Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL): Wrap, results, standouts from catch-up games

Northern United has snapped a 330-day drought in spectacular fashion after a quite remarkable performance in the NRRRL.

Northern United broke a 330-day drought in emphatic fashion.

One side has snapped a year-long drought while the new boys in the competition are eyeing off a fairytale run to the finals during the rescheduled catch-up round in the NRRRL.

Catch up with the action below.

NORTHERN UTD SNAP 330-DAY DROUGHT

Northern United has sensationally broken a 334-day drought after hammering Byron Bay 58-28 at Crozier Field.

After a difficult season that had seen the team go through its opening 10 games without a win, the Dirawongs were absolutely lethal as they ran in 11 tries – including eight in the first half – to record the team’s first victory since round 16 last year.

Fullback Hezekiah McKenzie was outstanding with four tries while five-eighth Will James was also excellent as the home leapfrogged the Red Devils to jump off the top of the table.

Looking to break their duck for the year against the team just one place ahead on the ladder, Northern got off to a bright start by forcing a dropout out of Byron early on. From the next set McKenzie kept the defence guessing with some sharp footwork before putting prop Jirra Breckenridge over for the opener after just five minutes.

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After forcing an error out of the Red Devils with its next use of the football, the Dirawongs went over again, shifting the ball left from an attacking scrum for centre Baz Carr to make to 10-0 after 10 minutes.

Hezekiah McKenzie ran in four tries in the rout.

It was all one-way traffic as five-eighth Will James sliced through the line before setting up McKenzie under the sticks. The fullback then had a quickfire double after Jakequan Roberts Welsh shot down the touchline and squared the ball back inside to make it 22-0 after 20 minutes.

The Dirawongs were absolutely relentless as they rolled up field at will.

Some good second-phase play, a clever kick from James and an outstanding diving catch from Damian Roberts saw the side stay ahead of the clock with a brilliant team try before forward Jerrod See muscled his way over from close range to make it 34-0 after just 27 minutes.

While Northern had gotten off to a truly brilliant start, they weren’t finished yet.

McKenzie showed off his trademark lightning speed to get on the end of a chip from James to score another excellent try, while Roberts Welsh plucked an intercept out of the air to run 80m to remarkably score the Dirawongs’ eighth try in 35 minutes as they raced out to a 46-0 lead.

Byron had barely had the ball in what had been a disastrous first half but managed to get on the board through Dom Tydeman just before the break to make it 46-4 at halftime.

After a terrible first 40, the Red Devils came out of the sheds with renewed intensity and went over again just two minutes after the break through halfback Jesse Soric.

They crossed again in the very next set after a break from Tom Welman helped the side up field, with Kolbi Wood following up on his own grubber to score next to the sticks.

Byron had now scored three tries in a row and made it four 12 minutes into the half on the back of some nice work from halves Soric and Marks that saw the former cross for his second to bring the scoreline back to 46-22.

Dominic Tydeman scored a try in a tough old day for Byron.

Northern’s Will James broke the run with one of his own and Byron’s Jesse Soric completed his hat-trick after following up on some nice second-phase play for the team’s fifth try of the day.

But the afternoon well and truly belonged to Northern United and the team finished it off in style with late tries to Damian Roberts and another trademark solo effort from McKenzie for his fourth to seal the huge win.

The team’s first victory of the season moves the Dirawongs off the bottom of the ladder at Byron’s expense, with both now having won one game this year.

Northern United 58 (McKenzie 4, Roberts 2, Breckenridge, Carr, See, Roberts Welsh, James tries; McKenzie 7 goals) defeated Byron Bay 28 (Soric 3, Tydeman, Wood tries; Marks 4 goals)

SEAGULLS STORM INTO TOP SIX

The Tweed Seagulls were outstanding as they moved into the top six.

The Tweed Seagulls have moved into the NRRRL top six for the first time this season after a 58-24 victory over Casino at the Piggabeen Sports Complex.

After a fairly even first half the Seagulls completely dominated proceedings after the break to win their third game in succession to put themselves in with a great chance of qualifying for the finals in their return season in A-grade.

In a clash between two teams sitting on the edge of the top six, the Seagulls started brightly and crossed first when winger Ricco Waititi got on the end of a well-weighted grubber from halfback Tom Neale to plant the ball down after just three minutes.

The home side then went in again in the very next set with a nicely constructed try. It started when Micah Laupepe Perkins put in a clever kick around the corner for winger Ezekiel Hart, who then passed on the inside to Stjepan Soldo to put his side 10-0 after just seven minutes.

After being stung by conceding an early double, Casino hit back when winger Luke Barnett picked up the scraps from a dropped bomb to get his side on the board.

However in what was a frenetic opening to the contest, the Seagulls went over again through Hart to give the side a 16-6 lead after just 15 minutes.

The Seagulls had too much power through the middle.

Casino started to build a bit of momentum and drew closer when halfback Waylon Caldwell stepped his way over.

Then in the next set the young gun showed why he is one of the most exciting players in the competition with an outstanding chip before regathering the ball and putting in a second kick for winger Gairo Kapana to score the sixth try of the half to make it 16-14 after half an hour.

However as the clock ticked down a beautiful short ball from Tweed lock Bobby Smith put Jesse Jackson through a gap. On the next play Jordan Lewis hit Hart on the chest with a cut-out ball to give Tweed a 22-14 lead at halftime.

While the first 40 had been an arm-wrestle, the Seagulls really took control after the break.

It started just two minutes in when Smith and Jackson combined again beautifully to put the latter over underneath the sticks.

In the next set they went the length of the field before Lewis got on the end of a nice grubber from Neale to go over.

Then when Jack Bishop crashed over after some nice shape the Seagulls had scored three tries in 13 minutes to race out to a 40-14 lead and put the game to bed.

It was a difficult day out for Casino.

Holes were opening up everywhere as back-to-back tries to Liam Robinson and Nick Hilton, the latter on the back of some excellent ad lib footy, pushed the home side beyond the half-century.

And while Casino pulled back two consolation tries through Harry Cusack and Gairo Kapana, Tweed capped off the win with a wonderful long-range effort.

Carting the ball out of his own end, fullback Micah Laupepe Perkins bumped off two defenders and put on the jets to sprint down field before finding Hart on the inside for his third to cap off an outstanding performance.

The win takes the Seagulls into the top six for the first time this season in what is the club’s first year back in A-grade for two decades. They sit in fifth place, at the top of a mid-table logjam that sees just one point separate six teams.

Meanwhile Casino missed the chance to break free of the pack and sit in ninth.

Tweed Seagulls 58 (Hart 3, Waititi, Soldo, Jackson, Lewis, Bishop, Robinson, Hilton; Laupepe Perkins 9 goals) defeated Casino 24 (Kapana 2, Barnett, Caldwell, Cusack tries; Walker-Williams 1 goal, Caldwell 1 goal)

In the other catch-up game, Marist Brothers closed the gap on Cudgen at the top of the table by defeating Mullumbimby 46-12.

Originally published as Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL): Wrap, results, standouts from catch-up games