Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League: results, wrap, takeaways from round five

A veteran prop pulled off some playmaking brilliance, a milestone match was celebrated in style, while a surprise team jumped into the top four during round five of the NRRRL.

Alex Fitzhugh from Bilambil Jets, Drew Lanston from Tweed Coast Raiders and Trevor Bolt from Evans Head Bombers in the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL) competition. Photo: Max Ellis/supplied

A veteran front rower flipped the match guide on its head with a moment of playmaking brilliance in the match of the round, one club enforcer celebrated an unexpected milestone in a local derby, while one club has surprised the competition by jumping into the top four following round five of the NRRRL.

Elsewhere, two undefeated teams went blow for blow, one star halfback put on a playmaking masterclass and there was a kit clash for the ages during the weekend’s action.

NRRRL ROUND FOUR: wrap and key takeaways

LOCAL DERBY: Cudgen, Tweed Coast prepare for rivalry

Catch up with the main takeaways from round five with the NRRRL Seven-Tackle Set.

1) Magpies push Jets all the way

Lower Clarence almost grabbed the headlines following their narrow 24-22 loss to Bilambil at Yamba on Saturday.

The Magpies were set for what would have been the boilover of the season before a late Tyson Donnelly try ensured that the Jets stretched their unbeaten run to five matches.

The home side was led brilliantly by captain-coach and prop Luke Douglas, who came up with one of the plays of the season so far.

With Lower on the attack and halfback Vinnie Williams tackled on the fifth, Douglas took to the skies with a mighty bomb. The kick was perfectly waited, with centre Tyler Essex running through, outjumping Bilambil fullback Oliver Regan to brilliantly take the ball, score under the sticks and give the Magpies the lead with 20 minutes to go.

The remarkable effort didn’t go unnoticed by the match officials, with the referee telling Douglas with a wry smile: “Front rowers aren’t allowed to kick, Luke.”

2) Contenders go blow for blow

Two of the NRRRL’s early frontrunners went head to head on the weekend as the previously undefeated Northern United hosted Ballina at Oakes Oval in Lismore.

And while the Seagulls joined Bilambil as the only other unbeaten team after five rounds following their 30-22 victory, it was good to see two in-form teams go blow for blow so early in the season.

While Ballina took an early 18-4 lead, the Dirawongs hit back with three consecutive tries of their own to level scores before the visitors once again took control to seal the win in the latter stages.

In fact, both sides scored five tries, with the boost of Seagulls’ goalkicker Hamish McClintock ultimately the difference in the end in what is a clash we may see again at the business end of the season.

3) Green celebrates milestone match in style

It was a happy milestone match for Cudgen forward Shannon Green, who helped the Hornets to a convincing 36-12 victory over local rivals Tweed Coast in his 100th first grade game for the club.

The Burleigh junior, who arrived at Les Burger Field 10 years ago to initially just play with some mates, had actually retired from football and was helping out coach Bryce Poisel before an injury crisis saw him answer an SOS call.

Green played his 100th game for the Hornets. Photo: Mike Donnelly

And while he didn’t quite get the centenary meat pie he had wished for before the game, Green was more than happy to walk away with the two points against the arch rivals.

And so, with the 100th game for Cudgen ticked off, how many more can we expect?

“To be honest I’ve been trying to retire for a few years now but I’ve always got the itchy feet,” he said. “I was quite content with my role and position within the club this year, but it got the better of me and my arm got twisted so I’ll just take each week as it comes.”

4) Kit clash for the ages

You’d be forgiven for thinking you were seeing double in Lismore on Sunday, with Marist Brothers and Murwillumbah coming up with one of the worst kit clashes in recent memory.

With both sides wearing predominantly blue jerseys with a ‘V’ across the front (in Marist Brothers’ case yellow, and yellow and white for the Mustangs), as well as white shorts, it was at times tough to differentiate who was tackling who on the wet Oakes Oval surface.

It was Murwillumbah who navigated conditions the better to record a 24-14 victory, their second-straight win, while after a positive start to the season the Rams suffered their third-straight loss.

5) Bolt in playmaking masterclass as Evans Head click into gear

It was a happy day out for Evans Head on Sunday as the Bombers demolished Byron Bay 58-0 in front of their home fans at Stan Payne Oval.

It was just the second win of what has been a difficult start to the season for last year’s beaten grand finalists, but it certainly was a good one.

Bolt put on a clinic against the Red Devils. Photo: Evans Head Bombers.

And while winger Brandon Anderson scored four and centre Torben Milton bagged a hat-trick, the win was large set up by halfback Trevor Bolt, who put on a playmaking masterclass against the Red Devils.

Whether it be cut-out balls, grubbers or line breaks, Bolt directly set up five tries – including the first four – to put the game to bed well before half time.

6) Mullumbimby’s strong start

At the beginning of the season there probably weren’t too many people who would have picked Mullumbimby to be sitting inside the top four after the first five rounds.

But after the weekend’s action that is exactly where the Giants are with a record of two wins, one draw, one loss and a bye to see them sitting in fourth place with seven points.

In fact, the performance is already better than that of the entire 2022 season, when the team won just two games and lost nine.

The team’s impressive return has undoubtedly been built on their defence. After conceding just 56 points in their first four games, the Giants have the best defensive record in the competition, although the likes of Ballina (conceded 62) and Bilambil (68) have played an extra game.

And while the team still has many of the competition’s big guns to come, the early season work of captain-coach Cody Nelson and NRL coaching legend Chris Anderson – who has been helping assist Nelson – is certainly reaping dividends.

7) Casino legend honoured in Canberra

Canberra is a long way from Casino, but on the weekend Cougars’ legend Billy Walker was down in the nation’s capital for the Raiders’ Forever Green old boys’ match against Parramatta.

With the event celebrating those to have pulled on a lime green jumper in the past, Walker – along with a slew of former teammates – did a lap of honour of GIO Stadium before the Raiders took down the Eels 26-18, much to the delight of the home fans.

Originally from Tabulam, Billy – the uncle of South Sydney star Cody Walker and current Cougars’ captain-coach Ryan Walker – made 25 appearances for the Green Machine in 1984 and 1985. He also spent a season at the Rabbitohs in 1983.

Round five wrap

Two previously undefeated teams clashed, local rivals faced off in a Tweed derby, while we went close to seeing the boilover of the season in a thrilling game as part of round five of the NRRRL.

Northern United hosted Ballina in a top-of-the-table clash at Oakes Oval on Saturday, while Lower Clarence took on defending premiers Bilambil in arguably the match of the round in Yamba.

Sunday’s matches saw Mullumbimby host Casino, Cudgen take on Tweed Coast in the local derby, Marist Brothers welcome Murwillumbah to Lismore and Evans Head return home to face off with Byron Bay.

Catch up with a wrap of the round five action below.

Ballina sink Northern United in top-of-the-table clash

Ballina has continued its unbeaten run with a tight 30-22 victory over Northern United in a top-of-the-table clash at Oakes Oval in Lismore.

Both sides came into the match undefeated, and it was ultimately the boot of Seagulls goalkicker Hamish McClintock that separated the two teams, who both scored five tries a piece.

Ballina started the stronger and got off to the perfect start with McClintock dummying, stepping and palming off a Northern defender to cross after just six minutes.

The Seagulls then made it 12-0 three minutes later when a great ball from prop Cameron Copeland found his front row partner Damian Sironen, who was too strong for the Northern defence, bursting through the first tackle and then overpowering the Dirawongs’ fullback to reach out and plant the ball down.

Northern hit back midway through the half when they regathered a bomb was allowed to bounce, with Tim Torrens scoring in the corner to make it 12-4.

It was then Ballina who scored off a Northern bomb, with one of the Dirawongs players knocking the ball back into the hands of Seagull Caleb Kinna, who ran down field before finding Jordan Lee to score and stretch the lead out to 18-4.

However the home side hit back just before half time with Allan McKenzie crashing over from close range to leave the scores at 18-8 at the break.

The Dirawongs continued their momentum in the second half, with McKenzie crossing again just two minutes after the break and winger Damon Coldwell getting his around his opposite number in the 49th minute to even things up at 18-all with half an hour to play.

While Northern had scored three straight tries, it was the Seagulls who wrestled back momentum, with some nice footwork from fullback Zac Beecher, who put on a right-foot and then a left-foot step to get through the broken Northern United defensive line, scoring to make it 24-18.

McClintock stretched the lead out to 26-18 after slotting a penalty five minutes later, while Ballina put the game to bed six minutes from time when a Seagulls grubber close to the line was fumbled by Northern United, with Ballina winger Rowan Mansfield picking the ball up and diving over close to the line to make scores 30-18.

While Northern United fullback Hezakiah McKenzie scored a consolation try at the death, it wasn’t enough for the home side, who suffered their first loss of the season.

As for Ballina, they remain at the top of the ladder with five-straight wins.

Ballina 30 def Northern United 22

Jets pip the Magpies in thriller

Bilambil has joined Ballina as the only other undefeated team in the competition after a thrilling 24-22 victory over Lower Clarence in Yamba.

Trailing late in what was a seesawing match, the Jets scored a late try through Tyson Donnelly to seal the two-point victory and avoid the biggest upset of the season so far.

The performance was a huge turnaround for Lower, who were flogged 58-6 by Ballina last weekend.

Things started positively for Bilambil, with backrower Kalani Hensby crossing on the left edge in just the sixth minute to give his side a 6-0 lead.

The home side hit back 10 minutes later when they scored under the sticks to level things up at 6-all.

The Jets took the lead again midway through the half when Lachlan Hallard broke through the defensive line from inside his own half before showing enough speed to score and give his side a 12-6 lead into the break.

While the home side was more than competitive with the defending premiers in the first half, they stepped it up another gear in the second, scoring 10 minutes in with a lovely move that saw the ball go through five sets of hands from the left touchline to the right corner where centre Tyler Essex palmed off the Bilambil defenders to score.

The Magpies then took the lead with 20 minutes to go with a brilliant try. With halfback Vinnie Williams tackled on the fifth, prop Luke Douglas took to the skies with a mighty bomb. Essex ran through, outjumped Bilambil fullback Oliver Regan to brilliantly take the ball and score under the sticks. Grant Brown added the extras to give Lower a 16-12 lead.

The Magpies seemed to have all the momentum, however a knock-on in the first set after the kick-off gave Bilambil a golden opportunity to strike back. And the defending premiers did just that, with a brilliant chip-kick from halfback Conrad Green finding Blake Forder in the corner, who did incredibly well to catch the ball and put it down inside the touchline to level things up at 16-all.

The defending premiers then took the lead again with 10 minutes to go when centre Caleb Nicholls powered his past four Magpies defenders to crash over.

But Lower weren’t done yet, and with five minutes to go Williams broke through the line 40 metres out from the Jets line before finding Essex with a clever flick pass.

The centre still had plenty to do and beat three Bilambil defenders to secure his hat-trick and send the home crowd mad. Grant Brown slotted the extras to put the Magpies in front 22-20 with three and a half minutes to go.

While Lower was looking to close out the match, a brilliant one-on-one strip from prop Jack Durheim just after the kick-off gave the Jets one last chance in prime territory. Right on the Magpies’ line, backrower Tyson Donnelly went down the blind side from dummy half and was too strong for the Lower defence to barge over and seal the two-point win.

The victory extends the Jets’ unbeaten run to five. Meanwhile despite losing, the Magpies should take plenty of confidence out of their performance moving forward.

Bilambil 24 def Lower Clarence 22

Hornets sting Raiders in Tweed derby

Cudgen have maintained bragging rights over their close neighbours Tweed Coast after a convincing 36-12 victory in a local derby at Ned Byrne Oval.

Four second-half tries helped set up the win for the Hornets, in what is their third-straight victory.

Things started well for the home side, with Luke Dumas leaping high to catch a nice Sam Grant kick and score in just the fifth minute.

While Tweed Coast forward Owen Fredericks hit back five minutes later with a try of his own to even things up at 6-all, unfortunately for the Raiders that was as close as it got, with Cudgen running in five consecutive tries to seal the comfortable victory.

It started in the 16th minute when winger Nick Andreas finished off a nice move down the left, and was followed after the break by four-pointers to Dumas, Jordan Kempnich, Andrew Battese and Jackson Rohweder.

And while Cameron Pollard crashed over for a late consolation try for the Raiders, Cudgen ran out 36-12 winners in the local derby.

Cudgen 36 def Tweed Coast 12

Giants edge past Cougars

Mullumbimby has moved into fourth position on the table after a hard-fought 24-18 against Casino at home.

Winger Tom Sowerby and halfback Dean Rooney both scored doubles as the Giants crossed for five tries to seal the six-point victory.

Things started well for the home side, as a switch to the right-hand side from an attacking scrum saw Sowerby cross in the corner in just the seventh minute.

The Cougars hit back midway through the half, running through a gaping hole in the Giants’ defensive line to even things up at 6-6.

However from here the Giants took control, scoring through Rooney and Mason Davies to take a 14-6 lead into half time.

Mullum then extended their lead to 14 points just after the break when Rooney backed up after some nice work from hooker Tommy Gibson and Cody Nelson to score under the sticks.

But the Cougars weren’t done with, and hit back with tries to Eddie Walker-Williams and Billy Opa to bring the scores back to 20-18 with 10 minutes to go and set up a grandstand finish.

However the Giants pushed further ahead, capitalising on a Casino error coming out from their own end with Nelson linking up with Sowerby for his double to seal the six-point win.

Mullumbimby 24 def Casino 18

Mustangs get the points over the Rams

Murwillumbah have recorded their second-straight win with a tight 24-14 victory over Marist Brothers in Lismore.

A Jake Vickery double, including one in the final minutes, set up the win for the Mustangs, who outscored the Rams four tries to three.

The visitors were the first to cross in the 16th minute after backrower Melvin Dawson swooped on a Marist Brothers fumble to score.

The Rams levelled things up at 6-all after a Walter Kelly grubber deflected off the Mustangs’ defence and back into his own arms to score close to the posts.

The home side then took the lead on 31 minutes when centre Mitchell Krause leapt high to catch a Kelly cross field kick to score.

Despite the turnaround from Marist Brothers, the Mustangs would take a narrow lead into half time when Blake Ewing burrowed over from dummy half to leave the scores at 12-10.

Played in wet conditions, the second half was an arm wrestle that ultimately took a mistake to break the deadlock, with a loose Marist Brothers pass swooped on by Murwillumbah winger Joel Antonelli, who then found Vickery on the inside to take the scores to 18-10.

Krause kept Marist Brothers in it by crashing over for his double with 10 minutes to go to make it 18-14, however the Mustangs put the game to bed a couple of minutes later, with Jordan Best combining with Vickery for an excellent long-range try to seal the 24-14 victory.

The win was the second straight from the Mustangs after a difficult start to the season, while Marist Brothers recorded their third defeat in a row.

Murwillumbah 24 def Marist Brothers 14

Bombers take down the Red Devils

Evans Head Bombers halfback Trevor Bolt put on a playmaking masterclass in the win. Photo: Evans Head Bombers.

Evans Head has shaken off any early season rust and broken a three-match losing streak in fine style with a 58-0 hammering of Byron Bay in front of their home fans at Stan Payne Oval.

Winger Brandon Anderson had a field day with four tries and centre Torben Milton crossed for a hat-trick, while halfback Trevor Bolt kicked nine goals and had a direct hand in five tries as the Bombers recorded their second victory of the season.

It all started in the fifth minute for the Bombers, with a tidy dummy, step and then perfectly weighted grubber from Bolt finding Anderson unmarked on the right wing.

The winger was over again four minutes later when he caught a looping cut-out ball from Bolt before cutting back inside to beat the Red Devils defenders to score.

It was a first-class first half from the Bombers’ halfback, who directly set up Milton for two tries as Evans Head took a 30-0 lead into the break.

The rout continued in the second half with five more tries, including Milton’s hat-trick, and two more to Anderson.

In fact, the match finished in a very similar way to which it started, with a looping Bolt cut-out ball creating an overlap on the right for Anderson to cross untouched on the bell and cap off the 10-try thumping.

Evans Head 58 def Byron Bay 0