Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League: talking points, wrap, results, standouts from round two
With huge hits, an incredible falcon and some NRL magic, the NRRRL returned with a bang over the weekend. Catch up with the big talking points from round two.
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The NRRRL returned with a bang over the weekend, with a huge weekend of football across the region.
While players and fans alike were forced to wait an extra week for the season to start to due a washed-out round one, few would have been disappointed with what round two had to offer, with some stunning performances and nailbiting games highlighting the round.
There were fast starts, epic finishes and NRL stars on show in what was an exciting weekend.
Catch up with a wrap of the action and big talking points to come out of the round below.
TWEED SEAGULLS BACK IN THE NEST
In an early highlight, the delayed opening round of the season saw the return of a former NRRRL club in the Tweed Heads Seagulls.
Entering teams in reserve grade, under-18s and league tag, the Seagulls – who are affiliated the Tweed Heads junior arm, rather than the Q Cup elite branch – picked up two wins from three in round two against the Tweed Coast Raiders at the Piggabeen Sports Complex.
Reserves prevailed 22-16, the league tag team won 8-4 while the under-18s were pipped at the death, going down 14-11 in what was a successful first matchday of the season.
It marks a return to the division for the 2005 NRRRL A-grade premiers after close to a two-decade hiatus, with the decision to rejoin the competition aimed at providing an A-grade option for local juniors.
“The juniors had nowhere to go and it was an idea to get the pathway going for them again,” said Brian Cox, president of the Seagulls’ NRRRL arm. “And then a lot of the older players came back, so it’s been really good with the numbers. The crowd was also outstanding for the first week back.”
While the club might only have three teams at the moment, Cox said they plan to enter an A-grade side soon.
“We even tried to do it this year but there’s a new points system to stop you from just buying and stacking teams, so we’ve got to build the club up with reserve grade for a year or two – but we’re hoping next year to try again,” he said.
And if the weekend is anything to go by, the Seagulls shouldn’t have any shortage of players coming through the ranks in the years to come.
“On the weekend we had the under-14s team from the Seagulls juniors come and run the gate with a couple of parents and help out with the barbecue, canteen and a few other things,” Cox said.
“It was good to have some young kids around. A few of the under-15 tackle girls helped out for the day, so a lot of the kids are buying into it, just knowing there’s a pathway for them eventually instead of going to another club.”
Tweed Heads host local rivals Bilambil in the under-18s and reserve grade on Sunday.
NRL MAGIC ON SHOW
The quality of Northern United’s new recruits Tyrone and James Roberts was clear for all to see as the Dirawongs took down Kyogle 40-24 at New Park.
Playing in his first game for his new club, former Newcastle, Gold Coast and Warrington halfback Tyrone Roberts took just five minutes to make his presence felt, slicing through the Kyogle defence with a step and dummy to set up what was the team’s second try.
He finished up with one assist and two tries of his own, including a brilliant 40m solo effort that featured a beautiful step and dummy.
Former Origin centre James Roberts also bagged a try in what was a good start to the season for the Dirawongs.
FAST START TO NEW SEASON
Speaking of the Dirawongs, the team chalked up an achievement that will be hard to beat this season, remarkably scoring after just 42 seconds against Kyogle.
After his team kicked off, Northern five-eighth Wally Kelly couldn’t believe his luck when a Kyogle knock-on in the fourth tackle of the game landed straight in his hands. The playmaker then showed enough toe to run 35m to score.
It wasn’t the only quick try of the round, with Byron Bay crossing after just 75 seconds in the Red Devils’ victory over Murwillumbah.
BIG HITS, FALCONS IN CASINO-MULLUM CLASSIC
If 11 tries – including a dramatic, after-the-siren intercept try and conversion to snatch a draw – wasn’t enough drama for one game, then there was plenty more on offer during Casino’s epic 30-all draw with Mullumbimby.
In a very physical first-up clash, Casino prop Joash Toringi was sent off midway through the second half for a high shot on Mullum fullback Corey Morris, while Cougars back-rower Nick Morrissey pulled off a bone-rattling hit on Giants winger Mason Davies directly from a kick-off late in the first half.
That wasn’t all, with Casino arguably scoring one of the more unusual tries with one of the best falcons in recent memory.
Trailing 18-12 with about 20 to go, Casino was attacking Mullumbimby’s line when five-eighth Waylon Caldwell fired a pass straight into teammate Thomas Walker’s head.
The ball bounced over the defensive line into the in-goal area, and while some of the Mullumbimby players seemed to think it was a knock-on, Casino centre Tim Torrens showed that he was switched on and pounced on the ball to score.
The first grade fixture capped off a dramatic day at Queen Elizabeth Park, with the reserve grade game also finishing up a draw at 18-all.
MARIST BROTHERS FINALLY BACK HOME
It was also a special occasion in Lismore on Sunday as Marist Brothers played their first game back at their home ground of Crozier Field since the 2021 season.
Severely damaged in the 2022 floods, the field was restored to pristine condition for the clashes against Ballina, which saw a big crowd turn out to cheer the team on.
“The crowd was enormous, the field is really good and after three years finally being home is a really good feeling,” said president Al Petty.
In addition to the quality playing surface and seated areas, Petty said having all the facilities associated with a modern field was a welcome luxury the club hadn’t had in the past couple of seasons.
“Just being able to have a fully operational canteen is great. It’s the first time in three years we’ve been able to do it. Last year we had to rely on a food van for the patrons. And just the ease of having everything underneath the grandstand was fantastic. If we needed something it was ready to go.”
On the field, the players really rose to the occasion, with the league tag side and under-18s - taking the field for the first time since the 2021 season - both recording victories and first grade pushing last year’s minor premiers all the way before ultimately losing 22-18.
“Game-wise, I think the boys really stuck it to them,” said Petty. “For a new side – there’s probably half a dozen new blokes in there – they gelled really well and we’re only going to get better.
“Reserve grade were strong as well but probably need a bit more fitness into them and the under-18s, playing for the first time in three years, were unbelievable,” he said.
“The ladies league tag hadn’t even played a trial game and they got a win against a pretty tough Ballina side. But the 18s was a highlight for us, and the first grade performance was good.”
TEAMS MAKE BIG PROGRESS
Indeed, while they might have gone down, Marist Brothers showed just how much progress the first grade side has made, with a 40-point turnaround against the Seagulls compared to last year.
In 2023 the side was handed a 50-6 by Ballina at Oakes Oval, with the narrow 22-18 loss making for positive reading for the Rams’ faithful.
Another side that showed some improvement was Kyogle, who were beaten 40-24 by Northern United.
In what was a see-sawing affair, the Turkeys got off to a troubling start to be down 30-4 after 25 minutes before clicking into gear to pull it back to 30-20 just after halftime.
And while they eventually went down by 16, Kyogle will no doubt take some positives out of the clash.
BOMBERS DIG DEEP
Arguably the most impressive victory of the opening weekend came from Evans Head, with the Bombers overcoming some early injuries to key men to down Bilambil 22-12.
It was a horror start to the game for the team, who lost key forwards Kyle Kennedy and Justin Shillingsworth inside the first 15 minutes and soon found themselves down 12-0.
But the team pulled off a stirring comeback, scoring four unanswered tries and keeping the Jets scoreless in the second half as they went on to win 22-12.
Taking just 14 A-graders into the game and relying on reserve grade players to fill bench spots, the early injuries meant that most Bombers players had to more or less play a full game.
“It was a real gutsy effort all round but our forwards really aimed up. They whacked up in defence and caused a couple of unforced errors on Bilambil,” said football manager Nathan Williams, who singled out front-rowers Chad Banks and Lachlan Kennedy for special praise.
“They were next level. Our whole forward pack was great but those two props really stood up for us, did all the hard work and didn’t put their hand up to come off for a break, which is next level.”
ROUND TWO WRAP
After a one-week delay due to the weather, the NRRRL finally kicked off over the weekend, with full round of action across the region.
In one of the most exciting games in recent memory, fans were treated to an absolute classic as Casino and Mullumbimby went blow for blow to open their respective seasons.
Meanwhile there were a couple of impressive performances from new-look sides, a gutsy comeback win, while one of the competition big guns was given a real run for their money.
Catch up with a wrap of round two below.
Casino and Mullum draw in game of the season contender
It might only be the first game of the season but Casino and Mullumbimby have already put in a contender for match of the season after the two sides played out a dramatic 30-all draw at Queen Elizabeth Park.
A stunning length-of-the-field intercept try from Casino’s Waylon Caldwell and then a conversion after the bell from Eddie Walker-Williams ensured that honours would end all square in a game that featured just about everything, from excellent tries, big hits and a send-off.
The clutch moment of the match came with just seconds remaining. Leading 30-24, Mullum looked in control as the team attacked the Casino line. However just as the siren was about to ring, Giants backrower Matt Parata attempted a cut-out ball that was snapped up by Caldwell, with the young Cougar showing enough speed to outrun five chasing Mullum players to score.
Walker-Williams then showed nerves of steel to slot the conversion 15m in from touch to level things at 30-all, much to the delight of the raucous home fans.
It was a dramatic finish to what was an exhilarating game that featured 11 tries and plenty of drama.
Mullumbimby winger Mason Davies scored an excellent hat-trick as the Giants exploited Casino’s right-edge defence, while one of the all-time great falcons from Casino’s Thomas Walker helped keep his side in the match in the second half.
Trailing 18-12 with about 20 to go, Casino was attacking Mullumbimby’s line when Caldwell fired a pass straight into Walker’s head, with the ball bouncing over the defensive line where Cougars centre Tim Torrens pounced on the ball to score.
Locked up at 18-all, the game took on a very different complexion just a couple of minutes later when Casino prop Joash Toringi was sent off for a nasty high shot on Giants fullback Corey Morris.
Mullum took full advantage of the extra man, with tries to Matt Parata and Willie Hammond putting the side up 30-18 with just over five minutes to go.
However there was another twist in the tail as the home side launched a stirring comeback, with lock Peter Dagi crashing over with two minutes to go and Caldwell pulling a rabbit out of the hat on the bell to ensure the points were shared.
While both sides put on a show, Mullum may feel the more aggrieved of the two sides, having outscored Casino six tries to five and holding the lead until the finals seconds.
Meanwhile it was a strong start to the season for Casino, who are looking to improve on last year’s campaign where the team racked up just two wins.
Casino 30 drew with Mullumbimby 30
Ballina edge out Marist Brothers in arm-wrestle
Ballina has kicked off its quest to go one better in 2024 with a hard-fought 22-18 victory over a stubborn Marist Brothers side at the newly refurbished Cozier Field in Lismore.
An early burst and then some ruthless execution down the left edge was enough for last year’s minor premiers and beaten grand finalists to edge out the very competitive Rams outfit.
Despite going down, the Rams were impressive in their first hitout of the season, with the four-point loss comparing very favourably to the team’s 50-6 thrashing at the hands of the Seagulls last year and a sign of plenty of progress made in Lismore.
However early on, even the most loyal Marist Brothers fans might have thought they were in for a repeat of 2023 after Ballina raced out to a 10-0 lead inside seven minutes.
The first try came in just the second set of the game, when Hamish McClintock did extremely well to leap and catch a bomb from teammate Jared Lofts before putting in a chip himself for Anthony Colman to score.
The Seagulls were in again just five minutes later when Jared Lofts put in a grubber this time, which was perfectly weighted for centre Liam Green to extend the lead to 10.
However on 10 minutes the Rams showed some resolve for the first of many times during the day when new recruit halfback Shallin Fuller did well to put centre Ryan Everson over on the edge.
And while a nice blind side play down the left put Ballina further ahead just after halftime, the Rams didn’t go away, with last year’s NRRRL leading tryscorer Mitchell Krause stepping past a couple of defenders to scoot through to make it 14-12 with 15 to go and set up a grandstand finish.
A penalty goal gave the Seagulls more breathing space before another spread to the left saw hooker Michael Dwane score out wide with two minutes to go to put the side 10 clear and seal the match.
And while Ballina spilled the kick-off, which led to Krause crossing for his second, it was too little too late as the Seagulls held on for a 22-18 victory.
Ballina 22 def Marist Brothers 18
New-look Byron too strong for Mur’bah
Byron Bay has got its season off to a strong start after a lethal two-try cameo off the bench from Jesse Beauchamp helped the side to a 24-14 victory over Murwillumbah at Red Devil Park.
The hooker showed plenty of speed, skill and footwork to bag a try in either half as the Red Devils outscored their opponents five tries to three in a positive start to the season.
His first came after about half an hour, with the game evenly poised at 10-8 after a frenetic opening period. Picking the ball up from dummy-half, Beauchamp went on a stepping, weaving run and ultimately beat five chasing Mustangs to plant the ball down.
Then with the team up 18-10 midway through the second half, he came up with another moment of magic to seal the game. Picking the ball up at hooker, he caught the markers napping, skipped around one defender and then put on the afterburners to shoot through a gap to score his second and seal the match.
The performance was a highlight in what was an impressive start to the season for Byron, whose new halves pairing of Toby Marks and Jack Rogers got off on the right foot for their new club.
In fact, the team opened the scoring in just the second minute without Murwillumbah even having touched the ball.
Kicking on the fourth in the first set, five-eighth Rogers put up a bomb that was well caught by his winger, who then put the ball through the hands and left the Red Devils just a couple of metres out.
A quick spread to the left then saw the side score in the corner after just 75 seconds.
Both teams then went blow for blow, with tries to Mustangs Robert Shepherd and Zach Johnston either side of a Harvey Whiteley four-pointer leaving the game evenly poised at 10-8 after 20 minutes.
Beauchamp then wove his magic again to put the side up 14-4 at the break, before another two Byron tries to one in the second half capped off an impressive opening round win.
Byron Bay 24 def Murwillumbah 14
Wounded Bombers take down Jets
Evans Head has made a huge statement of intent to kick off 2024 after overcoming an early deficit and the loss of a couple of key players to injury to defeat Bilambil 22-12 at the Bilambil East Sports Field.
In what was a rematch of the 2022 grand final, the Bombers got off to a horror start, losing NSW Country representative Kyle Kennedy and fellow back-rower Justin Shillingsworth to injury inside the first 15 minutes.
The losses were compounded by conceding two early tries as the side trailed 12-0 midway through the first half.
However the Bombers showed plenty of ticker to work their way back into the match, scoring two of their own through centres Torben Milton and Justin Bleakley to levels things up at halftime.
While the game remained tight, Evans Head took the lead midway through the second half with Milton’s second before Jared Waters came on to seal the match with 10 minutes to go to cap off a stirring comeback.
“We had a few out heading into the game and then picked up some injuries early, so all things considered, it was a really gutsy win,” said Evans Head football manager Nathan Williams.
And while the team did well to score four unanswered tries, the Bombers’ efforts to keep Bilambil scoreless for the entire second half certainly impressed the coaching staff.
“Our forwards really aimed up. They whacked up in defence and caused a couple of unforced errors from Bilambil.”
In particular, Williams praised the work of front-rowers Chad Banks and Lachlan Kennedy for winning the battle of the middle.
“Both props played full games – they were massive. We only took 14 A-graders to the game and then relied on the reggies boys to come up and only use them if need be, so pretty much the whole squad played 80 minutes, so it was massive,” he said.
“Our whole forward pack was great but those two props really stood up for us, did all the hard work and didn’t put their hand up to come off for a break, which is next level.”
Evans Head 22 defeated Bilambil 12
Cudgen start title defence in style
The Cudgen Hornets have started their title defence in style after a second-half blitz saw the team defeat Lower Clarence 38-12 at Ned Byrne Oval.
After a tight opening in which the scores were locked at 12-all at halftime, the new-look Hornets really turned on the fireworks, running in five tries to zero in a dominant second half performance.
Fullback Jett Forbes bagged a double in a strong display from the young Cudgen team, which featured just six players from the 17-man squad that won last year’s grand final against Ballina.
In fact it was one the players promoted from last year’s reserve grade side who opened the scoring for the Hornets, with lock Jordan Togo-Scheimer crashing over for the first try in just the seventh minute.
In what was an even opening, Lower skipper Luke Douglas helped set up a try with a lovely cut-out ball in the 17th minute. And although Cudgen five-eighth Jacek McLaurin showed nice footwork to put his side ahead for the second time, the Magpies hit back with their second to leave scores locked up at 12-all at the break.
While the first half was tight, it was one-way traffic in the second as the quick and mobile Hornets side tore Lower apart.
The scoring started 10 minutes after the break when second-rower Jackson Owen laid off a lovely short ball close to the line to put Caleb Ziebell through under the sticks.
Three minutes later the team was at it again when Chaz Bond made a sharp break from dummy-half and found Jett Forbes in support to score.
The two quick tries turned the match on its head, with another to winger Ben Turnbull 13 minutes from time well and truly sealing the result, before Cudgen crossed for another two late in the game to cap off an impressive round one win.
Cudgen 38 defeated Lower Clarence 12
Dirawongs outgun Turkeys in tryfest
Some NRL starpower has helped Northern United to a 40-24 victory over Kyogle in a 12-try pointsfest at New Park.
Former Newcastle, Gold Coast and Warrington halfback Tyrone Roberts scored a double in his debut for the club as the Dirawongs outgunned the Turkeys seven tries to five in the entertaining clash.
Arguably the biggest recruit to join the competition in the off-season, Roberts didn’t take long to make his presence felt as Northern United’s free-flowing attack clicked into gear.
Prop Jirra Breckenridge also scored a double while Hezekiah McKenzie’s six from seven from seven with the boot gave the team plenty of breathing space.
It was a strong first-up victory for the Dirawongs, who are looking to take the next step after finishing third in 2023.
As for Kyogle, the result is a big improvement on last year’s 40-14 loss at the hands of Northern, with new recruits Damon Coldwell and Dan Gibson both crossing for tries.
The team, which includes big-name recruits Oliver Regan and Ryan Walker, has been far more competitive throughout the pre-season and will meet last year’s minor premiers Ballin in round three.
Northern United 40 defeated Kyogle 24
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