Palmerston Raiders return to form with an 18-point victory over South Darwin Rabbitohs
Palmerston Raiders have returned to form with an 18-point domination of lowly South Darwin Rabbitohs on Saturday night.
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Palmerston Raiders have bounced back from a bruising loss to Darwin Brothers last weekend to dominate the bottom-placed South Darwin Rabbitohs from the outset in an 18-point victory at Warren Park in NRL NT A Grade, winning 28-10.
The latest of tries from Kanae Gimini, seconds before the final hooter, gave the Rabbitohs some last-minute respectability.
Earlier, the fifth-placed Palmerston gained an early 12-0 lead against the winless Rabbitohs with tries to Brad Hansen and Nasoni Rokobiau, plus the Hansen conversions.
South Darwin had been slow getting onto the field and that sluggishness showed up in their early play, struggling to force the ball into their forward half in the round four clash.
Play was held up for several minutes before either team had scored when Richard Woods – who was later put in the sin bin midway through the second half – was left moaning in agony after a knock, seemingly, to his lower back.
Slowly getting to his feet, he pointed angrily at an opposing player he felt was responsible.
However, the incident failed to rally his teammates despite the Raiders fielding two 17-year-old debutants – Blake Rupe and Vita Fuamatu – as the Rabbitohs fumbled the ball under Raiders pressure.
Captain and full back Alex Johnson then produced his team’s third try with 12 minutes to play, only for Hansen’s conversion to fade left.
Then, the athletic Rokobiau produced a stunning, albeit short run to the line with Rabbitohs’ defence barely able to get a fingertip on him, before Hansen converted for the third time.
The contest heated up somewhat when a thunderous Sifa Molou charge put Rokobiau on his backside in the middle of the ground.
However, a spectacular Dusty Briscoe try and Wesley McDinny conversion gave the Rabbitohs the faintest glimmer of hope just before the half time siren while facing a 22-6 deficit.
The match was largely played in Palmerston’s forward half during the start of the second, while a crunching Rabbitohs tackle which caused Jarrod Isaac to cough up the pill, was a fleeting moment of South Darwin dominance.
With just over 20 minutes to play, Palmerston found the line again – just when South Darwin had enjoyed some forward momentum – topping off a return to form for last year’s grand finalists.
Brothers beat Raiders 30-16 on the back of sturdy defence
ON the back of sturdy defence and at times electric pace Brothers sent a statement to the rest of the NRL NT A-grade competition with a round 3 30-16 win over Palmerston Raiders.
Palmerston put on all the early pressure charging straight into Brothers half with captain Alex Johnson and Brad Hansen directing traffic.
The Brethren held firm in defence for long periods and full back Caleb Niki showed his bomb disposal skills on more than once occasion.
However, the emergence of big Joel Turaga and one of his trademark bulldozing runs made those defensive efforts all the harder.
Soon after the blue and white side were penalised for being off-side and Hansen dotted down the opening try for Raiders.
It looked like another would come shortly after following a tackle breaking run from Raiders’ lock Mohamed Salih, but the Brothers’ defence held firm.
Then it was their turn to go on the attack with Sam Ryan-Winn, previously of the Townsville Brothers, showing his tackle breaking skills to put his side level.
Palmerston were then made to rue a penalty of their own with the call of shepherding 10 metres out seeing a Michael Blomley disallowed, letting Brothers off the hook.
Brothers’ stepped up their offence there on as usual standouts Lachlan Braun and Isaac Seden-Kurnoth showed creativity, allowing Ryan-Winn to add two more tries, either side of halftime.
The Brethren only strengthened their position when Niki got hold of the ball near his 10 metre line in the lead up to a massive length of the field solo try.
However, as Brothers and the rest of the league know all too well, Raiders are not a side that go away without a fight.
They kept pushing all night with wings Will Beers and Tevita Kanalagi making poking runs allowing Turaga to barge through, while Jacob Rainger also dotted one over the line.
But with a well-deserved try to Brothers’ Braun it was always going to be too little too late.
Coach Leon Cleal was proud to see his side grab the win, but was frustrated his side were unable to convert their lead into further points.
“It’s good we got the win, but it is frustrating that we got to that 18 point lead and couldn’t go on with it,” Cleal said.
“That just comes down to game control and game management, we have two new halves with usual fullback Isaac (Seden-Kurnoth) playing in the halves so we just need to be better in those areas.
“It came down to our better speed in the play was better than theirs and it helped we were able to get up in their faces in defence a lot better. We just need to be better at controlling games.”
Meanwhile, a determined Litchfield Bears outmuscled a gutsy South Darwin to pull through and win 34-18, their first victory of the season.
Sistaz dominate NRL NT premiers in sizzling heat
DARWIN Sistaz conquered the heat and earned some sweet revenge beating reigning NRL NT women’s premiers Palmerston Raiders 50-0 in a sizzling Round 3 encounter.
It was the first time the two sides had met since the 2021 grand final with the Raiders grabbing victory on that all-important occasion.
Despite missing a couple of players from their 2021 squad it was Sistaz, eager for revenge, that showed their hand first.
The side full of big bull runners such as Ellie Niki and captain Bianca Scrymgour crashed and bashed their way through the Raiders’ defensive line.
That aggressive start put the side in blue and white in front straight away with Ivana Schober standing strong in a tackle to allow herself the opening try of the game.
Then the floodgates opened for them with Schober dotting another not five minutes later, Bianca Stokes showed her running ability to score another and Calista Boyd-Niki nabbed the fourth try.
But despite the mountain they had to climb Raiders, coming off a 34-6 Round 2 loss to Litchfield, refused to give up.
Samantha Lafaele-Selio and Theresa Paterson put in some bulldozing runs while Shayla Barba at full back showed her prowess at times.
They frequently found themselves in their opposition half only thwarted by a steadfast defence, which held Palmerston up over the line on their most promising tryline assault.
However, after the half it was Sistaz once again bringing the heat in the heat showing off another new set of young guns who three games into the season had meshed well into their established unit.
Ellie Niki never let up scoring two tries of her after creating space all day while Tyla Kingdon, Tanisha Garling, Taylah Garling and Casslela Wapau also found their way over the line.
“The vibe is really good, the energy is there and we have younger girls coming through again this season who are getting the confidence each and every week,” Scrymgour said.
“The focus now is not to get complacent, we can’t get comfortable with where we’re at.
“It’s only round three, premierships aren’t won in these early days so we have to keep building on what we’ve got and stick together.”
‘It’s massive’: Two NT rugby league clubs bound by fallen teammate
There will be an extra layer of motivation for Palmerston to bounce back hard in round two of the NRL NT competition after a fortnight off and a crushing 0-36 loss to reigning premiers Northern Sharks.
The Raiders and Litchfield Bears will duke it out for the Mitchell Russell Shield on Saturday night at Webber Park.
Russell, a close friend of Raiders captain Alex Johnson, played for both teams before he died in a road accident in 2014.
“He was a good mate of mine,” Johnson told the NT News.
“There are four or five lads who are still around (at Palmerston) now who played with him and were good mates with him.
“It’s massive, especially with the rivalry that we’ve got with Bears, it’s one of the biggest games on the calendar for us and Bears.
“Just remembering him and celebrating him a bit.”
Johnson said his charges were missing several key members, including himself with a back complaint and David Russell, and were a touch underdone in the round one hammering.
“It wasn’t the start we were looking for ... Sharks came out firing as was expected,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bears, coming off an error-riddled 16-28 loss to Darwin Brothers on April 23 at Webber Park, will also be looking for atonement on Saturday night.
Bears skipper David Jacobson told the NT News Russell had left a strong connection with the club’s older players.
“I know a lot of the older boys speak well of him, that’s been passed down to us fellas who didn’t meet him,” Jacobson said.
“It definitely means a lot to the older fellas.
“All of the supporters are going to enjoy this game, because it means a lot to both sides.”
Jacobson said his charges were a bit sloppy in their round one loss to Brothers, with four points in it before Darwin scored on the siren.
“That was a bit of a dagger,” he said.
“Our completion (was an issue), we were a bit too keen, maybe, we just kind of forgot to complete.
“I think that’s what really killed us in that game.
“We were dropping the ball too much... so we were defending a lot.
“We had too many knock ons and errors. (And) Brothers were just too good on the night.”
However, he said there were clear positives to be found despite the loss.
“We still put some points on the board,” he said.
“We’ve got plenty of talent there, it’s just a matter of it clicking together.
“We’ve never played together before, a lot of us.
“Everybody’s still learning (how to play together). Once it clicks, it’s definitely going to give some teams some headaches.”
He also expected the Raiders to be smarting after being smashed by the premiers.
“It was a bit of a shock,” he said of the result.
“But the Sharks did win it last year. They’re going to be the team to beat again this year.”
Find out how your NRL NT team is placed for season 2022
THE NRL NT season is back and the six clubs are ready to go again, each eager to clasp their hands on the premiership cup.
It was Northern Sharks who took their chance in 2021, but now they’re the side with targets on their backs.
Players have moved, clubs have new coaches and captains, but one thing is for sure this season will be as competitive as ever.
The NT News takes a look at how each of the NRL NT clubs are shaping up ahead of the season.
NORTHERN SHARKS
The revelation of 2021. Sharks turned themselves from also-rans to contenders to premiers in the space of a season. After two seasons without finals they conquered and made themselves the side to beat. Hard hitting forwards and hard running backs was the flavour of the year and the buy-in from the side for their season was second to none.
Now they’ve got to prove to themselves and everyone else that they’re able to stay at the top. Jacob Collie is back as captain and with the side retaining the majority of their players they should once again be among the top sides.
What the captain says:
“We came pretty much from the bottom last year,” Collie said.
“We’ve retained everyone, probably 90 per cent and gained a whole heap.
“It’s more the retention (that will help the club), anybody who comes, regardless of who they are, it’s going to be tough for them to crack (into the senior team).
“Last year we were still building, we felt. But it came together and so we’ll keep building from there.”
PALMERSTON RAIDERS
Palmerston are always a side to fear. They have the size, the speed and the depth. They have the side to get the job done and they know it. But as everyone knows finals are the one hurdle Palmerston have been unable to jump. Dominant seasons mean little once the premiership has been awarded to someone else.
Coach Merg Mikaelian has the capability and experience to help his side past that mental hurdle. Alex Johnson is back to fitness after missing half of 2021 through injury, and there’s plenty of talent beyond him including the Smith brothers and big Joel Turaga.
What the captain says:
“Finals failure in recent years is something we’ve got to work through and try to get over,” Johnson said.
“We’ve got a couple of new faces, and a bit of youth… we’ve definitely got the team to do it, we’ve just got to turn it on when it matters.”
NIGHTCLIFF DRAGONS
They swooped to the 2021 minor premiership, but fell away come finals. In doing so they claimed the Frank Johnson through multi-code star player Robbie Butcher. It will be the likes of Butcher, fresh off winning the rugby union grand final with University Pirates, and other union converts that the side will build around this year.
The whole club will have a new feel in their 60th year with new coaches, such as Hayden Rickard, taking on the reins. It will in many ways be a new look side, but this is still a side eager for success with plenty of stars in their number.
What the captain says:
“The boys coming over from union, who just won the comp will be a massive boost,” Mott said.
“That includes myself and Robbie Butcher from University Pirates, that grand final winning experience is a good thing to bring to the club.”
DARWIN BROTHERS
The 2020 premiers may not have had the success in 2021 that they did the year before, but this is still a young side. They will probably be the smallest side again, but that is not to their misfortune. Last year they were undefeated against the premiers proving that on their day they are more than deadly side.
Leon Cleal remains at the helm and the men’s side has gone from strength to strength under his guidance. And his trust in his youngsters has shown once again after making star full back Isaac Seden-Kurnoth co-captain alongside Thomas Clarke. A slew of new faces, such as CJ Perkins, who have made their names in the age grade should bolster the side once again.
What the captain says:
“Coming off a premiership the year before, you could say it was pretty disappointing last year,” Seden-Kurnoth said.
“We’ve got a few new fellas down but right now we’re really relying on our local talent, a lot of good juniors coming through in the Under 18s, like CJ Perkins.
“I was a bit nervous, a bit shocked (about leading the team), but it’s a challenge that I’d like to take with both hands and give it a good crack.”
LITCHFIELD BEARS
2021 was a rebuilding year for the Bears. New coach, new players and new finish. They came off a successful reign over the comp and hit the reset button to rebuild around a talented group of youngsters. They narrowly missed out on finals but had plenty of impressive performers from Dillan Vanderberg to Rising Star winner Nathan Dixon.
This year Jake Barnes has returned to the coaching role and the Bears are looking to roar again. Their young guns are another year older and several of their more experienced heads are back to make a point.
What the captain says:
“We didn’t go too great (last year), just missed out on finals by a couple of games,” Jacobson said.
“We’ve had a couple of new players coming across but we’ve got really good juniors, we’re relying on our juniors this year, some really good talent.
“They played their last year of 18s last year, this will be their first crack.”
SOUTH DARWIN RABBITOHS
Much has been made of South Darwin’s lack of wins in recent years. But their first hurdle before aiming for wins or more will be building that buy-in and culture around the club. They’ve already taken a step in the right direction naming former Nightcliff Dragons reserves coach Willie May as their new coach with Allan May taking over as captain.
Their new coach had his share of success with Dragons winning the 2020 premiership and making the grand final in 2021. The May’s have now taken a step up to the A-grade and with that comes a new challenge at a club looking for some success.
What the captain says:
“I’m new, I’ve come across from Nightcliff and taken on the reins,” Allan May said.
“We had back to back B Grade finals and now we’re having a crack at the big time. I’ll be stepping into the leadership group.
“It’s a challenge, new coach, new club.”
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