Rugby League Central Coast: Wrap, results, standouts from round 13
From thrilling draws to last-gasp winners and the mercy rule being invoked, there was plenty of drama during round 13 of the RLCC.
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There were thrilling draws and last-gasp winners during an exciting round 13 of the Rugby League Central Coast competition.
One side claimed a crucial win to spice up the finals race while two other slugged it out for 80 minutes in one of the games of the season.
Elsewhere, the mercy rule was invoked in one of the most one-sided games in recent memory.
Catch up with some of the biggest talking points, a wrap of the games and a photo gallery of the action below.
ERINA RUNNING RIOT
There is clear air at the top of the table for Erina, who put on another dazzling display with a 60-0 victory over Berkeley Vale in a match where the mercy rule was invoked 20 minutes before full-time.
The win was the third thrashing the Eagles have handed out in consecutive weeks, following another 60-0 win over the Panthers in the rescheduled round four clash and a 59-16 thumping of Terrigal last weekend.
In remarkable statistics, Erina has scored an incredible 179 points and conceded just 16 over the past three games in a run that has seen the team’s points difference go from just 73 to 236.
Adding to the impressive numbers, the Eagles have piled on 34 tries to three over the period, with the team showing just how ruthless it can be by scoring a remarkable seven tries in eight sets in the second half against Terrigal in round 12.
POINTSCORER’S RACE HEATS UP
Erina’s Finn Douch has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Eagles’ charge in recent weeks, with the centre and goalkicker surging up the pointscorer’s rankings.
Douch, who finished last season as the competition’s leading pointscorer, has scored 59 points in the last three games to take his season total to 81.
Given that The Entrance’s Nick Newman has missed the past couple of games through Denton Cup duty, Douch has slashed the Tigers’ halfback’s lead to just 15 points.
One of Douch’s teammates has also closed the gap on Newman when it comes to tries scored, with Nathan Dwyer crossing for four tries over the past three weeks to move to nine for the season, one behind Newman.
ELLIOTT PULLING THE STRINGS FOR ERINA
Still on Erina, it has been close to a perfect season so far from the team, which moved two points clear at the top of the ladder following The Entrance’s draw with Kincumber.
The Eagles remain undefeated well into the second half of the season, winning all nine of its games played this year and forfeiting one match against Woy Woy in round 10.
Having lost key prop Noah Easton and playmaker Nick Newman to The Entrance at the end of last season, some local footy figures were unsure how last year’s beaten grand finalists would fare in 2024, particularly given some of the big-name signings at rival clubs.
While coach Dane Allen has paid tribute to how the likes of Ollie Clements and young prop Daniel Peters have stood up brilliantly alongside skipper Joel Frazer to help cover the loss of Easton in the middle, the Erina boss has also praised half Toby Elliott’s contribution to the side since taking over from Newman, with the playmaker collecting man-of-the-match honours in Sunday’s rout of Berkeley Vale.
“He was outstanding throughout. He’s a linchpin of a lot of our attack and he just took a lot of right options,” said Allen. “Sometimes that can be difficult in games like that but he was outstanding. He kicked to the corners and was our best.”
After playing a utility role off the bench for much of last season, the former Central Coast Roosters junior rep star and Redcliffe Dolphins Q Cup player has moved into the halves alongside Cameron Davies on a full-time basis, with Allen highlighting the impact he has had on the team’s performances.
“I probably took Toby for granted a little bit and his quality and willingness to do other things and play other roles. He is a halfback/hooker but getting his hands on the footy has been a godsend to our side.
“He just controls our side, he gets us round the park, gets people to the right positions on the field in such a no-frills way, and that’s really hard as a half to do – he’s just got a knack in the way he can organise and it’s something I haven’t seen in our team for three or four years. And it’s probably half the reason why we’re going as well as we are.”
DORA CREEK LEARNING THE ROPES
Dora Creek kept itself in the running for the finals with a crucial 18-14 victory over Wyong.
Trailing by two late in the game, winger Aaron Simon scored a try with two minutes remaining to snap a three-game losing streak and seal the team’s fourth win of the season.
“I’m just really proud of my boys because we’re now learning to grind it out instead of blowing sides off the park, so that was probably the most pleasing part,” said coach David Hoban.
“The boys were just happy because when you are working hard but have a couple of losses it can be a bit deflating, so that was a good little boost for us.”
In what is the club’s first season in the Central Coast division since joining from the Newcastle and Hunter A-grade competition, Hoban said he was pleased with how his side was adapting to the demands of the RLCC.
“There are two things. Number one is the discipline and number two is learning how to build pressure and just grind teams away,” he said.
“And again, I think we did it a little bit better (on Sunday) but we’ve still got a lot of work to do with the ball. We were better but it’s about just learning how to build pressure when we’re in good ball position.”
With four wins and four losses, the victory moves the Swampies up to 14 points, equal with fourth-placed Woy Woy. However with two games in hand over the Roosters, Dora Creek is well placed to make a charge for the finals in its debut season in the grade.
“We’ve just got to win every week, that’s the focus, so we’re not looking too far ahead,” said Hoban.
“It has been (a good start) but it’s been a learning curve because we know that we need a lot more depth.
“The lower grades have struggled but those guys keep turning up to training and having fun on the paddock. And while the results aren’t going their way they’re still digging in and having a go for the club, so that’s the pleasing thing.”
KINCUMBER FINDING ITS GROOVE
Another side who has impressed in recent weeks is Kincumber, who recorded thrilling 30-all draw with heavyweights The Entrance on Sunday.
After chalking up just two wins last season to finish seventh, the Colts have been one of the biggest improvers in 2024, with the side having won two, drawn two and lost five of its nine games so far this season to be sitting just four points outside the top four.
After a slow start to the season, Kincumber’s last month has been impressive, with the side winning one, drawing two and losing just one game – a narrow 16-14 loss to the Tigers in the rescheduled round four clash. In fact, the return could have been far better as the side let late leads slip in both drawn matches.
“At the start of the year not playing back-to-back footy was hard for us,” said coach Brad Bennett. “We’re a pretty fresh side, we had some new players and some fresh players playing their first little bit of first grade, so not to get continuous games under our belt, it was hard to make changes and adjust the side for the better.
“But we’ve had back-to-back efforts now, we’re finding our groove, the boys are playing for each other and we’re realising that we’re just a nitty gritty side that just kicks to corners and works hard in the middle.”
The recent form is a good sign for the Colts, who remain hopeful of challenging for a finals position over the final five weeks.
“I just hope we haven’t left it too late,” said Bennett. “We’ve got a positive attitude and know that if we keep winning and putting in good performances then no one will stand in our way.
“We’ve just got to think like that way each week, keep moving forward and do our best – that’s sort of our mentality going forward.”
KENE AND CARTER REUNITE FOR HAWKS
There were a few familiar faces in blue and gold as Toukley took the road trip south to tackle Woy Woy, with club stalwarts Kene Te Whata and Blake Carter lining up for the Hawks in the side’s 24-12 win.
Despite both retiring after last year’s grand final victory, the pair have answered the call to come back and help out as the club battles through an injury crisis.
“Both guys want to be retired but it hasn’t panned out that way,” laughed Toukley captain-coach Jake Fitzpatrick.
Indeed, despite hanging up the boots at the end of 2023, Te Whata has featured in a large chunk of the current season to help bolster the Hawks’ forward stocks.
“He signed up as senior president and was obviously at every training and every game,” said Fitzpatrick.
“Reserve grade had a heap of injuries at the start of the year so he registered just to give them a hand. Then we got a few injuries so I had to call him up to first grade, so he’s essentially with us full-time now.
“He’s probably only punching out 10-15 but that’s all we need from him. We’ve got a heap of injuries in our side at the moment. It’s crazy to think that we’ve got three broken hands, three surgeries from each in the space of about three weeks. Then we lost Deejay (Goolagong), our centre, in the first five minutes against Wyong – he tore his hammy.”
And while the injuries have been a source of frustration for the club, Fitzpatrick said he’s lucky to have such qualified stalwarts to step in and give the club a hand.
“The experience is great. And Kene being a big body as well is great. Our pack’s not that big and in the past he sort of bent the line and at the start of the year we sort of missed that a little bit, so for him to be back is only a benefit.”
While Te Whata has been a regular fixture in Toukley’s line-up in recent times, Sunday’s clash with Woy Woy was the first time since 2023 grand final win over Erina that he played alongside his old front-row teammate Carter, who also answered the call to help the club.
“He (Carter) just put his hand up to coach reggies and when injuries came along and they struggled a little bit for numbers with guys out with work he registered just in case,” said Fitzpatrick.
“He’s only probably played three games this year, he only plays when we’re struggling with injuries, but this was his first stint with us. It’s not long term. He said, ‘I’ll do a job on the weekend but don’t call me again.’”
ROUND 13 WRAP
There was huge some scorelines and even bigger results as the competition ladder continued to shift around during round 13 of the RLCC.
Catch up with a wrap of the action below.
MERCY RULE INVOKED AS ERINA RUN RIOT
Erina has recorded its third huge win in a row and in the process sent another warning shot to the competition following a 60-0 thrashing of Berkeley Vale at Ted Doyle Oval.
Centre Finn Douch scored a hat-trick while Sebastian Plaister, Mitchell Deegan and Riley Stevenson all bagged doubles as the Eagles ran in 12 tries before the mercy rule was invoked midway through the second half.
It what has been a quite remarkable run of form, it was the second time in the past three weeks that Erina has defeated the Panthers by a scoreline of 60-0, and follows the Eagles’ 59-16 drubbing of Terrigal last weekend.
“It was another really good performance,” said Erina coach Dane Allen.
“It’s no surprise that we’ve got that sort of ability. Our whole structure is around being a fit, fast and skilful footy side, and against some oppositions we’re just taking advantage of that mismatch when it comes to the fitness and speed.
“It was 40-0 at halftime and after the break they gave us an opportunity early on and we just went straight in. I think there was 22 minutes left when they cancelled it.”
Allen was particularly pleased with the performance of some of the club’s young guns after resting some of his more established players for the clash.
“We sat four players out and gave a few young guys an opportunity. They played good minutes and played some quality footy, it was great,” he said
“Josh Attard and Devonte Vaotu’ua were a couple of standouts who were great through the middle.”
Indeed, it was the second game in the top grade for 17-year-old middle forward Vaotu’ua, who once again impressed with a strong performance.
“He played 55 minutes, didn’t take a backward step and he actually had a couple of try assists, he threw the last ball for a couple of tries,” said Allen.
“He’s certainly a talent, we’re fostering that, playing to his strengths and it’s good for him to be in a side where he doesn’t have to be anything he’s not. He just gets out there, rolls the sleeves up and rips in. It suits his game perfectly.”
Elsewhere, the coach paid tribute to young winger Tim Fitzpatrick and fellow outside back Mitchell Deegan, who was a late call-up after Erina lost fullback Jack Frasca in the warm-up.
“Tim Fitzpatrick was outstanding for us again and Mitch Deegan was fantastic. He scored a couple of tries, was safe all day, had a fair few carries and made some line breaks. He had a full game in the centres in reserve grade and then came and jumped on the wing for us,” said Allen.
“There were some really good young blokes that we gave an opportunity to.”
The big win keeps Erina in first place on the ladder, two points clear of The Entrance. The huge victories over the past fortnight have also bolstered the team’s for and against to a whopping 236.
Meanwhile the heavy loss continues the Panthers’ difficult run. The team, which is sitting in eighth place with one win and one draw so far this season, has remarkably conceded 170 points and scored just four over the past three weeks in what is a very testing period for the club.
Erina 60 defeated Berkeley Vale 0
TOUKLEY DOWNS WOY WOY WITH FIRST-HALF BLITZ
Toukley has bounced back from last weekend’s shock loss to local rivals Wyong by defeating Woy Woy 24-12 at Woy Woy Oval.
Taking an 18-0 lead into halftime, the Hawks ran in five tries to two to consolidate third place on the ladder in what was the team’s second victory over the Roosters in three weeks.
It was a much improved performance from the back-to-back defending champions after they were defeated 8-4 by a spirited Roos outfit in last Sunday’s local derby.
“A week earlier we probably lacked a bit of commitment to the task but on Sunday we were all committed to going down there and getting the job done,” said captain-coach Jake Fitzpatrick.
“The score probably didn’t indicate the game. I think we kicked one from five, at halftime it was 18-0 instead of 24-0. It probably didn’t go to plan as much as I wanted but the commitment was definitely there.”
Indeed, the Hawks got off to a strong start with back-rower Jakob Giles crossing for the first of the game before a quick-fire double-punch by Josh Veacock and Jacob Griffin put the side up 14-0.
Toukley then rubbed salt into the wound with a try to Harry Packham right on the halftime hooter to take a commanding 18-0 lead into the break.
And while the Roosters struck through Joel Body shortly after the break, a try to winger Zac Sun and a penalty goal to Josh Kessler put the game out of reach as the Hawks ran out 12-point winners.
“We got a lucky try on halftime that helped us and hurt them a fair bit,” said Fitzpatrick. “But I was really happy with the way we went into the game, the way we started. I keep going back to the word commitment because a week earlier we just didn’t have that at all.”
After holding on for a narrow 13-12 win over Woy Woy two weeks ago, Fitzpatrick was particularly pleased with how his team was able to limit the impact of the Roosters’ strong pack.
“You’ve just got to keep turning their big boys around,” he said. “It’s the old saying: the more you let them run and the more they’re on top, then the harder they’ll run and the harder they’ll tackle.
“You’ve got to do your best to kind of wear them down and get on the ascendancy because if you get into a match-up where you’re going set for set, five tackles each, they’re just too powerful, so you’ve got to find a way to break them down a bit. Our guys aren’t big but they’re tough and they hung in there, which is great.”
The victory sees the Hawks remain in third place on the ladder on 18 points, four behind leaders Erina and two behind second-placed The Entrance. Importantly, the win saw Toukley put a four-point buffer between themselves and the fourth-placed Roosters, who are joined by Dora Creek on 14 points.
Following three straight losses, Woy Woy will enjoy the bye this weekend as the team prepares for a late-season battle to secure a spot in the finals.
Toukley 24 defeated Woy Woy 12
THE ENTRANCE, KINCUMBER SPLIT POINTS IN THRILLING DRAW
There were big hits, huge swings in momentum and injuries galore as The Entrance and Kincumber played out a thrilling 30-all draw at Edsacc Oval.
Both sides were left with the bare bones after a bruising encounter that featured 11 tries and a thrilling finish.
Despite trailing 12-8 at halftime, The Entrance ran in three tries in quick succession after the break to surge ahead by 12 before the Colts managed to swing things back in their direction with three quick tries of their own to once again take the lead.
The teams then traded a try and penalty goal late in the contest to lock things up at 30-all. And while The Entrance’s Haydan Ritchie had a late chance on to win it, his field goal attempt fell short and the game ended all square.
“It went back and forth all day,” said Kincumber coach Brad Bennett.
“It was a physical game of footy, both teams had some battle wounds. They’ll be feeling it for a few days, that’s for sure.”
There was a similar sentiment from The Entrance coach Jarod Hamer.
“It was a tough game, it was a good game of football,” he said.
“Obviously disappointed with the defensive effort but they’re a good side, Kincumber, they’re coming home strong. They’ve got a quality football side there, Brad (Bennett) knows his football and had a great game plan.”
After the game went end to end for 80 minutes, both sides were left slightly disappointed not to take home the two points.
For The Entrance, the team paid for some wayward goalkicking after the Tigers ran in six tries to five but only kicked three goals.
“I’m disappointed with our defensive efforts but we missed a few goals. We scored more tries and missed a few crucial goals,” said Hamer.
The coach also highlighted his mistakes let the Colts back into the contest in the second half.
“It was down to back-to-back errors and ill-discipline back to back,” he said.
“They’ve got some very good footballers in their side and if you give them a bit of a sniff it’s hard to change momentum back, especially when you’re giving away penalties. In the end it bit us in the bum, a bit of a wake-up call.”
For Kincumber, Bennett was left frustrated by a controversial try awarded to The Entrance seven minutes from time.
Carting the ball out from his own end, Colts forward Ben Thomas had the ball stripped in what appeared to be a clear two-on-one tackle. However the referee allowed play to continue and Tigers back-rower Jeremiah Ratabua ran through to score under the sticks to give his side a 30-28 lead late in the contest.
“I just feel sorry for the boys,” said Bennett. “A couple of calls sort of went against us and crucified us in the end. It’s pretty hard to take but one point is better than nothing.”
He added: “In the end that’s just footy. They (the referees) are just doing their best like we are. I don’t like to pinpoint it on events like that but I just feel sorry for the boys when the game can come down to that decision. It’s hard.”
In what was a thrilling game, the second half in particular was a stunning showpiece of football as both sides put on a clinic for short periods.
Five-eighth Ritchie was in the thick of the action for The Entrance with a double as the team ran in three tries in the first 11 minutes after the break to turn a four-point deficit into a 12-point lead.
Just when it looked like the game was settled, the Colts flipped the script and staged a stirring comeback of their own with three tries in nine minutes to go ahead by six.
It was also an extremely physical contest, with both teams were left with depleted numbers after a string of injuries.
“One of our centres was crook as a dog and our half had a sternum injury and was no good,” said Bennett.
“They went out there and tried their best at the start of the second half but we just had to make that interchange. We finished with no one on the bench and were playing people in positions they’ve never played before. The effort from them was awesome.”
Hamer added: “We had to move the side around a bit. Adam McInnes normally plays fullback but moved to halfback, both centres were out so we pretty much had one edge that hadn’t played footy together this year, which is a big thing,” he said.
“Then losing our captain Nathan Cooper at halftime with a potentially broken hand put a big dent in us. But Kincumber had their share of injuries too. It was a tough game.”
The draw sees The Entrance remain in second but drop two points behind leaders Erina. Meanwhile Kincumber remain in sixth on 10 points, two wins outside the top four.
The Entrance 30 drew with Kincumber 30
LATE TRY SEALS THRILLER FOR DORA CREEK
Dora Creek has added extra spice to the race for the top four following a last-gasp 18-14 victory over Wyong at Morry Breen Oval.
With the Swampies trailing by two, winger Aaron Simon crossed with just a couple of minutes remaining to snap a three-game losing streak and join fourth-placed Woy Woy on 14 competition points.
“It went down to the bell. We scored a try in the corner with about two minutes to go,” said Dora Creek coach David Hoban.
“It was a really tight contest and I’m just really proud of my boys because we’re now learning to grind it out instead of blowing sides off the park, so that was probably the most pleasing part.
“We hung in there, we had to do some defence and turn them away plenty of times. Then once we got a bit of ball down there at the end we scored a nice try in the corner, so very happy with that effort and result.”
It was an outstanding finish to the game for Dora Creek, who got off to a difficult start as errors allowed Wyong to take an early lead through prop Luke Bartley.
“We had a really horrible start,” said Hoban. “Most games we haven’t started well, we turned the ball over in our first set and then they pretty much scored.
“I think we were four sets and four errors, so it took us a while to get into the game but once we got into the grind we just settled down a bit it just went back and forth. It was a fast game and very physical as well.”
Cody Boyle pulled one back for the Swampies a quarter of an hour in before Wyong’s Jason Overton restored the Roos’ lead shortly after. Dora Creek winger Aaron Simon then crossed late in the half to ensure things remained locked up at 12-all at the break.
What followed was a tight, physical contest with both sides battling for territory through the middle.
Wyong took what looked like a decisive lead with around 15 minutes to play when Chaice Bayley slotted a penalty goal to put his side up by two. However after turning the Roos around on numerous occasions the Swampies had the last laugh with Simon’s second try at the death securing a crucial two points for his side.
While the win sees the Dora Creek remain in fifth position, the team has drawn level with fourth-placed Woy Woy on 14 competition points. Also importantly, the victory has put a three-point buffer between the Swampies and the Roos as the race for the finals heats up in the back end of the season.
Dora Creek 18 defeated Wyong 14
PHOTO GALLERY
Berkeley Vale v Erina at Ted Doyle Oval
The Entrance v Kincumber at Edsacc Oval
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