some of the Lower players seemed to stop, which allowed Dorsman to once again take the ball and pass off to Robinson to run in under the sticks and give the Turkeys a crucial 24-6 lead with less than 20 minutes to play.
Stung by conceding back-to-back tries, the Magpies were sparked into action, with lock Nathan Hollis slicing through the line to go over and give his side a glimmer of hope.
Lower kept pushing hard and went over again through Merrick Skinner late in the game to slash the deficit to six, however it proved to be nothing but a consolation as the Turkeys ran out 24-18 winners.
Kyogle 24 (Guiney 3, Robinson try; Robinson four goals) defeated Lower Clarence 18 (C Hollis, N Hollis, Skinner tries; Byers three goals)
CUDGEN DOWN MURBAH IN TWEED THRILLER
A late try to Jackson Owen has helped Cudgen to a narrow 16-12 victory over local rivals Murwillumbah in a tough and tight round one fixture at Ned Byrne Oval.
After just one try was scored in the first half the game opened up after the break and appeared set to finish even before Owen crashed over from dummy-half with just five minutes remaining to seal the win.
Playing at home to kick off the season, Cudgen started brightly and found itself over the line in the 10th minute through winger Malachi Dumas but the final pass was called back for being forward.
However the Hornets weren’t to be delayed and went over just two minutes later following a comical piece of play.
With his team having received a penalty, Cudgen halfback Elliott Speed kicked to find touch.
Standing next to the touchline, Murbah’s Connah Mills leapt high and batted the ball back into play, only for the ball to travel forward. Concerned about giving away a penalty for being offside, nearby Mustangs players refused to pick up the ball, with Cudgen’s Jye Barton scooping it up and passing onto Dumas, who was pulled down 10m short.
From the next play Barton took advantage of the unsettled defensive line by shooting out from dummy-half to score the opening try of the game.
The centre almost went in again midway through the half following a long-range break down the right but was pulled down by some desperate chasing defenders.
Murwillumbah had chances of its own in a tight first half, piling on the pressure during a spell in which the Mustangs had multiple sets on the Cudgen line. Hooker Lachie Adamson was held up over the line while winger Jack Bishop appeared destined to score but lost the ball in the process and trying to plant it down.
Late in half Cudgen received a penalty after Speed was taken out of play while chasing an attacking grubber and he slotted the goal to give his side a 6-0 lead at the break.
Despite some good chances only one try had been scored and the close calls continued early in the second half as Cudgen hooker Blake Raymond darted out of dummy-half and reached out for the line. While the Hornets celebrated, he was ruled to have grounded the ball short of the line and then been held up by the Murwillumbah defence.
The Mustangs had been held scoreless however that all changed 10 minutes into the half when a nice short side play put Matt Bollard into space down the right touchline. The centre then did well to find halfback Kade Hill in support to level things up at 6-all.
Murwillumbah enjoyed some good possession and field position on the back of the try and appeared to have the momentum until a dropped bomb opened the door for Cudgen.
From here, Caleb Ziebell charged at the line from close range and crashed over to re-establish his side’s six-point lead with 17 minutes remaining.
The game had finally opened up and Murwillumbah hit back again shortly after.
With a scrum feed just shy of halfway the Mustangs shifted the ball wide and Bollard once again broke the line before running 50m to score. Hill then slotted the conversion to level things at 12-all with 10 to play.
With the teams having set up a grandstand finish, a penalty and repeat set put Cudgen on the front foot.
And then when centre Cooper Cambey got up for a quick play-the-ball, Owen swooped into dummy-half and burrowed over from close range to put his side in front with just five minutes remaining.
It proved to be the decisive moment as Cudgen closed out the game finish four-point winners.
Cudgen 16 (Barton, Ziebell, Owen tries; Speed two goals) defeat Murwillumbah 12 (Hill, Bollard tries; Hill two goals)
EVANS HEAD TOO STRONG FOR BYRON
Some local juniors and new recruits have combined nicely as Evans Head kicked off its season in style with a comfortable 32-14 victory over Byron Bay at Red Devil Park.
Front-rower Aidan Kennedy was at his best with a double while English import Kiedan Hartley also crossed twice as the Bombers proved too strong for the young Red Devils side.
Playing at home to kick off the season, Byron Bay struck first with a try against the run of play.
With Evans Head attacking the Red Devils’ 20, Jordan Sly put in a grubber that failed to get through the defensive line. After rebounding off his legs, Byron playmaker Jesse Soric picked up the ball and ran 80m to score the opener.
Despite the early hiccup, Evans Head works its way into the contest on the back of some good yardage from its forwards.
Centre Torben Milton powered his way over on the quarter-hour mark before Kennedy crashed over just a couple of minutes later for back-to-back four-pointers and a 10-4 lead.
Things got worse for the home side in the 26th minute when lock Kolbi Wood was sent to the sin bin.
Evans Head wasted no time capitalising when English imports David Gibbons and Hartley combined to put the latter over on the left edge and give the Bombers a 16-4 lead at the break.
The visitors had finished the first half well and carried that momentum into the second when Kennedy charged over for his second just five minutes after the restart.
And while Jacob Kernick ran a great line to pull one back for Byron in the 55th minute to make it 22-8, the Bombers sealed the game with 12 minutes to play when Sly put the head down and charged over from close range.
The teams traded tries in the final stages as Evans Head ran out comfortable 32-14 winners.
Evans Head 32 (A Kennedy 2, Hartley 2, Milton, Sly tries; Gibbons four goals) defeated Byron Bay 14 (Soric, Kernick, Marks tries; Farrell one goal)
The Lismore derby between Marist Brothers and Northern United, as well as the clash between Casino and Ballina, were postponed due to the state of the fields.
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