Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League: wrap, results, standouts from round nine
Some young guns followed in their families’ footsteps with dream debuts, while a host of teams ran riot with incredible point-scoring bursts during round nine of the NRRRL.
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The next generation was on show during round nine of the NRRRL, with the sons of a couple of former club stalwarts making dream first grade debuts.
Elsewhere, in a round of lopsided contests, a host of teams put on points incredibly quickly with some remarkable short spells, while others have made key moves up the ladder with crucial victories.
Catch up with a wrap of the action and key talking points below with the NRRRL Seven-Tackle Set.
1) Blowouts reign supreme
It was a weekend of blowouts across the NRRRL, with all bar one of the competition’s six games ending in lopsided contests.
Excluding the exciting Byron Shire derby, in which Byron Bay defeated Mullumbimby 26-24, the winning teams of the other six games scored a combined total of 242 points and conceded just 46, which roughly translates to an average score of 40-8 per game.
It started with Bilambil running in 10 tries to defeat Casino 58-12 at Queen Elizabeth Park. Murwillumbah also scored 10 as they thumped Kyogle 52-0 while Evans Head stepped it up a gear with a 64-6 demolition of Marist Brothers.
And while Cudgen’s 32-12 victory over Lower Clarence might seem more modest in comparison, the Hornets were up 32-0 before the Magpies scored a couple of late consolation tries. It was a similar story in Northern United’s 36-16 win over Tweed Coast, with the Dirawongs going into the break 24-0 up before an improved second half from the Raiders reduced the deficit.
2) Teams go wild in crazy short bursts
While the sheer amount of points scored over the weekend was impressive in itself, the manner in which the teams took the game away from their opponents had to be seen to be believed.
While scores between Murwillumbah and Kyogle remained locked at 0-0 for the first 25 minutes, the Mustangs suddenly hit the turbo button and raced in three tries in 10 minutes to Danyon Wise, Kade Hill and Bo Peisley to give themselves a 16-point buffer at halftime.
If you thought that might have been a one-off, you’d be wrong, with Murwillumbah then crossing for another three tries inside 12 minutes early in the second half, before capping off the rout with three more in the final 10 minutes of the game to rack up a whopping 52-0 victory.
Evans Head were running from the same script over at Oakes Oval.
After opening the scoring in the fourth minute, the Bombers then scored tries in the 12th, 16th and 18th minutes in what was a truly incredible six-minute burst. Remarkably, the Rams didn’t touch the ball once – except for the kick-offs – during the period as Evans Head piled on 18 points to take the game away from the hosts.
And just like the Mustangs, they didn’t just settle for that, as the team piled on another three tries in the final 10 minutes of the half to take an incredible 42-6 lead into the break.
3) Derby doesn’t disappoint
It was bush footy at its best on Sunday at Les Donnelly Field with Mullumbimby hosting Byron Bay in a blockbuster derby clash.
The ground was packed and atmosphere electric as the Giants celebrated old boys’ day against their local rivals.
The stuff on the pitch lived up to expectations as well. After Mullum took an early lead, Byron Bay took control of the match with four straight trues, before a stirring comeback from the home side led to a grandstand finish, with the Red Devils holding on for a 26-24 win in what was a nailbiting clash.
4) Next gen stars in dream debuts
Some famous families extended their incredible legacies at local clubs over the weekend with a couple of young guns following in their relatives’ footsteps with memorable first grade debuts.
At Queen Elizabeth Park in Casino young Bilambil winger Kai Smallwood made his A-grade debut in the Jets’ big win over the Cougars.
The Smallwood name is synonymous with Bilambil, with Kai’s grandfather, father – as well as a slew of uncles and cousins – having played in the red and green in years gone by.
In fact, last year 18-year-old Kai won the Percy Smallwood Trophy – named after his grandfather – which is awarded to the most promising young talent in the club.
Meanwhile, there has also been plenty to celebrate for Murwillumbah fans in recent weeks.
Connor Smith, the son of former first grade front rower Ronny Smith, made his debut against Mullumbimby a fortnight ago and backed up in the Mustangs’ huge win over Kyogle on Sunday.
And while simply making their debuts for the clubs that their family members played for was reason enough for these next-gen stars to celebrate, the pair capped off a big weekend with a little extra icing on the cake.
Smallwood crossed for a try in the right-hand corner midway through the first half, while Smith put the cherry on top of Murwillumbah’s big win with a four-pointer of his own late in the match – with both rookies swamped by their ecstatic teammates.
5) Big guns bolster Hornets
There were some familiar faces back out on the field for Cudgen in their impressive win over Lower Clarence as a couple of big guns returned from injury.
Representative forward Connor Ziebell and Jackson Rohweder both returned from lengthy layoffs for the Hornets as they defeated the Magpies 32-12 to break a two-game losing streak.
The pair were two of many absences that the club has had so far this season, with coach Bryce Poisel noting that up to 10 first graders have been missing from the squad through injury at various stages across the first nine rounds.
With other top performers like Rex Johnson and Caleb Ziebell also expected to return in the coming weeks, the Hornets are hopeful of making a charge up the ladder.
6) Teams make their move up the ladder
It has been the case more or less all season, but the weekend’s results ensured that the competition remained incredibly tight after round 10.
While Ballina, Bilambil and Northern United remain clear frontrunners at the top, following them is a remarkable mid-table logjam that sees two points separate fourth and ninth, with the ladder resembling a yo-yo after every weekend.
Round 10’s big winners included Evans Head, whose massive 64-6 victory lifted them from sixth to fourth. Similarly, Cudgen’s convincing win over Lower Clarence took the Hornets from seventh to fifth, while Byron Bay also jumped two spots to eighth on the back of its thrilling derby win over Mullumbimby.
On the flip side, Tweed Coast fell from fourth to sixth, Mullum dropped from fifth to seventh, while the Magpies slipped a spot to ninth.
With things so tight in the middle of the table, most weeks will resemble traditional four-pointer clashes for teams battling to get into the semi-final spots.
7) Stars shine across all grades
One of the most anticipated matches of the season will take place this weekend when Ballina and Bilambil meet in a top-of-the-table clash.
And while those two sides – along with Northern United – have been the clear standouts in first grade, there have also been some outstanding team performances in the other grades over the first half of the season.
It’ll be a case of déjà vu in reserves when the Jets and Seagulls clash in another blockbuster. Both sides, along with Murwillumbah, remain undefeated through nine rounds, and will be hoping to keep their streak alive.
The Mustangs are also one of the teams to beat in the under-18s, sitting equal first with the Tweed Heads Seagulls with both having lost just one game.
In league tag, defending premiers Cudgen are leading from the front once again, undefeated across nine rounds, while Lower Clarence are the team to beat in the women’s tackle competition, having won six from six and leading the competition despite playing two fewer games than second-placed Tweed Coast.
ROUND NINE WRAP
There were points galore during round nine of the NRRRL, with teams giving the scoreboard attendant plenty to do in a round filled with uneven contests.
There were incredible individual performances from star players, while one local derby went down to the wire.
Catch up with a wrap of round nine action below.
Jets take down the Cougars
Bilambil has continued its excellent form with a resounding 58-12 victory over Casino at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Fullback Oliver Regan bagged a hat-trick and five-eighth Alex Fitzhugh a double in the 10-tries-to-two victory.
Bilambil’s Blake Forder opened the scoring in the fifth minute, with some nice footwork seeing him evade the Casino defenders and crash over in the left-hand corner.
However the home side hit back on 10 minutes with a brilliant try. Taking the ball at speed, Cougars captain-coach Ryan Walker showed some nice footwork of his own to slice through the Jets’ defence before bumping off the fullback and then eventually finding backrower Thomas Walker to score.
While Casino were leading 6-4, it didn’t stay that way for long, with the Jets putting on eight straight tries to well and truly take the game away from the Cougars.
Regan bagged a first half double as the visitors took a 28-6 lead into the break.
The highlight came in the 24th minute when debutant Kai Smallwood crossed for a try, sparking great scenes from the celebrating Jets players who swamped the young winger.
The pain continued in the second half with Bilambil putting on another five tries to one to seal the big victory.
Bilambil 58 (Regan 3, A Fitzhugh 2, Forder, Smallwood, Hind, Ticehurst, Garner tries; Regan nine goals) def Casino 12 (T Walker 2 tries; Walker-Williams two goals)
Mustangs trample the Turkeys
Murwillumbah has roared back to form with a thumping 52-0 victory over Kyogle at New Park.
Halfback Aaron Hill scored a double as the Mustangs ran in 10 tries to emphatically snap their three-game losing streak.
Despite the blowout score, things remained deadlocked at 0-0 until the 25th minute, when Mustangs winger Danyon Wise crossed in the corner.
From here the Mustangs went back to back to back, with Kade Hill and Bo Peisley crossing to make it three tries in 10 minutes to give the visitors a 16-0 lead at halftime.
Murwillumbah turned up the heat after the break, scoring seven tries in what was a dominant performance.
Just like they did in the first half, the Mustangs scored their tries in short, sharp bursts, crossing for three inside a 12-minute period, before capping things off with another three tries in the final 10 minutes.
The highlight of the day came in the 75th minute when debutant Connor Smith crossed on the right edge, with teammates jumping all over him to celebrate what was a great moment on a great day for the club.
Murwillumbah 52 (Hill 2, Wise, Peisley, Antonelli, Booth, Bollard, Smith, Marrison tries; Peisley five goals, Ayres one goal) def Kyogle 0
Brilliant Bombers take down the Rams
Evans Head made a huge statement of intent with a 64-4 demolition of Marist Brothers at Oakes Oval.
Forward Aidan Kennedy scored a hat-trick against his former club, while Tashahn Cora bagged a double as the Bombers piled on an incredible seven tries in the first half to set up the huge win.
The rout started in just the fourth minute when five-eighth Jared Waters took advantage of some sloppy goal line to defence to score.
There were holes everywhere in the Rams’ defence, as Evans Head scored in the 12th, 16th and 18th minute through Zacharaia Roberts, Kennedy and Torben Milton, respectively.
After Kennedy scored his second on 23 minutes, the Bombers then turned up the heat with three tries in the final 10 minutes of the first half to take a 42-6 lead into the break, with Mitchell Krause’s try the lone bright spot for Marist Brothers.
While they might not have been quite as explosive as in the first half, Evans Head continued the rout in the second, crossing for another four tries in the incredible 58-point win.
Evans Head 64 (A Kennedy 3, Cora 2, Roberts, Torben Milton, Thomas Milton, Banks tries; Roy Bell 10 goals def Marist Brothers 6 (Krause try; Hawkins one goal)
Red Devils edge out Giants in local derby thriller
Byron Bay has broken a two-game losing streak to down local rivals Mullumbimby 26-24 in a local derby thriller at Les Donnelly Field.
Four consecutive tries either side of halftime and a clutch conversion from the sideline set up the win for the Red Devils, who join their neighbours on nine competition points.
The game started perfectly for Mullumbimby in what was the club’s old boys’ day, with Byron remarkably losing the ball from their own scrum feed. Giants halfback Wayde Kelly pounced on the loose ball and found winger Thomas Sowerby, who capitalised on the confusion to open the scoring in just the sixth minute. Brett Kelly-Wirth then added the extras to make it 6-0.
Despite the early setback, Byron started to work themselves into the game, and after plenty of pressure on the Mullum line, Joel Stocks wrestled his way over to make scores 6-4.
The Red Devils then hit the lead eight minutes later when fullback Michael Thomas won the race to jump on a clever Todd Carney grubber to give the side an 8-6 into the break.
Byron Bay continued to compete well and were rewarded in the 49th minute with an excellent solo try to young halfback Jesse Soric.
Catching the ball 30 metres out from Byron line, Soric dummied stepped and then showed plenty of pace to break the line and beat the incoming cover defence to score. Carney slotted the conversion to extend the lead to 14-6.
Byron then threatened to run away with it the five minutes later with the team’s fourth-straight try. Replacement forward Gabe Belcher became the unlikely provider when he put up a bomb for Stocks who leapt high, took the ball ahead of the Mullum defenders and scored.
Trailing 20-6, Mullumbimby needed to be the next to score if they were to launch a comeback and they did just that midway through the half when Robbie Newton ran a great line to burst through the defence and score near the posts.
The hosts then reduced the lead to two with 15 to play when Kelly-Wirth fed Newton through a gap on the left edge for his second to send the home fans wild and set up a grandstand finish.
With scores at 20-18, Byron edged further ahead with around seven minutes to go when winger Riley Baharov crossed in the corner. Carney then slotted the conversion from the sideline to give the Red Devils an important eight-point lead.
It certainly proved crucial, as Giants prop Billy Hedditch charged over with a couple of minutes to go to bring it back to a two-point ball game. And despite a desperate last effort from the Giants, the Red Devils held on to claim a thrilling Byron Shire derby.
Byron Bay 26 (Stocks 2, Thomas, Soric, Baharov tries; Carney three goals) def Mullumbimby 24 (Newtown 2, Sowerby, Hedditch tries; Kelly-Wirth four goals)
Hornets snap losing streak
Cudgen has also snapped its two-game losing streak with a convincing 32-12 victory over Lower Clarence in Yamba.
Six consecutive tries put the Hornets in an unassailable position in what was an impressive performance by the visitors.
It all started in the fifth minute when Harvey Moase, sensing the Magpies were short on the blind side, combined with hooker Andrew Battese to score.
They extended the lead in the 23rd minute after a nice break down the right sideline by Joel Hare gave the team good field position. They then put it through the hands for Cam Roberts to score in the opposite corner.
Hare was involved again on the half-hour mark, using some nice footwork to break through the Magpies’ defence and score to give his side a 14-0 lead into the break.
Cudgen continued the pain in the second half, with Connor Ziebell scoring next to the sticks in his return from injury, before a Sam Grant double made it 32-0.
And while Magpies captain Luke Douglas barged over and centre Tyler Essex scored an 80-metre intercept late in the match, they were merely consolations as the Hornets took two the points with them back up the coast.
Cudgen 32 (Moase, Roberts, Hare, Ziebell, Grant tries; Moase four goals) def Lower Clarence 12 (Douglas, Essen tries; Williams two goals)
Dirawongs blow away the Raiders
Northern United has kept pace with the competition frontrunners with a 36-16 victory over Tweed Coast at Clifford Park.
In what was a meeting of two of the competition’s in-form teams, the Dirawongs blew the game apart with four tries in the opening half an hour to seal the win.
Northern fullback Hezekiah McKenzie was excellent in the win, setting up the opening try in the 10th minute with a wondering winding run before finding Hakeem Torrens in support to score.
McKenzie did it all himself four minutes later, catching the ball 40 metres out from the Raiders’ line from an attacking scrum, before showing plenty of speed and skill to break through the defensive line and score in the corner.
It just kept getting better for the home side, with Tim Torrens pouncing on a Tweed Coast knock-on from a Dirawongs attacking kick to make it 18-0 midway through the first half, while Theo Hippi crossed to give Northern United a stunning 24-0 lead at the break.
And while the Raiders scored two quick tries through Jayden Martens and Darcy Earle to being things back to 24-12, a Joseph Gordon try and more brilliance from McKenzie, who ran 60 metres to score after catching a lovely Torrens chip-kick put an end to any comeback and sealed the win for the Dirawongs.
Northern United 36 (McKenzie 2, H Torrens, T Torrens, Hippi, Gordon tries; Ferguson six goals) def Tweed Coast 16 (Martens, Earle, Terekia tries; Earle two goals)
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