Rugby League Central Coast: Wrap, results, standouts from round 13
One side has further enhanced its credentials as a title contender while another once again proved that it can come from behind with a key win in the RLCC.
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One contender has made a significant statement with an impressive win over one of the competition’s big guns during round 13 of the RLCC.
Catch a wrap of the action below.
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ERINA GOES SIX CLEAR AT THE TOP
Erina has once proved that it can come from behind to claim victory after defeating Wyong 28-16 in a Friday night clash at Morry Breen Oval.
After trailing 10-0 early on, the Eagles clicked into gear to level things up at halftime before running in three tries to one after the break to keep its unbeaten season alive and stretch out six points clear at the top of the table.
“It was a really good game in terms of the quality,” said Erina coach Dane Allen.
“I thought it was a pretty good standard and there was a semi-final feel to it. Especially because it was played at night, there was a decent-sized crowd and that added to it,” he added.“We were a little slow out of the blocks but once we got into our stride I thought we were pretty comfortable for the most part. They’re a good footy side and they’ve got plenty of experience with the likes of Mitch Williams and Todd Lewis, so if you give them any chances they’re going to take it.
“But thankfully we were up to everything they threw at us and we came away with a pretty good win.”
As they’ve done on several occasions this season, the game was another example of Erina being able to absorb some early pressure before coming home strong to take out the victory.
“Our speed and our fitness are two things we can rely on and if we can go set for set, it always favours us,” said Allen.
Despite finishing with the two points, it was a tricky start for Erina, which conceded a try very early on.
“They scored in their first set of six, which came off an error from us from a kick return,” said Allen. “It was literally our first touch of the footy: we dropped it and they scored straight from that.”
The early try from Richie Clegg was followed up by another from Tarnae Mahon as the Roos raced out to a 10-0 lead.
However the Eagles settled into the game and hit back with a quickfire double of their own as tries to centres Finn Douch and Mitchell Deegan late in the half levelled things up at 10-all after the break.
Erina had the momentum and shortly after the restart debutant Zac Stokes made a huge impression in his first game in the top grade with a beautiful right-foot step to slice through the line before running 70m to score an excellent try.
Led by middle forward Oliver Clements and some good yardage from winger Tim Fitzpatrick, the Eagles continued to apply the pressure. They extended their lead to eight with a penalty goal before Deegan crossed for his second to make it 22-10.
And while Wyong’s Joshua Rizk pulled one back to get his side within a converted try, Erina’s Lincoln Tubridy, who had only just returned to the country from a holiday in Canada, scored his team’s fifth to seal the win.
The two points extends the defending premiers’ unbeaten start to the season to 10 games as they take a remarkable six-point lead at the top of the table.
Meanwhile Wyong has slipped to fifth in what is a very tight battle for the top four.
Erina 28 (Deegan 2, Douch, Stokes, Tubridy tries; Douch 4 goals) defeated Wyong 16 (Clegg, Mahon, Rizk tries; Clegg 1 goal, Rizk 1 goal)
FIRST HALF BLITZ SEES WOY WOY DOWN BERKA
Woy Woy has moved up into sixth place on the ladder after defeating Berkeley Vale 42-22 in a high-scoring contest at Ted Doyle Oval.
The Roosters shot out of the blocks and took a healthy 28-6 lead into halftime, and although they conceded some late tries they were never at risk of losing as the victors ran in eight tries to five.
“We started really well and piled on the points early. It was good to see us capitalise on our chances go out to a strong lead,” said Woy Woy coach Blake McLean.
After an injury-plagued season, the Roosters’ boss was left to rue more back luck as Justin McDermott and Wade Hannell were forced from the field early with injury.
The meant that the team had to play with 15 players, with two of the bench players backing up after playing a full game of reserve grade.
“It’s just been another tough week for us. Two more injuries – it’s crazy,” said McLean.
“We leaked a few points late that I wasn’t happy with but it just came down to fatigue. We had no benchies in the middle so our middles pretty much played 80 minutes, which was a massive effort from them but not ideal.”
He added: “We were just happy to get out of there with the two points.”
The victory was very much set up in the first half as doubles to centre Leighton Tali and forward Beau Bovis highlighted an outstanding first 40 that saw the team take a 22-point lead into the sheds.
And while Berkeley Vale hit back with two consecutive tries early in the second half, Woy Woy put to bed any chance of a comeback to secure its fourth win of the season and move up to sixth on the ladder.
Woy Woy 42 (Tali 2, Bovis 2, Hyde, Carroll, Moran tries; Piepers 5 goals) defeated Berkeley Vale 22 (Toru 2, Grim, Buaserau, Anderson tries; Austin 1 goal)
OURIMBAH EDGES OUT TERRIGAL
Ourimbah has completed the double over Terrigal and in the process chalked up its third win of the season after downing the Sharks 28-14 in a hard-fought clash at Bill Sohier Park.
Despite leading for more or less the entire game, the Magpies were unable to properly shake off the young Terrigal team until a late try sealed the 14-point win.
“It was a funny game of footy,” said Ourimbah coach Ben Bell.
“It was sort of try for try for a little bit, then we scored a couple and they came back. It was a really tough game of footy. There was a lot of tough defence and some stoppages for injury and that sort of stuff.”
And although the Sharks have been on the receiving end of a couple of tough losses this season, the Ourimbah boss had nothing but praise for his opponents.
“They’re a lot better team than everyone gives them credit for, they’ve got a lot of young blokes coming through,” said Bell.
“A couple of times we made errors that we shouldn’t have, and while we were in front the whole way they kept fighting and it wasn’t until 75 minutes that we scored to put us two tries in front and seal the game.”
In a clash between two teams going into the game with two wins to their name this season, it was Ourimbah that started brighter when fullback Daniel Bell crossed in just the third minute.
The Sharks hit back through Jake Herring, only for quickfire tries to Rhys Jurd and James Gerdol to put the Magpies ahead 14-4 midway through the half.
However Terrigal pulled one back once again when halfback Logan Humphries went over to make 14-10 at the break.
The second half followed a similar pattern as Ourimbah stretched its lead out to 10 points through Lauchlan Bisskaer, which was followed by Humphries’ second to make it a six-point ball game and keep Terrigal in the contest.
It was only when young winger Blake McDonald crossed with five minutes to play that the Magpies finally sealed the win.
Following the 42-22 win in round eight, the victory marks the first time Ourimbah has sealed the double over a club since returning to the top grade, with the two points also lifting the Magpies above Terrigal into seventh place on the ladder.
Ourimbah 28 (Bell, Jurd, Gerdol, Bissaker, McDonald tries; Bissaker 4 goals) defeated Terrigal 14 (Humphries 2, Herring tries; McLean 1 goal)
KINCUMBER STORMS INTO SECOND
Kincumber has further enhanced its credentials as a title contender after defeating heavyweights Toukley 24-14 at MacKillop Oval.
Just a couple of weeks after drawing 16-all with undefeated defending premiers Erina, the Colts showed their class as they ran in five tries to two against last year’s grand finalists to surge into second place on the ladder.
In a top-four blockbuster, it was Toukley who started the brighter, with a Kincumber error opening the door and a clever cut-out ball from Jake Fitzpatrick putting Scott Fitzpatrick over out wide after just eight minutes.
However Kincumber hit back shortly after when some nice second-phase footy created some space for winger Lewis Radley to score down the left.
Radley almost had his second midway through the half when he stretched out to try and take a cross-field kick from Matt Moylan, however the ball just evaded his fingertips.
With a decade-long professional career under his belt, Moylan was showing his class and it paid dividends half an hour in when he put together some nice shape for Blade Marquart to score out wide and make it 8-4.
The Colts then delivered a crucial blow late in the half when Nathan Davis did exceptionally well to brush off four defenders and then pull off a brilliant flick pass for Marquart’s second of the afternoon.
The only difficulty for Kincumber was goalkicking, with the team missing its first three conversion attempts to take a 12-6 lead into the break despite outscoring its rivals three tries to one.
Toukley had suffered a double blow late in the half but came out of the blocks firing and hit back almost immediately.
Looking to defend the second set of the half, the Hawks forced an error out of Kincumber fullback Kyle Whitton while coming out of his own end, with Sam Grose picking up the scraps and running 20m to score after just 75 seconds of play and level things up at 12-all.
Sooner after Toukley hit the lead as a penalty for offside allowed Fitzpatrick to slot a goal and put his side ahead by two with half an hour to play.
From here some errors crept into the game as both sides struggled with ball handling.
While there were troubles with execution from both teams, a dangerous tackle from Toukley hooker Grose helped Kincumber up field.
With a fresh set in dangerous territory, Davis once again showed his strike power by outmuscling four Hawks and somehow getting the ball down to once again put the Colts ahead 16-14 with 15 minutes on the clock.
Moylan had not only been outstanding with the ball in hand but also in defence and this continued when he followed through on a bomb from teammate Finn Mitchell and hammered Toukley winger Aaron Heaven in a crunching tackle that forced the ball loose.
The Colts took full advantage from the ensuing set as skipper David Fifita crashed over from close range for the team’s fifth try of the day. Nathan Davis then slotted his team’s first conversion of the day to put Kincumber up 22-14 with 10 minutes to play.
The Colts kept charging in the finals stages and found themselves over the line on twice more, only for the final pass to be called forward on both occasions.
The home side then capped off with the result with a penalty goal at the death to seal the 10-point win.
The victory pushes the Colts into second spot on the ladder, even with one game in hand on most of their nearest rivals, while Toukley slips to third, one point behind.
Kincumber 24 (Marquart 2, Radley, Davis, Fifita tries; Davis 2 goals) defeated Toukley 14 (S Fitzpatrick, Grose tries; J Fitzpatrick 3 goals)
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