Totally Rugby League Issue # 8

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 1

2  Totally Rugby League October 2014

Meet Your Makers Time to Think about Next Season The month of September is an exciting time for any rugby league fan. This month, a lot of hard work throughout the season will be put to the test as they attempt to taste grand final success.

It’s been great following the progress of teams around the country, some that have been successful and some where it has been a forgettable one. However, regardless of what success they did or did not achieve, they still have a strong passion for the game of rugby league.

When it comes to the semifinals time, the excitement reaches new heights. The semi-finals carries a lot more pressure, there is so much more to lose. Not one player wants to have their season end prematurely, especially when you’ve worked so hard to get into the semi-finals in the first place.

Publisher and Editor

Daniel Powell Redline Media ABN: 56 542 632 992 Phone: 0292 497 305 Mobile: 0432 126 210 Address: PO Box 645 Glebe NSW 2037 Email: daniel@redlinemedia.com.au Website: www.totallyrugbyleague.com.au

Staff

Simon Masterton Matthew French Natalie Shoebridge

Graphic Designer

Alan Thompson

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mpd, printing the news everyday

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Redline Distributors

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All rights are reserved to Totally Rugby League. All editorial submissions are welcomed, but must be EXCLUSIVE.

Another highlight of semi-finals is the sight of larger crowds, along with more media coverage and general town support. Sure, you get support throughout the season, but it certainly reaches a whole new level when the month of September arrives.

Whatever you do, whether you are a player or supporter, be sure to cherish the moment, because there are sure to be teams working hard throughout the upcoming off season to knock you off your perch. You just don’t know if you are ever going to get that feeling again.

On one final note, thanks once again for your support of Totally Rugby League. I know that I say this a lot, but your support means so much.

Until next issue, happy reading. Cheers, Daniel Powell Publisher and Editor of Totally Rugby League October 2014 Totally Rugby League 3

Rosellas rule

Since the appointment of Craig ‘Barney’ Miller in 2011, the Rosellas have made all four Tooheys Cup deciders, and if not for a one-point loss to the Maitland Pickers in the first of those, they would hold the outright record for the most consecutive premierships. The current crop should at least be considered the greatest of the 21st century, since a former Rosellas outfit last won three straight between the years of 1997-99. The latest effort came at the expense of the fifth placed Cessnock Goannas – a rival the Rosellas have now played six times in grand finals throughout their history, winning all six of them.

While Miller deserves significant praise, much of the success can be put down to the return of former Parramatta Eels halfback Brad Murray. The 2010 Toyota Cup Team of the Year inductee showed promise when signed with the Eels, before he was caught up in the Ryan Tandy betting saga and was consequently released in 2011. He had long since returned to the football field before being sidelined this year with cracked ribs, but made a well-timed return to guide the Rosellas in the grand-final decider.

Photos: Paul Arandale

The Western Suburbs Rosellas officially became one of Newcastle’s greatest ever teams last month after their 22-8 grand final victory and in the process became just the sixth outfit to win three consecutive titles in the Tooheys Cup.

three minutes later to get his side on the board, but with a Murray chip resulted in a third Rosellas four-pointer, they had all the momentum, and the sides reached the half-time break at 16-4.

When play resumed, it was all the Goannas that dominated possession and field position for much of the second stanza. After 15 minutes, the Rosellas defence cracked, but the score remained 16-8 with the second unsuccessful Goannas conversion. With 13 minutes remaining, Rosellas interchange forward Mark Farrah crashed over for a try, ultimately sealing the historic club’s 22nd Tooheys Cup premiership.

A further subplot operating for both teams during last month’s encounter was the unique situation of the successful Rosellas’ mentor. As reported in an earlier issue of Totally Rugby League, the man known as ‘Barney’ will link with the Goannas from next season onwards, with the aim of bringing down the dynasty he has created during his previous four-year tenure. It poses a new challenge for the former Newcastle Knights assistant coach and if he can deliver the Goannas their first premiership since 2003, he will go down as one of the Tooheys Cup’s greatest-ever coaches. Next year will also see rookie mentor Steve Kidd depart the Goannas after just one season in the top job, but he will be hot property when he makes a planned return to the competition in 2016.

Murray played a part in the Rosellas’ first try as they opened the scoring through Justin Smith in the seventh minute, shortly before a Goannas error gifted hooker James Woolford the Rosellas’ second try. The Goannas’ centre Shaun Metcalf cracked the defence just

4 Totally Rugby League October 2014

With significant movement in both the playing and coaching ranks, 2015 shapes up as a big one for the Tooheys Cup. A shaken-up competition will see eight teams attempt to keep the Rosellas from bagging an unprecedented fourth-straight title.

No Longer No.1

The lead up to this year’s Tooheys Cup grand final was surrounded by debate regarding the venue, with calls to abandon Newcastle’s No.1 Sportsground in favour of a more spectator-friendly facility.

The crowd, which fell short of last year’s 9,000 and can be considered poor by Novocastrians’ standards, has added fuel to the fire between fans and the sport’s governing body.

Critics of the oval-shaped ground hold that spectators are placed too far away from the action, and dilapidated facilities further reduce the fan experience. Federal Member for the Hunter and Cessnock supporter Joel Fitzgibbon was at the game and led calls on social media for a change of scenery.

While the Cooks Hill venue has traditionally been used a cricket ground; however, it also has a long history in staging high-profile rugby league matches. Since the 13-man code was introduced to the Newcastle and Hunter region way back in 1910, the No.1 Sportsground has hosted all but 12 local league grand finals. The

Newcastle Rugby League has previously been reluctant to move away from its roots, but will now consider other options.

Such alternatives include Newcastle’s No.2 Sportsground or Hunter Stadium. While both venues are rectangular, boast higher-quality surfaces and have been redeveloped significantly in the past three years, they each pose different issues for the league. No.2 Sportsground, which is primarily occupied by the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union, has a capacity of just 8,000 and wouldn’t allow any influx in crowds. The Newcastle Knights-occupied Hunter Stadium, which could fit large crowds comfortably, may prevent the Tooheys Cup competition from generating bar revenue. With food and beverage sales previously helping both first-grade grand finalists, which remains a major factor in the decision, and will be thought through extensively throughout the off-season break.

Simon Masterton

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 5

Rampaging Roos After three sudden-death semi-final matches the Wyong Roos have emerged victorious from a thrilling grand final in the Central Coast Division first-grade competition.

Defending premiers and minor premiers the Berkley Vale Panthers were unable to stop the Roos’ juggernaut as the Roos prevailed 8-6 in the grand-final decider. After finishing the regular season in fourth place, the side captain-coached Dean Amos side were able to improve with each week of the semi-final series.

In week one of the semi-finals, the Roos ended the Woy Woy Roosters season with a hard fought 14-10 win. In their following do or die encounters the Roos enjoyed relatively easy victories over Terrigal Sharks and Kincumber Colts with 32-10 and 38-4 scores respectively.

The journey to the big game was a simpler affair for the Panthers, who accounted for Kincumber 19-18 in the major semi-final which earned them another week off to rest up for the big game. The old debate about momentum versus rest reared its ugly head again, and in this instance the team that had to it the hard way stood triumphant after battle.

Wyong Football Manager Matt Lavin has no doubt that being battle hardened helped the Roos on the day.

“They built some good momentum in the last couple of weeks and that really shone through in their performance on the weekend,” he commented.

In the end, it was only a Blake Carter penalty goal that split the two teams. After a brilliant individual try to teenage fullback Luke Sharpe (who had already played the entire Under 19s grand final earlier that day) around the 30-minute mark the Roos went into the half-time break leading 6-0.

Strong defence was the order of the day and that kept up in the second half. Carter’s two points in the 50th minute gave the Roos an unassailable eight-point lead. With only minutes remaining in

the game, inspirational Panthers halfback Alex Moore barged over close to the posts to give the Panthers some hope. However, it would prove to be not enough; however, as the Roos held on for a classic grand final win.

Lavin saved special praise for a few of the Roos’ players.

“Nathan Clarke, our second rower, was excellent on the edge for us,” he said.

“Hooker Jacob Liddle played in the 19s grand final as well. He came off the bench and when he came on he provided some really good enthusiasm and pulled their big blokes apart out of dummy half.

And, Dean Amos was really good. He kept a really cool head.”

Liddle’s great performances on the field haven’t gone unnoticed as he’s been selected in the Australian Schoolboys squad to tour Great Britain and France.

The Roos club, as a whole, have enjoyed a bumper season, as Lavin explained.

“We actually had our four local grades in the grand final on the day,” he said.

“We got three victories out of four”.

Apart from first grade, the Roos were also triumphant in the Open Age and Under 19s grand finals. In the Open Age, they downed the Kincumber Colts 26-12, and in the Under 19s, they defeated The Entrance Tigers 32-12. The Roos also took appeared in the Reserve Grade grand final, but they were beaten by the Berkeley Vale Panthers 26-20.

Add to that the performance of their NSW Cup squad, which made the semi-finals without having an NRL feeder team arrangement (the Wyong Roos will link with Sydney Roosters in 2015), the Roos look set to be a powerhouse for many years to come.

Matthew French

6 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Cairns District and

Kangaroos Power Home

The Western Suburbs Kangaroos have asserted their historic dominance on the Cairns District Rugby League, peaking at the business end of the season to secure a record 23rd A Grade premiership.

Despite winning its first title in 27 years last season, the foundation club had this year been written off by sections of the local media long before semi-finals fever had arrived. An up-and-down season saw the Kangaroos finish fourth, but a hard-fought four-game winning streak heading into the semi-finals had the team wellprepared for encounters with fifth-placed Southern Suburbs, thirdplaced Yarrabah Seahawks and minor premiers the Tully Tigers en route to the grand-final decider.

“We had a hard-fought win by two points – I think it was against the Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks – that really set us up. Then when we came into the semi-finals it just made us a bit more battle-hardened as the weeks went on.

Photos: Maria Girgenti

“Certainly we were peaking at the right time,” Kangaroos coach Michael White expressed.

“The main thing was concentrating on our defence and making sure that we were getting it right around the ruck. We just had some simple things to do; the boys knuckled down and put it into place and it worked well.”

next 15 minutes, before an altercation with Leprechauns captaincoach Ty Williams saw Kangaroos halfback Robbie Amber spend 10 minutes on the sidelines.

Cairns’ most successful club would then meet the Innisfail Leprechauns in the grand final – who had finished second and won six more games than the Kangaroos. It was a 26-all draw in round six; however, that the defending premiers looked to for confidence.

“I think it was when we did play Innisfail in the competition rounds we got a draw and from that time on, the confidence just went up,” White continued.

“Then we had a couple of long-term injuries and those players came back into the team, so all those pieces of the jigsaw puzzle came together and we were getting some consistency on the footy field.”

With a firm grip on the underdog tag, the Kangaroos got in front early and headed into the break with a 15-6 lead.

They then looked to run away with it early in the second stanza, opening up a 27-6 margin in the

A quick double to the Leprechauns had the gap reduced to nine points, and it had White more than a little nervous.

“When we went down to 12 men they got a little bit of momentum going again so it was a bit anxious,” the mentor recalled.

“Fortunately enough the blokes dug in and restricted them the best they could. The main thing is not to panic.”

Holding on and crossing for two more tries in the final three minutes, the Kangaroos finished as 37-18 winners. In the process, they become the first Kangaroos outfit to win back-to-back titles since the 1977-78 side, who culminated an extraordinary run of 11-straight grand final appearances.

Such a proud history, White says, serves as an extra motivation for junior players to reach their potential.

“It’s fantastic, the club has a rich history,” he enthused.

“They bring the young players and develop them – 90 per cent of our team was local juniors for the final.”

The club is hopeful of retaining the bulk of the A Grade side next year, but is realistic about possibly losing some talent to the Northern Pride system. A 34-20 grand-final victory in the Under 18s competition has them well-served in the youth department; however, as the Kangaroos edge closer to the title of Australia’s most successful rugby league club.

Simon Masterton

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 7

Group 11 Dubbo CYMS Bury Demons

The Dubbo CYMS have reversed the result of last year to win the 2014 Group 11 first-grade premiership, by defeating the defending premiers the Parkes Spacemen 34-20.

In 2013, after being runaway minor premiers, Tim Ryan’s coached CYMS side were unable to deliver when it mattered most when they were defeated by the Spacemen in the decider. This year’s lead up to the big game had an eerily similar set of circumstances. Again, the CYMS romped home to the minor premiership and booked a spot for themselves into the grand final. Again, the Spacemen fought their way through the semi-finals series to compete against their great rivals. However, this time, the CYMS wouldn’t be denied.

Ryan played down claims that the victory was extra sweet since it was over Parkes.

“Obviously it’s good to win any grand final any time, but last year wasn’t a motivating factor,” he commented.

“It is what it is. You start the year to win the comp and it worked out good, so we’re very happy.”

Ryan went on to describe how rewarding it is to manage to achieve exactly what they set out to.

“It was an overwhelming feeling of relief just to get the job done,” he commented.

“To wake up on the Monday morning with the job complete was a very good feeling.”

It was a day where everything came together for CYMS. As a certain Melbourne Storm halfback might say, they were in ‘a state of grace’.

After 25 minutes of sustained pressure, halfback Alex Bonham swooped on a loose ball after prop Ainsley Coxsedge put a big hit on Spacemen playmaker and former NRL player Dennis Moran.

Bonham raced 80 metres to open the scoring for CYMS and relieve the pressure valve.

According to Ryan this was the key building block that secured their victory.

“For 25 minutes or half an hour we defended,” he said.

“They were just camped on our line, we didn’t get in their half whatsoever. To be leading 6-0 when we were under the pump was very good. I thought that set us up for the game.”

That key moment seemed to bolster the resolve of the CYMS men as they quickly raced to an 18-0 lead prior to the half-time break.

Although the Spacemen managed to stay in touch for part of the game, often through the efforts of classy pivot Moran, CYMS were never headed from there.

Despite leading on the scoreboard for the entire match, for Ryan, though, it was never a sure thing.

“They’ve got some pretty potent attacking weapons, so you never really feel safe,” he admitted.

“I think Chappo’s (centre Jyie Chapman) try was a big thing to get us that 14-point buffer.”

Ryan was quick to answer, when quizzed on what was the most pleasing aspect of the premiership.

“Just the young guys that got on, I was so happy for them,” he expressed.

“I think we’ve got four 30 year olds and then the rest are 21 or 22 or younger. Just seeing the smiles on their face was probably the most pleasing thing. They make you want to be the best you can be, because they’re having such a good time. They’re just a good bunch of boys.”

The future for CYMS looks bright, and Ryan is optimistic about 2015 and beyond.

“Hopefully the majority of the squad sticks around because they’re only young,” he enthused.

“So, if they want me to do it again, I’d be keen for sure. If they want to go in a different direction I’d be happy with that too; I just hope the boys get looked after and they continue to succeed.”

Matthew French

8 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Blues Erase Last Year’s Pain

The Queanbeyan Blues have erased the pain of last year’s extra time grand final loss in the most satisfying way possible, by triumphing over the Goulburn Workers Bulldogs 24-20, again in extra time. The stress of having to endure two consecutive extra-time deciders may’ve been too much for Blues’ coach Simon Woolford to bare, had the result gone the other way this year.

Woolford, the 262 NRL game veteran, couldn’t have been happier with the efforts his squad produced at Queanbeyan’s Seiffert Oval.

“Really pleasing,” he enthused.

“We had a really good year last year and we fell just short in the grand final. It’s not good for the health having to go through extra time two years in a row. But we got there this time.”

Woolford was particularly happy with his teams’ efforts given the adversity they faced.

“Scott Rutland, I think he ran for something like 270 metres and made 39 tackles,” Woolford said.

“We were up against it,” he admitted.

“Marc Herbert was really good and Ben Nichol, but Tom Ruediger and Scott Rutland were our two best – there’s no doubt about it.”

“The penalties were 13-3 against us and that goes to show how hard the boys had to work.”

In a high-quality match, which consisted of a number of former NRL players such as Michael Bani and Mick Picker (Bulldogs) and Marc Herbert and Trevor Thurling (Blues), the Blues were able to overcome immense pressure from their Bulldogs opponents and three disallowed tries in achieving their goal.

Centre Tom Ruediger continued his strong form for the Blues in scoring two tries, while front rower Scott Rutland was awarded man of the match.

“We had a lot of good performers,” Woolford expressed.

“I’d have to give special mention to Tom Ruediger. He came from the other side of the field and ran down one of the Goulburn boys and put him into touch right on the try line. That would have given them a ten point lead if they scored that, and then he backed that up with two great tries.”

One particular player had an outstanding game, which helped the Blues secure premiership success.

Woolford is already looking forward to, what he hopes, is a bigger and better 2015.

“I’ve started planning for next year,” he admitted.

“I think the majority of our team will stick around. A couple of guys are looking to retire. If that’s the case, it’s always good to bring in a couple new faces. No one has indicated to me that they’ll be leaving town or leaving to play somewhere else. I think they are all pretty happy to replicate this year.”

The Blues have one confirmed signing for next season that Woolford is very pleased with. Not just because of his playing ability, but the family connection.

“My nephew James (Woolford),” he commented.

“He’s just played his fourth grand final for Wests Newcastle against the Cessnock Goannas. He played in the grand final win for the Melbourne Storm Under 20s a few years ago. He’s been in Newcastle since and now he’s moving down this way, so we’ve signed him as our hooker for next year.”

The signing of James coincides with the good fortune of another Woolford: Simon’s 18-year-old son Zac. Zac will be joining the Canberra Raiders Under 20’s side next year.

“Zac played hooker the last 10 weeks for my team, because my regular hookers were busted,” he explained.

“So, one Woolford will be replaced by another Woolford.”

In the lower grade results, the Queanbeyan Blues downed West Belconnen Warriors 22-14 in reserve grade, Tuggeranong Bushrangers defeated Belconnen United Scholars 30-4 in Under 18’s 1, and Tuggeranong Bushrangers emerged triumphant over the Gungahlin Bulls 32-6 in Under 18’s 2.

Matthew French

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 9

Ron Massey Shock Exits for Magpies and Two Blues The Ron Massey Cup semi-finals series saw two shock exits last month, with both the Cabramatta Two Blues and the Wentworthville Magpies suffering poorly-timed form slumps and not progressing as far as they had expected.

After easily accounting for The Entrance Tigers 38-0 in their last encounter at Ringrose Park, the Magpies were ambushed and suffered an upset 46-20 defeat in the first week of the semi-finals.

They would then take on the Warriors again, this time accounting for them 42-22, before being held scoreless in the preliminary semifinal in a 36-0 thumping at the hands of Mounties.

It had been an up-and-down season for the Two Blues, who had appeared to hit some form at the end of the home and away rounds. Just one more victory off a top-four finish, the club were rated a genuine chance to replicate their 2011 Ron Massey Cup title.

Coming up against the Warriors in semi-finals week one; however, they were outclassed 34-22.

Photo: Dean Perkins

The fifth-placed Two Blues and minor premiers the Magpies bowed out of the semi-finals race in disappointing fashion, exiting at the first and third weeks respectively. While the Two Blues had come away with three-straight wins at the end of the regular season, minor cracks had begun to appear in the previously impenetrable Magpies’ armour; the four-time premiers went down to the eighth-placed Auburn Warriors 25-4 in the penultimate round and appeared to have lost their signature ruthlessness.

The upsets were particularly significant as both sides have been towards the top of the Ron Massey Cup for a number of seasons.

Winning all of its four cups since 2009, the Wentworthville Magpies have held high standards and will look to explain why another grand-final appearance wasn’t to be. Both sides will undertake a review process during the off season.

Magpie Picks Up Top Honours Despite a seventh-place finish and a first-round semi-finals exit from this year’s Ron Massey Cup competition, it wasn’t all bad for the Western Suburbs Magpies – crafty hooker Dayne ‘Danger’ Craig took out the Ron Massey Cup Player of the Year award at the NSWRL Brad Fittler Medal last month.

The 24-year-old was by far the Magpies’ best in season 2014, playing all 22 regular games and seamlessly stepping into the Wests Tigers NSW Cup side during the Magpies’ bye rounds. Described in his Magpies profile as a ‘Thurston-like goal kicker!’ Craig this year racked up 210 points to his name, with 14 tries and 77 goals. He currently sits behind Joel Luani in the NSW Cup outfit, who in turn had stepped up to NRL level when Robbie Farah was either injured or on State of Origin commitments.

An East Campbelltown Eagles junior, Craig was a part of the Wests Tigers’ Toyota Cup Under 20s squad in 2009 and 2010, playing a number of games in the NSW Cup since 2011. There is still plenty of time for the dummy half to progress further, with a more regular NSW Cup berth on the cards. Until then, the aim will be to improve on what was a tough season for the Magpies.

Simon Masterton

10 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Jamal

Idris

Penrith Panthers Standing at nearly two metres tall, Jamal Idris is often considered a giant of the modern game. From the early days at the ForsterTuncurry Hawks to the threatening form of his representative stints, the man with the most famous locks in the NRL has demonstrated skill to rival the lithest athletes in Australian sport - and he’s only 24.

Heralding from the mid north coast of NSW, Idris displayed an aptitude for sport at a young age. A quick Google search will spit out his International Association of Athletics Federation page and the results speak for themselves: honours in discus at a competition in Ostrava in the Czech Republic and spots in the World Youth Championships for junior athletics. This was only two years prior to bursting onto the NRL scene, and we have seen glimpses of this brilliance carry over to the rugby league field.

Idris’s family made the move to Sydney, so that Idris could purse his sporting talent, and time with the Chester Hill Hornets, Merrylands Rams, Fairfield Patrician Brothers, Bankstown Sports, Guilford Raiders and Berala Bears eventually resulted in him finding a home at the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 2007.

Idris started 2008 with a SG Ball jersey, but by the end of March he had already been promoted to the Under 20’s Toyota Cup side. Before the season was out, Idris made his NRL debut against the Parramatta Eels in round 24 while still only in his HSC year at school. Oozing natural flair and unteachable talent, Idris dazzled in the Australian School Boys side of the same year, and scored an impressive four tries in 20 minutes. This stellar season was capped with an appearance for the Australian Indigenous side in the World Cup. From here, it was all about cementing a regular spot in the first grade side and 2009 saw a continuation of the form that rushed him through the junior ranks at the club. Idris managed to beat fellow debuting stars Josh Dugan, Jared Waerea-Hargraves, James Maloney and Daniel Mortimer for the prestigious Dally M Rookie of the Year award, and set himself up for representative selection in the near future.

2010 marked a progression into State of Origin contention, with a performance for the Country Origin side earning him a call-up for the NSW Blues in the same year. He sweetened the moment with a try for NSW and was selected for the Indigenous All Stars and Australian ANZAC test sides the following year.

In late 2011, Idris signed a five-year contract with the Gold Coast Titans and made the move up north. However, this period was cut short and soured by a horrific injury. Homesickness, amongst other factors, resulted in his return to Sydney and a three-year deal with the Penrith Panthers at the beginning of this year, where Idris has reclaimed the spark and continues to have a predominant impact on the Panthers’ successes of 2014.

Aside from his outstanding ability and flair on the field, Idris has proven adept at picking himself up after the personal issues and grapples with injury that have weaved through his career. Under Phil Gould’s guidance at the Panthers, the man with the most enviable locks of the league is recapturing the form and physique that first put him on our radar, and more accolades are certain to follow if he continues to regroup and move forward.

Natalie Shoebridge

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 11

Jets Set Deal with Sharks After months of speculation about the future of NSWRL foundation club the Newtown Jets, confirmation has finally been given of a partnership with the Cronulla Sharks NRL side.

It all happened in a matter of days in July – Australia’s oldest club was dumped by the Sydney Roosters, who in turn linked with NSW Cup rivals the Wyong Roos. The Cronulla Sharks also lost their NSW Cup partner, as the Melbourne Storm opted for a second Intrust Super Cup feeder side and linked with the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

As reported in Totally Rugby League last month, the Jets-Sharks partnership was firming as the most likely – and obvious – solution.

Rekindling a one-year agreement that saw the clubs field a joint NSW Premier League team in 2005, fringe NRL players for the Sharks will don the famous royal blue and play primarily out of Henson Park. The 2012 and 2013 premiers will join forces in an effort to become a powerhouse within the second-tier competition, with the three-year deal beginning next season.

Unfortunately, the deal also sees the departure of the Cronullabased NSW Cup outfit, leaving the competition with 12 teams in

2015. While the competition will welcome a Fiji-based franchise the following season, ideals of expansion have been hindered through an apparent instability among NRL and NSW Cup feeder clubs.

Storm Banished from Junior Reps The decision by the Melbourne Storm to rely purely on Queensland for its reserve competition has had extreme consequences for local junior talent; having cut ties with the NSW Cup the club has been forbidden from fielding teams in the NSWRL’s junior representative competitions.

Under strict NSWRL policy, clubs cannot utilise NSW systems at the junior level if they are only going to feed into Queensland competitions at the senior level. Previously participating in the established Harold Matthews (under 16) and SG Ball (under 18) competitions, the Storm’s cancellation of its Cronulla Sharks partnership in favour of the Queensland-based Easts Tigers and Sunshine Coast Falcons appeared to promote such a situation.

Like most clubs, the Storm had already begun the trialling process for its 2015 Harold Matthews and SG Ball sides, and it is unclear at this stage what action will be taken. Unfortunately, the club has few options: an extremely expensive move into Queensland’s Cyril Connell Cup (under 16) and Mal Meninga Cup (under 18) competitions, which would heap much higher transportation costs on both the Storm and Queensland-based clubs, or a cancellation

12 Totally Rugby League October 2014

of Victoria’s junior program altogether. For the sake of the game’s development in the southern state, fans and administrators alike will be hoping for a compromise to be met between both parties.

Team of the Year Named With positions in the world’s strongest rugby league competition constantly up for grabs, success is quite often measured in the NSW Cup by individual efforts as much as team performances. The NSW Cup Team of the Year, therefore, which was first conceptualised in 2010, has become an important point of debate in rugby league circles and an important accolade in any emerging player’s scrapbook. Determined by a panel of three NSWRL-affiliated judges and announced before September’s preliminary semi-final doubleheader, the 2014 side is as follows: 1. Nathan Ross (Newcastle Knights) 2. Bureta Faraimo (Wentworthville Magpies) 3. Sami Sauiluma (Mounties) 4. Asipeli Fine (Wests Tigers) 5. Josh Mantellato (Newcastle Knights) 6. Will Smith (Penrith Panthers) 7. Michael Dobson (Newcastle Knights) 8. Magnus Stromquist (Wyong Roos) 9. Mitch Williams (Wyong Roos) 10. Tim Robinson (Cronulla Sharks) 11. Jake Foster (Mounties) 12. Raymond Faitala-Mariner (NZ Warriors) 13. Ryan Simpkins (Penrith Panthers) 14. Tyler Randell (Newcastle Knights) 15. Shannon Wakeman (Illawarra Cutters) 16. Sam Anderson (Penrith Panthers) 17. Lachlan Burr (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs) 18. Clinton Gutherson (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles) COACH: Rip Taylor (Wyong Roos)

The 18-man squad is dominated by grand finalists the Penrith Panthers and the Newcastle Knights, who boast seven inclusions in total. As explained by the NSWRL.com.au media team, the most hotly-contested spot was in fact the fullback position, with Nathan Ross’s superb end-of-season form seeing him edge out Clinton Gutherson, who still came in at 18th man. The latter had showed great promise in limited NRL appearances this season. On the wings were Josh Mantellato and Bureta Faraimo – the latter picking up the Player of the Year award at the Brad Fittler Medal ceremony – while Rip Taylor’s revival of the Wyong Roos in 2014 has him chosen as Coach of the Year.

Looking through the rest of the side; however, more can be made of the players who didn’t make the cut. A list of ‘honourable mentions’ include a host of quality NRL and NYC names, with the likes of Chanel Mata’utia, Kevin Naiqama, Carlos Tuimavave, Jack Ahearn, Luke Kelly, Mitch Cornish, Jack Buchanan, Jayden Hodges, Matt McIlwrick, Kevin Kingston, Matt Hilder and Daniel Harrison all falling just short in 2014. Now used as a stepping stone between the Holden Cup and NRL, it highlights the quality of the 13-team competition.

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 13

Bycroft Tiger Goes Out a Winner Southport Tigers skipper Tim Cannard has capped an illustrious playing career, heading into retirement with a man-of-thematch performance in the Bycroft Cup grand final at Pizzey Park in Mermaid Waters.

In a true captain’s knock, the experienced prop forward played for 75 minutes in the grand-final decider, scoring a try and kicking two goals to help his side to a 24-18 victory over the Tugun Seahawks.

However, Cannard was reluctant to take praise for his individual performance.

“It was a complete team effort I think, for the whole year,” he commented.

“On the day it was a tough game and we showed how much more we wanted it in the end; scoring five tries to three it sort of came off.”

The victory was a relief for the Tigers, who had won the past three minor premierships without taking a major title. Almost exactly

reversing the 26-18 score line they were dealt by the Seahawks in last year’s grand final, they used the extra motivation effectively.

“Losing last year’s game, I think we weren’t going out there unless we won it,” Cannard added.

“But we only had about six players from last year’s game, so we just tried to say to the other players ‘how much do you want this?’”

A former Intrust Super Cup player, winning a premiership with the Souths Logan Magpies, the captain was frank when asked what brought about the retirement decision.

“Probably five concussions this year and 20 stitches in the head,” the tough forward joked.

“I’m just done, I think. The body’s not too bad but mentally, I wouldn’t mind moving on to different aspects – maybe coaching.”

With Cannard and second-rower Dean Vinson likely to be the only retirements, the Tigers will hope to maintain the bulk of the squad for next year, aiming to go back-to-back for the first time since its 2008-10 premiership three-peat.

Simon Masterton

14 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Group

Back to Back for Magpies

The Picton Magpies are the first club to secure consecutive premierships in the Group 6 first grade competition in 16 years.

The black and whites romped to an emphatic 36 points to 4 victory over the Mittagong Lions on home soil, Picton’s Victoria Park.

Non-playing coach Gary Dowse now has the extraordinary record of six seasons as coach for six grand finals and four premierships.

Captain-coach Bryce Poisel was involved as a player in the 2005 and 2009 premierships and now has two as a coach to add to his tally.

Poisel was thrilled with the side’s achievement.

“It was good to go back to back,” he expressed.

“This makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

Magpies centre and former NRL player (St George-Illawarra Dragons, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Sydney Roosters) Michael Lett was dynamic, crossing for three tries and earning man of the match honours.

“Whether we won or lost I was still going to retire, so getting the win was great and getting that last try really topped it off.”

Poisel was elated with Lett’s contribution.

“I left it pretty late to get off the nudie run,” he laughed.

“That was my first try in two years.”

“He was a bit quiet towards the end of the year, carrying a hamstring injury,” he revealed.

The late try from Bowers was very timely for the big prop.

“But he definitely showed his class when it mattered.”

It was an unfortunate finish to the season for the Lions, who now have the unenviable record of successive minor premierships and successive grand final losses to the Magpies.

As Poisel pointed out; however, the game was a lot more than a one-man show.

They were up against it when their captain-coach and halfback Scott Borg left the field with a head injury early in the second half.

“Matty White (lock forward) went really well,” he declared.

Although his memory of the game was limited, Borg was philosophical about the loss.

“Donny Thompson (fullback) was great as well, but it was just a massive team effort. Everyone really pulled their weight and I think that’s why the score was so big.”

The Magpies industrious forward pack paved the way for their classy backs. Matt White was voted player’s player, while Alex Peters and Jack Twist were tireless. Front rowers Kiel Shephard and Chris Bowers were both rewarded with tries late in the game.

It was a fairy tale finish to a distinguished career for Bowers, affectionately known as ‘Beast’. The man himself was still on a high when he was contact by Totally Rugby League.

“I couldn’t have written the script any better if I tried,” said the 32-year-old.

“From what I gather it was a very dominant performance from Picton,” he admitted.

“They have plenty of big match experience. As for Mittagong, we had a heap of injuries during the year but our depth showed, winning club championship, minor premiership for firsts and a reserve grade premiership. With an average age of about 23, hopefully a premiership is around the corner.”

As Poisel pointed out, however, the Magpies plan to be a force for years to come.

“We’ll try to keep all the boys together,” he stated.

“There’s a lot of local juniors there, and they all get on really well. If we can keep them all together, I think we can be dominant for the next few years.”

Other winners on the day included the Mittagong Lions (Reserve Grade defeating the Thirlmere Roosters 22-16), the Narellan Jets (Second Division defeating the Picton Magpies 28-16), the Camden Rams (Under 18’s A defeating the Narellan Jets 28-6) and the Warragamba Wombats (Under 18’s B defeating the Mount Annan Knights 34-6).

Matthew French October 2014 Totally Rugby League 15

Feeney’s Fitting Finale It took 15 years, a last-minute NRL decider replacement, a devastating back injury, a one-point grand final loss and a brief stint coaching on the NSW Central Coast – but in 2014, retiring Thirroul Butcher and former Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Melbourne Storm second rower Jamie Feeney finally earned a long-awaited rugby league premiership.

While much of the Thirroul Butchers’ rise to the top of the Illawarra Coal League has centred on the successes of first-year captaincoach Nathan Fien, Feeney was another former NRL player lured to the Butchers for season 2014. In a side boasting 504 games of NRL experience – along with Denan Kemp and Brent Grose – the 36-yearold was a consistent performer, capping a memorable year with a hard-fought 18-16 win over the Helensburgh Tigers .

“It was a great year for me with the move,” Feeney, who has since called time on a long career, explained.

“I didn’t really know too many people so I decided to play with Thirroul and it’s a really good social club, I got to meet people really quickly and we got the result we deserved. It’s a great way to finish for me.”

To say Feeney has been close to a premiership since making his NRL debut with the Bulldogs in 1999 is a gross understatement. After a salary-cap scandal prevented a probable minor premiership for the team in 2002, the utility second rower would find himself jostling for the final bench spot in the decider two years later – warming up but eventually losing out to none other than current great Jonathan Thurston. The Bulldogs would be crowned premiers with Feeney on the sidelines, who defected to the Melbourne Storm the following season. A significant back injury soon put an end to his NRL career, and he would soon take up a coaching role with the Erina Eagles,

Having informally assisted former Kiwis hooker and five-eighth Fien with the coaching duties, Feeney is eager to take on more mentoring roles.

“I’d love to get back through the systems and work at NRL level, even as assistant or through the 20s and junior rep system,” he enthused.

“I’ve got the Country Firsts coaching job at the moment, so I’m happy to keep doing that and wait for opportunities if they come.”

A likeable character with an obvious knack for connecting with players, it may not be the last we hear of Jamie Feeney.

In other grand finals within the Illawarra Coal League competition, wins were claimed by Western Suburbs RLFC (Second Grade defeating the Thirroul Butchers and Under 19’s Colts defeating Collegians), Corrimal Cougars (Illawarra Coal Shield defeating the Northern Suburbs Bulldogs) and Helensburgh Tiger Lillies (Women in the Army Illawarra Rugby League defeating the Port Kembla Blacks).

where he remained until deciding to put the boots on again in 2012.

As if Feeney needed another near-miss, the Eagles then lost the 2013 decider 21 points to 20 – and yet despite all of that, the Muswellbrook Rams junior maintains an inexplicable positive attitude.

“I don’t think (the eventual premiership win) is something I deserved to happen – a lot of people have said ‘mate, you deserve to go out a winner’ – I think I got a lot out of footy anyway,” Feeney commented.

“But I just think that’s a nice exit and a good way to finish up what has been a good career.”

16 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Simon Masterton

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 17

Group10

St Pats Triumph over Magpies

Using a hostile Cowra crowd as motivation, Bathurst St Pats have claimed the sixth Group 10 Premier League trophy in the club’s long history. The visitors took a 14-4 halftime lead before running out eventual 34-12 winners over the Cowra Magpies at Cowra’s Sid Kallas Oval.

After stealing the minor premiership from the Mudgee Dragons in the regular season’s penultimate round, St Pats suffered a 22-12 loss at home to Cowra in the major semi-final. With a narrow two-point victory over the Dragons the following week, many had wondered if the side could bounce back when travelling to Cowra for the decider.

According to influential first-year St Pats coach Kurt Hancock, the circumstances played into their hands.

“To tell you the truth, it probably worked in our favour not having the home grand final,” said Hancock.

“When we drove into Cowra on the bus it was black and white everywhere, so you can imagine the pressure that they must’ve been feeling to be successful – not only for the football club but for the town.”

Despite the Magpies dominating possession and field position throughout much of the first half, St Pats managed to limit the home side to just one opening stanza try while making the most of their opportunities with the football. Once his side took the lead, Hancock said, they were able to gain momentum in the second half.

“You can really see once we got right into it and once they got behind, they seemed to tense up a fair bit,” the former NRL prop, who played for the Newcastle Knights in 2005, added.

“I think the big thing was we just enjoyed the day and I think that showed through our footy.”

Classy hooker Benjamin John ran in three tries from dummy half, earning the Dave Scott Medal, for best on ground and helping return the premiership to Bathurst. In a major financial boost, the club also bagged an unprecedented $10, 000 in prize money – something that Hancock believes could help build a new home ground.

“We’ve been talking to the council for a new venue, so I’m pretty certain that money will go towards that,” the mentor explained.

“We left our home ground to go to the sportsground this year and it’s only a temporary fix; we said we’d be there for two years so we sat down with the council and the council feel that they would get something out of it as well.

“Hopefully in the next 18 months we’ll have a new home ground and obviously we’ll use that money to contribute to the clubhouse that we will have to fund.”

St Pats are facing the prospect of a number of changes to the roster for next season, with several players being targeted by Newcastle competition and fellow Group 10 clubs or weighing up the thought of retirement. Having made the first division grand final, the under 18s finished inside the top four and ultimately the club went on to win the Group 10 club championship, Hancock will have sufficient talent to rely on in the near future.

In the other games, the winners were Orange CYMS (First Division defeated Bathurst St Pats 18-10), Bathurst Panthers (Women’s League Tag defeated Bathurst St Pats 24-12), Orange Hawks (Under 18s defeated Cowra Magpies 14-12) and CSU Yellow (Centennial Coal Cup defeated Blackheath Blackcats 22-10).

Simon Masterton

18 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Volunteer of the month Trigger Happy

It is easy to appreciate the efforts of your average volunteer at your local footy club. Their existence makes our own lives easier.

Their tireless running water, caring for our players, running the canteen, cooking the barbeque, serving behind the bar, cleaning up rubbish, setting up the oval, and looking after practically everything else on a weekend means that you and I don’t have to.

And while we are generally pretty quick to acknowledge their contributions when brought to our attention, it’s rare that we stop to think about exactly how much these crucial members of our organisations actually do. Some of these fine men and women have done so much for so long; however, that their actions deserve recognition. One such man is Kevin ‘Trigger’ Bathe.

In July of this year, ‘Trigger’ was rewarded for his efforts by being named the Queensland Rugby League Northern Division Sports Trainer of the year. When you look closely at his extraordinary level of involvement, it’s easy to see just how deserving he is.

Currently Bathe performs as a first-aid officer for the following sides such as, Mackay Cutters (Intrust Super Cup), Mackay Cutters Under 18s, Mackay Women’s Rugby League, Mackay Schoolgirls Rugby League, Mackay Primary School Rugby League, Mackay Secondary Schools Rugby League, QRL Mod League Camps, Souths Mackay Junior Rugby League. He’s also heavily involved in Mackay JRL, where he coordinates junior kids playing at half-time of Cutters games, and he performs as the carnival FAO at State Schoolboy Under 18s Championships.

Clearly, this is a man who loves his rugby league. And a man whose passion derives from helping others.

Glenn Ottoway, Mackay Cutters Executive Officer and Chairman of the Mackay & Districts Rugby League, elaborates on Trigger’s important contributions.

“He’s been involved in Rugby League for a lot of years as an FAO and sports trainer,” he explained.

“His direct role with the Cutters is as the under 18’s FAO. But, on any given weekend, as soon as he’s finished that he jumps across and helps out with the Cup side whenever he can. And also, if there’s no clash, he helps out with the women’s team.”

Ottoway went on to explain how Bathe is more than happy to assist others involved to develop and grow in the game.

“When you sign up to become a sports trainer you have to do a certain number of hours of supervised work,” he said.

“He’ll often come to me and say “Do you mind if ‘so and so’ sits on the sideline with me for this game to do their supervised hours?’.

Trig’s never been one to guard against his knowledge, he’s more than happy to share his expertise with anyone who’s willing to learn.”

And, as it turns out, his involvement is not restricted to on the field.

“Even behind the scenes he does a lot of work with Souths (Mackay) junior rugby league,” Ottoway explained.

“Funding and organising grants, and that kind of thing. He’s a real top level bloke. It’s all voluntary stuff too. He’s retired, and he just does what he loves.”

He just does what he loves. And it’s that level of love that makes our great game be even greater.

Matthew French

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 19

Turning a New Page The journey to become an NRL star is never an easy one, and for even the most talented young players it can have its ups and downs. As one of the most overused coaching clichés dictates; however, it’s how players respond to the low points that will define their careers. For Souths Logan Magpies front rower Luke Page, that crucial moment came at the end of last season.

Page had been a part of the Gold Coast Titans’ under 20s side in 2011, earning the club’s Toyota Cup Player of the Year award and catching the eye of higher powers on the Gold Coast. He was rewarded with a contract to the Titans’ NRL squad in 2012 and 2013, but failed to crack first grade and his contract wasn’t renewed.

After spending his time with the Burleigh Bears, he maintained the simple philosophy of ‘run hard, tackle hard’, in the hope that another opportunity would present itself. That chance came midway through the 2014 season, when Page was approached by Canberra Raiders officials with an 18-month NRL contract via their feeder club, Souths Logan Magpies.

The 23-year-old swapped the maroon and white of the Bears for the black and white of the Magpies with the mid-season signing, but improving performances saw the colours change back – this time the maroon of the victorious Queensland Residents team, in a maiden selection. A technicality within the Raiders’ second-tier salary cap was all that denied Page his NRL debut at this time, but the talented ball-runner responded with a level of consistency for the Magpies that will have him well-placed for next season.

At the Queensland Rugby League Gala Awards dinner last month, Page truly began to bear the fruits of his labour. Some superb endof-season form saw the Magpies’ enforcer take out the Courier Mail Medal for the Intrust Super Cup’s best and fairest player, racking up 29 points to join the likes Greg Inglis and Daly Cherry-Evans as a medal recipient. While Page’s performances weren’t enough to lift the Magpies to a semi-finals berth in 2014 – the side finished five wins off the pace in 10th – he will now focus on a gruelling off season with the Raiders and will aim to line up in round one of the NRL in 2015.

20 Totally Rugby League October 2014

In the gala evening’s other presentations, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles-bound Blake Leary was crowned Representative Player of the Year and the PNG Hunters boasted both the People’s Choice Award winner (Willie Minoga) and the Rookie of the Year (Garry Lo). The latter was also the competition’s leading try scorer. The Wynnum-Manly Seagulls took out the Club Championship.

Blackhawks’ Touchdown Confirmed As reported in last month’s issue of Totally Rugby League, the Townsville Blackhawks have been unveiled as the newest club to contest the Intrust Super Cup in 2015. The Blackhawks were presented at the QRL’s Gala Awards dinner.

The North Queensland Cowboys will officially take advantage of the new three-pronged feeder system – along with existing sides the Mackay Cutters and Northern Pride – from next season onwards, though it’s likely that the franchise will be afforded a season to get settled. Playing out of Jack Manski Oval, home of 2014 Townsville A Grade premiers Brothers, the club has already established an initial training squad and is making progress in finalising a side.

Furthermore, branding had been finalised for the club with a new logo and green and white playing strip ready to go for next season.

The move will have a positive effect on the Intrust Super Cup, which is currently weighing up whether or not to extend the season by two weeks. It’s also likely to rejuvenate the Townsville & Districts Rugby League, which has seen Brothers make the past 11 Grand Finals. With players in the region aiming for Blackhawks and ultimately Cowboys selection, it is expected to bring out the best in footballers and teams alike.

Heartbreak for Hunters

The semi-finals fairy tale just wasn’t to be for the PNG Hunters in their debut Intrust Super Cup season, with a nail-biting final round ending in the narrowest of misses.

The Hunters, who had the bye in round 26, had been sweating on other results if the semi-finals dream was to become a reality.

Sitting on 33 competition points, the new faces in the competition needed either the Ipswich Jets to lose or the Tweed Heads Seagulls to go down by 12; when neither result came off, the PNG side would finish the season just one point outside the top five.

It was a cruel finish for the side that took this year’s Intrust Super Cup by storm. With unprecedented levels of support at both home and away games, the Hunters’ fan base proved why PNG is the only country with rugby league as its national sport. With the PNG Government recently pledging 1.5 million Kina (approximately $680, 000 AUD) to the club, rugby league across the nation has been given a significant boost and will continue to grow in 2015.

Simon Masterton October 2014 Totally Rugby League 21

Group 7 Jubilant Jets

“It’s like a fairy tale, mate!” Those are the words of Ben Wellington, captaincoach and second rower of the NowraBomaderry Jets. He’s reflecting on the premiership they’ve just earned after defeating the heavily favoured WarillaLake South in the Group 7 first-grade grand final.

“Five games in, we were coming last on three points,” Wellington elaborated.

“We had a young side with a lot of fresh faces. We didn’t really have that belief and the camaraderie was a bit down. Once we started to believe in each other, that was the key. We started playing for each other and we started to win games.”

When asked about whether or not he believed, even at that lowest point, he had the squad that could go all the way, Wellington didn’t hesitate to answer.

“I did,” he proudly stated.

“We had the three Brandon brothers (Steve, Keiran and Mark) come over from rugby union. They scored nearly 60 tries between them this year. We had a really solid middle. We had a vast range of player ages. Plenty of young guys and then Michael Blattner, our front rower, he’s 41.”

Wellington, a Nowra junior and former Sydney Roosters NRL player, was most impressed by the way their defence held together, particularly in the early stages of the match.

“It was a quick start. They had us pinned down for the first five or 10 minutes in our half, but they didn’t come up with any tries,” Wellington explained.

“That was probably a big part of the reason we won it. We can always score tries, we’re a good attacking side. But, when it came to defence during the year, we had little lapses in us, and we could let in easy tries. But, we held on for that first 10 (minutes).”

Wellington stressed that the fact they were able to stick to their game plan was crucial to their success.

“We had a plan to turn them around,” he revealed.

“We’re more small and mobile, I wanted to turn them around and use that against them. It worked in the first 25 minutes, because we were up 20-0.”

The official man of the match award was presented to Jets young gun Ryan James. The youngest player in the side was an integral part of the victory as Wellington testified.

“He played well above his age,” he praised.

“He’s really mature and he made a lot of breaks out there. You wouldn’t have expected him to play such a vital part being so young, but to his credit he really stood up.”

22 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Wellington also saved special praise for the local community.

“Our local supporters and the community, they got right behind us and they brought us home,” he remarked.

Next year looks like being another success for the Jets, providing they can keep the majority of their squad together. A task that may be difficult, given the interest some NRL clubs have in their young stars.

“Next year we’re looking positive,” Wellington enthused.

“But, if Ryan James and Isaac Mumberson make it into the (St GeorgeIllawarra) Dragons, that’s my job done as well. If I can help anyone out, that’s what I’m here to do.”

In the earlier games, the Kiama Knights downed the Gerringong Lions 22-4 in reserve grade (Man of the Match Matt Morris – Knights), the Shellharbour Stingrays defeated the Albion Park Stingrays 1918 in third grade (MOM Tim Davies – Stingrays), Shellharbour City Sharks beat the Gerringong Lions 16-14 in the under 18s (MOM Jai Field – Sharks) and Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs came out on top over the Kiama Knights in women’s league tag (Woman of the Match Emmah Haynes – Bulldogs).

Matthew French

SHIELD Newcomers Impress In their first year in the NSW Rugby League’s Sydney Shield competition, the Peninsula Seagulls can be extremely proud of their efforts.

The northern beachesbased club went through the regular season dropping only the one game, which was a 27-24 upset at the hands of the Guildford Owls, on their way to the minor premiership.

Although the Tim Geecoached side were bundled out of the semi-finals series, an agonisingly close encounter that resulted in them coming up one game short of a grand final birth, by the East Campbelltown Eagles, getting that far is still an outstanding achievement for a club in their first year of existence. The sheer effort required to source enough quality players from the local Manly District A Grade competition to come together and compete is commendable.

Rumours abound of difficulties relating to the future of the club.

Getting and maintaining enough financial support from sponsors and other sources of local income is a huge job. The task is only made all the more difficult when you’re a new entity trying to leave an imprint amongst the local public.

In week one of the semi-finals, the Seagulls side went down to the Belrose Eagles by 20 points to 4. They looked to have regained their mojo the following week when they comfortably accounted for the Guildford Owls by 42 points to 16. Unfortunately for the Seagulls, their return to form was short lived as they were bundled out of the competition by the East Campbelltown Eagles.

Regardless of their disappointing end to this season, it is hope to see the Seagulls back again in next year’s Sydney Shield competition and beyond. Having a side of their calibre in the NSWRL’s third-tier competition can only be a good thing for the Northern Beaches community and for the wider rugby league community.

Matthew French

LOOKING TO RECRUIT PLAYERS FOR 2015 We can offer airfare, match payments and job assistance.

We're, in particular, looking for quality front rowers and halves.

We're also inviting applications for senior coaching staff - must be a senior club coach qualified.

Based in Rockingham, Western Australia, which is 40 minutes from Perth city

For further information, contact Dale Christy on 0409 795 199 (Mobile) or rockinghamsharks@hotmail.com (Email)

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 23

Group 9

Tigers Fall Short

The Gundagai Tigers have fallen one game short of the grand final in the Group 9 firstgrade competition, after being knocked out by defending and two-time premiers Albury Thunder. The Tigers led by eight points with roughly half an hour to go, before the Thunder stormed home to win 33-24 and qualify into the grand-final decider.

In a see-sawing match it was the Thunder that took the early ascendency, jumping out to a 16-0 lead after 21 minutes. The Tigers then piled on 24 unanswered points in 26 minutes. At this point, they looked certain to be heading to the big game to wrestle the Wagga Wagga-based South City Bulls for the premiership spoils.

Fate, however, can be a fickle mistress, as the Tigers found out. The Thunder went on to finish the game off with 17 unanswered points to leave the Cameron Woo-coached Tigers wondering what might’ve been.

Woo wasn’t happy with how the game panned out, he was philosophical in his assessment of the season.

“Overall from our goals from the start of the year, we’re happy with what we’ve achieved,” the 24-year-old commented.

“But, in the scheme of things it was disappointing. We blew an eightpoint lead with 15 minutes to go. I thought we had the side to go all the way.”

Woo, a former Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Toyota Cup Under 20s player, has now been at the club for three years and has just finished his first year in the captain-coach role. Although dissatisfied with his team’s finish to the year, he was happy with the overall season for the club.

“Overall, it’s been a pretty successful year for the club,” he said.

“First grade came this far and reserve grade made it through to the grand final.”

The club, after making the grand final and falling one game short this year, appear to be still in a healthy place.

“There’s a very strong culture – a lot of mateship and a lot of great blokes,” concurred the Junee-based Woo. “But, it’s a very professional club as well. We’ve got some great people on the committee, and it’s just a great club to be a part of.”

The Group 9 competition has a reputation for being one of the strongest in country NSW, incorporating major rural centres like Cootamundra, Wagga Wagga and Albury. Woo believes that the competition is only improving.

“Since I’ve come into grade it seems to be improving each year,” he praised.

“This year, I’ve found that the standard right across the board has improved. Bringing a few ex-NRL guys into the competition like Michael Henderson, Ben Jeffery and Daniel Fitzhenry has definitely boosted the standard.”

The Gundagai Tigers, look set to improve next year also, as Woo testifies.

“I re-signed about a month ago,” he conceded.

“I’m happy to be back. We’re well on our way to preparing for next year. The majority of the side are staying and we’re looking at announcing a few quality recruits in the next two weeks. So, at the moment we’re looking in pretty good shape.”

Matthew French

24 Totally Rugby League October 2014

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 25

Jim Beam Premier Central Australi Football League

Cash Converters Premiership Pilbara Rugby League

Sportscentre Cup Division

Victorian Rug

Tasmania 26  Totally Rugby League October 2014

rship Cup (Darwin) ia Rugby (Alice Springs)

Intrust Super Cup Cairns & District Bycroft Cup (Gold Coast) Toowoomba Rugby League Mackay & District Townsville & District Gladstone & District Rockhampton & District Sunshine Coast & Gympie Rugby League Ipswich Rugby League Border Rugby League Bundaberg Rugby League Roma & District Burnett Rugby League Bowen District Northern Districts Central West Central Highlands Mt Isa RL & Mid West

gby League

an Rugby League

Canberra Raiders Cup George Tooke Shield

NSW Cup Ron Massey Cup Sydney Shield Sydney Combined Illawarra Coal League Tooheys Cup (Newcastle) Northern Rivers Regional Central Coast Division South Sydney Juniors Manly-Warringah Juniors Cronulla-Sutherland Juniors Penrith Juniors Parramatta Juniors Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 6 Group 7 Group 9 Group 10 Group 11 Group 16 Group 19 Group 20 Group 21 Hastings League Woodbridge Cup Barwon-Darling Cup Newcastle & Hunter Castlereagh League Outback Rugby League October 2014 Totally Rugby League 27

It’s been a common occurrence in recent years for the Casino RSM Cougars’ season to end in August. Mad Monday plans have often been made weeks in advance as 17 disappointed players realise they’ll be falling short of semi-finals footy once again. However, in 2014, things were different.

As the home-and-away rounds wrapped up this time around, there was a sense that for the first time in several players’ lifetimes, the Cougars could finally hit the jackpot. The fifth-placed Cougars were far from favourites for the Northern Rivers Regional first-grade premiership, of course, and their semi-finals campaign would be swiftly killed off by the Byron Bay Red Devils in the sides’ second meeting in less than a week. Once again, the Cougars would fall just short of September football – but it was an extra week that the club hadn’t been afforded in a painstakingly long time.

came in 1985 and 1990 – the latter under the guidance of former Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Balmain Tigers centre Ross Conlon.

In much of the 24 years since the last title, Scofield witnessed the club go through possibly the darkest time in its history. Its survival relied on what is likely the longest-running regional rugby league sponsorship in the country: a partnership with the local Casino RSM Club.

It ended an 11-year semi-finals absence for the Cougars, who haven’t won a first-grade premiership since 1991. Despite the drought, however, club stalwart Geoff Scofield believes it’s important that the current crop are aware of the history of one of the region’s proudest clubs – an area it is beginning to improve in.

“Unfortunately we haven’t been quite mindful of history and keeping all the history together,” Scofield said.

“Each year now we have one day where the old players get together, last year it was the 50th year so that was particularly big. It’s just about getting together and listening to a few stories of yesteryear.”

At some point between 1962 and 1963, the Cougars came to being as a merger of a number of other rugby league clubs that had previously existed in Casino. President Stan Carroll and secretary Don Waldron attracted a core group of players into town in the late 1960s – including captain-coach Terry O’Brien, whose family is still involved in the juniors – with the side winning consecutive premierships in 1967 and 1968 and a sole Clayton Cup in 1967. One of the dominant forces of the now-defunct Group 1 competition, success continued in the late 1970s and in 1979, the Casino juniors formed as a subsidiary. The seniors’ two most recent premierships

28 Totally Rugby League October 2014

“From probably about 2008 to 2012 we weren’t experiencing a terrible lot of success and it was a pretty tough period,” recalled Scofield, who has been associated with the Cougars since he first joined the Under 18’s side back in 1981.

“Of course if the club wasn’t there, the leagues club would probably be unlikely to survive.”

The gratitude was seconded by juniors club treasurer Darren Schipp.

“The RSM Club is the thing behind it all,” Schipp said.

“They’ve got about 6,000 members, so it’s a very financial club and it’s a nice backup to have. It’s not a bottomless pit, but it helps.”

In 2011, Schipp oversaw one of the most significant moves in recent memory. The junior and senior clubs existed formed a merger for the season – a relatively unorthodox strategy in regional rugby league. After a 12-month trial, the two clubs returned to their separate entities.

“Because of the workload involved and the fact that the clubs were headed in two different directions, it wasn’t working and they split back up again,” Schipp explained.

Scofield added that it has benefited both clubs in the long-run.

field; however, that everyone involved has been working particularly hard at.

“We’re the only club in the group that doesn’t have its own dressing rooms and facilities, so we’re trying to raise funds for that,” Schipp said.

“After a year they decided to move back into two separate committees but they’ve become much closer aligned as a result, they’re working much better together,” he said.

A rejuvenated period has since seen steady improvement on the field, which everybody on board believes bodes well for the future. After the first-grade side played its first semi-finals match since 2003, the reserve grade outfit reached the senior club’s first grand final in any division since 1999 – eventually downing Murwillumbah Mustangs 21-20 in an extra-time thriller to send the town into party mode.

“Matt King was a part of a major fundraiser we had earlier this year – he actually flew his former Melbourne Storm teammate Cooper Cronk up who spent the day signing autographs and meeting kids, along with Dallas Johnson from the North Queensland Cowboys.

We raised over $20,000 on that one night and probably picked up an extra 15 junior players; we’re probably looking at an $80-$90,000 project, so we’re not there yet, but it’s helped.”

In further good news, gifted youngster Cody Walker, who had been playing under the Melbourne Storm system, penned a two-year deal with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in June, and will soon join the likes of Matt King (Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs), Ben Kennedy (Canberra Raiders, Newcastle Knights and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles), Albert Torrens (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and St George-Illawarra Dragons) and the first grade side’s current captain and five-eighth Roy Bell (South Sydney Rabbitohs) as Cougars who have played at rugby league’s top level in recent years. It is off the

After the recent launch of the Cougars’ Old Boys club, it appears that the organisation is getting more in touch with their history as well, while the re-signing of experienced coach Troy McLean will allow him to see out his three-year rebuilding plan. With so much off-field progress made in recent seasons, the pieces are well and truly in place for some long-awaited seventh first grade success in 2015.

Simon Masterton

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 29

South Burnett

Three-Peat Hornets The term ‘winning culture’ gets thrown around a lot in rugby league but in the case of the Cherbourg Hornets, it’s probably warranted.

After progressing through the season undefeated, the Hornets thumped the Murgon Mustangs 59-26 in the first-grade grand-final decider to secure their third consecutive South Burnett premiership.

With the success of the 2012 and 2013 seasons under their belt, the Hornets knew how to avoid complacency for the 2014 showdown.

“We’ve got an experienced side, thing is most of the players have won grand finals before so they’ll always know what to do,” coach Bernard Hopkins had said.

“When you’ve got a winning culture you can’t make too many changes; as long as we have a good attitude and do the hard yakka we’ll go well.”

Despite the Hornets’ extraordinary winning streak, it was the Mustangs who took out the club championship with 100 points.

The Mustangs fielded teams in the under 14s, under 16s, under 18s and first grade grand finals, winning both the under 14s and under 18s. With the Hornets farewelling a number of retirees at the end of the year, the Mustangs will hope that their abundance of junior talent will see them close the gap next season.

Roma

Bulldogs Keep their Nerve

After a dominant regular season and a finals hiccup, whispers of the dreaded c word could be heard from Chinchilla Bulldogs supporters as their team headed for a Roma & Districts A Grade grand final – there would be no choking from the Bulldogs; however, who ran in convincing 44-18 winners over the St George Saints to lift their first trophy since 2011.

Scoring an average of 50 points a game throughout Roma’s home-and-away rounds, including a 90-4 demolition of the Mitchell Magpies, the Bulldogs finished four points clear of the rest of the field to earn its 2014 favouritism. An unexpected major semifinal loss to the second-placed Saints was followed by a narrow 22-18 escape over Roma Cities, and it had many doubting they could come through with the result. Unlike most, departing coach and Bulldogs junior Michael Ashurst believed the results were a blessing in disguise.

“I just found that our effort was pretty good in the major semi but I think we were a bit flat,” Ashurst explained.

“Then I was quietly confident the Thursday night before the Grand

30 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Final, I thought we’ll put 40 on these fellas, if we play with the attitude that we trained with, and I was right.”

Also securing a 32-24 extra time win in reserve grade and with the revelation of Luke Dolbel – who crossed for 42 tries in his first A Grade season – the club will have more to look forward to under a new coach in 2015.

Central West

Ill-fated Ilfracombe The Ilfracombe Scorpions have fallen agonisingly short of putting an end to the Winton Devils’ premiership streak, who secured their fifth-straight title with a come-from-behind 18-16 victory.

Ilfracombe looked to take the box seat when they crossed for a 16-8 lead with just over 20 minutes remaining, but eventually the Devils’ big game experience shone though. A Winton try in the 66th minute set up a grandstand finish to the Central West competition, before a 70-metre intercept in the dying minutes had the Scorpions’ defence stretched and ultimately spelled a heartbreaking end for the visitors.

Coach Adrian Scott couldn’t help but admire the Devils’ winning attitude.

“They just love winning and hate losing,” Scott said.

“They know what it takes to win and they’re never out of the game.

We were down their end, doing all the right things and we just let one slip.”

The loss means the Scorpions are still yet to claim a Central West A Grade premiership – having entered the competition at some point in the 1990s, it’s quite a drought – but the team is hungrier than ever to be victorious in 2015. With a focus on maintaining fitness throughout the off season, the Scorpions hope to finally achieve their maiden title.

Central Highlands

Fitting Farewells

It was a fitting farewell to a number of Clermont Bears clubmen in August, as the defending premiers ran in eight tries to the Bluff Rabbitohs’ seven in a 48-38 try fest.

Props Wade Stanton and Brendon Finger, hooker Clayton Humphreys and second rower Dean Williams will depart proudly as Central Highlands premiers – a feat that the Bears have now achieved two years consecutively. While Finger, Humphreys and Williams will hang up the boots completely, dual captain-coach Stanton will move into the South-Central Burnett competition.

“I’ve been with the Bears eight years,” Stanton commented.

“But I’m heading back to Goomeri so I’ll play for the Wondai Wolves.”

Understandably, the players’ decision is expected to leave a void in the side’s forward pack for season 2015 – which may be hard to fill after failing to field an under 18s side this season.

“It’ll leave a big hole, but we’ve got some young players coming through,” said Stanton.

The grand final signalled another near-miss from the Rabbitohs, who next year will celebrate the 25th anniversary since the club’s last premiership in 1990. In the day’s other final, the Emerald Tigers edged out the Bears’ ladies side in a tight 10-6 ladies league tag contest.

“They’ll be looking to blood a few of them into the side.”

Simon Masterton

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 31

SYDNEY COMBINED COMPETITION

PENSHURST PRODUCE AGAIN After topping the ladder at the conclusion of the regular season, the Penshurst RSL A Grade side went on to take out the Sydney Combined Competition grand final for the third year in a row.

Penshurst RSL coach Ken Harris was very impressed with the result and particularly with the defensive effort from his side.

With a lacklustre record this year against the St George Dragons, the Penshurst RSL side put on an impressive performance, winning 30-6 – only conceding a lone try late in the game.

“We have a small pack of forwards compared to theirs, but everyone put in a big effort.”

The two sides had recently met in the semi-finals, where the Dragons managed to narrowly defeat Penshurst RSL 16-12. However, Penshurst’s halftime lead of 14-0 in the grand-final decider looked ominous, and was indicative of the dominance displayed by the side.

“It was a very good game from our perspective,” he commented.

“Our boys came out enthusiastic and it was an up tempo grand final match.

“We managed to move a lot better than in our previous encounters with the Dragons and shifted the ball well to create gaps.

Harris was most impressed with the rigorous muscle his men showed to keep the Dragons scoreless until late in the game.

While Penshurst RSL has proven several times this season that they are capable of racking up the big margins, to do so in a grand final makes the victory even sweeter. The side got out to a 24-0 lead before letting in the lone Dragons try, but managed to finish off the game on a positive note, crossing to maintain a 24-point margin.

Natalie Shoebridge

PENRITH DISTRICT

Brothers Edge Out Rivals

In what has developed into a true modern rivalry, the Brothers Rugby League Club took on the St Marys club in the sides’ fourth successive grand final last month.

For the third time in that period, Brothers came away with the Penrith District A Grade premiership after winning 36-12.

While the score does not truly reflect the closeness of the game – the half-time score was 12-all and Brothers only led 1812 with 10 minutes remaining – Brothers coach Grant Bulpett was pleased with his side’s effort to stick to the game plan.

“I think it was always going to be like that,” Bulpett explained.

“We had faith that if we could just stick with them, that the game would open up at some point. Our boys had worked pretty hard leading up to the finals series on our fitness so we were confident that we’d be able to finish stronger.”

The warm September afternoon at Penrith’s Sportingbet Stadium appeared to play into Brothers’ hands, who also eventually capitalised on two St Marys injuries.

Questioned about the club’s recent dominance, Bulpett was quick to identify the reason behind their success.

“Our culture,” he frankly replied.

32 Totally Rugby League October 2014

“We’re not the richest club in the district, we don’t have all the nice gear, we don’t have all the nice stadiums but we’re mates.

“We spend a lot of time on ensuring that the blokes just aren’t there for a pay cheque and that everybody embraces what we’re trying to build there. So far it appears to be working.”

With an obviously talented A Grade side and Under 19s – the club won with a 30-6 victory over the St Clair Comets – time will tell how many of the Brothers will be poached by rival Penrith clubs or move to higher levels of the game next season. However, the winning culture is something they will work hard to maintain.

Simon Masterton

Group 2

Ghosts Prevail in Thriller

The Grafton Ghosts have completed a successful transition from the Northern Rivers Regional competition by securing an extra time Group 2 first grade grand final victory over defending premiers the Coffs Harbour Comets – thanks in no small part to the boot of centre Matt Muller.

“I know Matty (Muller) has got a pretty good boot – he can sort of slot them from anywhere,” Ghosts captain-coach Ryan Farrell said.

“The only thing is he missed one from right in front earlier in the game, so I was more worried about his confidence – but he said he could kick it, and I just let him go with it.”

Photo: Robin Smith

Holding a 16-6 lead for most of the contest, the Ghosts conceded two late tries – and fortunately, only one conversion – to reach the full-time siren with scores level. In the pressure of extra time, the minor premiers were awarded a penalty 45 metres out from the posts. Muller asked for the ball and kicked his side to victory.

The two sides were early favourites to compete in the decider; the Ghosts have been dominant since winning back-to-back Clayton Cups in 2010 and 2011 while the Comets were coming off a droughtbreaking 2013 Group 2 premiership. With both sides finishing the regular season with just one loss each – both to each other – Farrell knew his side couldn’t afford to let the Comets into the game.

“We probably shot ourselves in the foot a little bit, we had a couple of opportunities to put them away and we just didn’t do it,” the fiveeighth explained.

“We didn’t panic or anything like that, it just wasn’t quite there for that 40 minutes and it was a close one in the end.”

The win signals the end of a long playing career for the Grafton junior, who is also uncertain about his coaching future for next season, mainly due to work commitments.

Simon Masterton

Group 3

Mustangs Overcome Confusion

It’s been a rocky two years for the Macleay Valley Mustangs and the drama almost continued in the Group 3 grand final decider last month; luckily, some on-field confusion didn’t cost them a premiership as they downed the Wauchope Blues in a 25-24 epic match at Lank Bain Oval.

The Mustangs had endured a tougher road than most to the grand final. Having taken the Group 2 premiership as underdogs in 2012, the entire club was expelled from the 2013 competition following a controversial match with the Coffs Harbour Comets.

The club elected to move south to the Group 3 competition this year, and after a one-year hiatus reinstalled Willy Lockwood as their

player-coach. Unfortunately, Lockwood was later found to have outdated coaching accreditation, resulting in a docking of points from the Mustangs’ round 10 win over the Forster-Tuncurry Hawks and it ultimately cost them the minor premiership.

As if the club hadn’t been dealt enough controversy, the Mustangs were reportedly told incorrect rules at the most important time of their season. After few close encounters throughout the year and zero extra time appearances, the new faces in Group 3 were unsure about the rules when scores were locked at 24-all after 80 minutes. Lockwood, who typically plays off the bench, explained the confusion on the field.

“They said it was only golden point for the first five minutes; the second five minutes was play on until whoever wins,” Lockwood said.

“Then the trainer run out and said it was golden point, that’s when Anthony Cowan jumped in and took the field goal and it just went over.”

Thankfully, the misunderstanding was overcome and the marginally better team on the day came out on top. In a season put down to discipline and an ignorance of off-field distractions, the Mustangs completed a successful move south and will likely remain in the Group 3 competition.

Simon Masterton October 2014 Totally Rugby League 33

Group 4

Norths Snare Clayton Cup

The North Tamworth Bears are, statistically speaking at least, the best team in all of NSW CRL, and they have the trophy to prove it.

After completing the perfect season, in undefeated fashion, with a 56-18 thrashing of the Gunnedah Bulldogs in the Group 4 first-grade grand final, the Bears have been awarded the prestigious Clayton Cup. Awarded annually to the best performed team in the NSW CRL, it was clear that this year’s award belonged with coach Brad McManus’s all conquering Norths team. After sweeping through the regular season of the Group 4 competition with a record of 14 wins from 14 starts (plus one forfeit) at an average for and against of 68.6 and 16.3 respectively, the Bears entered the semi-finals as hot favourites.

Come September, they accounted for the Bulldogs 42-16 to qualify for the grand final before dominating again in the return bout.

McManus was understated in his thoughts on capturing the Clayton Cup, but praised his playing squad.

“It’s a little feather to have in your cap,” he said.

“The boys deserved it. They’re just a great bunch and it’s a pleasure to work with them.”

McManus believed the physical condition of his team played a big part in their success and acknowledged one man for his input in that area.

“Our fitness paid off in the end,” he commented.

“A bloke by the name of Dave Parsons did all of the conditioning for us. Once we got that in order everything just panned out from there.”

The mobile, industrious forward pack paved the way for the Bears.

“They’ve done it all year,” McManus praised.

“They did it again when it counted, the grand final. If you’re not going forward your backs can’t do their job.”

McManus said it was too early for him to know what he was doing next year, but hoped at least his side would play on.

“We built on last year, when we made the grand final and then got beaten,” he enthused.

“To go through undefeated this year, it would be good to see them stick together.”

Matthew French

Group Lucky 13 for Roosters

The 13th year was a charm for the Bega Roosters, who ended a Group 16 premiership drought extending back to 2001 by defeating the Narooma Devils 28-8 at Bega Sports Ground for the first-grade spoils.

The Roosters were the beneficiaries of two intercept tries early in the first half, before captain-coach Ryan Apps broke the defence to send his side into the half-time break 18-nil up. Despite two of the Devils’ four-pointers in the second stanza, they were truly outclassed as the home side broke its premiership drought.

Apps doesn’t underestimate what the victory means for the local club, which has in recent years been forced to contend with a negative reputation. The inclusion of the ladies league tag team – which went down 16-10 to the Cooma Fillies in the decider – has contributed in eradicating the perception that the Roosters are a club built on thuggery.

“It’ll probably make it a little stronger,” Apps commented.

“At the moment in our club there’s a good feeling going around,” the second-rower said.

“It’s only an extra 20 minute drive – for an extra two rounds of footy, I reckon it’s worth it.”

“Especially with the ladies league tag involved and the amount of youth coming through the juniors, it’s really stepping in the right direction.”

The Tigers have struggled financially in recent times and only managed to field an under 18s side this season. Without the hefty match payments expected of some players in Group 7, the 117-yearold club is more likely to survive, which comes as good news to all rugby league clubs in the region.

With the Batemans Bay Tigers set to be transferred from Group 7 into the Group 16 competition next year, Apps believes the quality of the competition as a whole is likely to improve.

34 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Simon Masterton

Group

Back-to-Back Boomerangs

Moree Boomerangs have won back-to-back Group 19 premierships for the first time in the club’s history. By accounting for the Inverell Hawks by a whopping 56 points to 18 in the grand final of the firstgrade competition, the team have achieved what had previously been unaccomplished by any Moree side in history.

The win caps a comprehensive season for coach Chris Binge’s men.

After suffering only the one defeat, a two-point thriller, at the hands of Armidale Rams back in May, the Boomerangs have swept aside all comers to put to bed any thought that they may not be the dominant force of the competition.

By finishing eight points clear at the top of the ladder, the Boomerangs went in to the semi-final series, as unbackable favourites to win the title. In the grand final qualifying match, they demolished the second-placed Glen Innes Magpies by 72 points to 28 to earn a week off, before rolling the Hawks in the grand-final decider.

Although the final score may suggest otherwise, it was not all oneway traffic. The Boomerangs had to fight back from an 8-6 deficit part way through the first half. Prolific try scoring winger Jason Saunders got on the board with a long range effort that turned the game before Willy Fernando crossed to get the Panthers lead out to 16-8 at the half-time break.

The second half was all one way traffic as the Boomerangs ran away with it in emphatic style.

In the earlier games, the Boomerangs also tasted reserve grade success after they defeated the Glen Innis Magpies 34-10, while the Uralla Tigers picked up both the under 18s and ladies league tag grand final successes. In the under 18s, they downed the Goondiwindi Boars 24-12 and in the ladies league tag decider, they scored a comfortable 12-6 win over the Ashford Roosters.

Matthew French

Group Massive Grand Final Upset In perhaps the greatest grand final upset of 2014, Clayton Cup hopefuls the West Wyalong Mallee Men fell at the final hurdle – going down to the Griffith Waratah Tigers 22-18 in the Group 20 first-grade decider to end their 2014 undefeated streak.

Poised to become just the third team to win every game of a Group 20 season, the Mallee Men had been locked in a fierce battle with the North Tamworth Bears for NSW CRL’s most prestigious prize.

Given the Bears’ far superior for-and-against record, the Mallee Men had been an outside chance of the award – but it mattered little in the end. As reported elsewhere in this issue of Totally Rugby League on page 34, the Bears won their second premiership with a 56-18 mauling of the Gunnedah Bulldogs.

After trailing 12-10 at halftime, the Mallee Men found themselves locked at 18-all with 14 minutes remaining. A 73rd minute try from Tigers’ Sosaia Finefuiaki was what ultimately sealed the premiership for the Tigers. It was a game described by some observers, as the upset of the century.

Unfortunately, the day at Griffith’s E.W. Moore Oval was somewhat marred by a pair of horrific injuries witnessed in the under 18s decider, which saw the Tigers beat the Leeton Greens 34-24. After Greens fullback Tristan Johnson suffered a badly broken arm, the side’s captain Tereapii Nikoro succumbed to a devastating spinal injury shortly after half time. Despite walking off the field, early reports suggest a crack to Nikoro’s C2 vertebrae and the promising young talent has already been advised against playing contact sport ever again. Through comparable injuries to Alex McKinnon and Foster-Tuncurry Hawks junior Curtis Landers, the rugby league community has shown significant levels of support for players in need. An injured player fund has been established to help relieve

Nikoro’s medical costs, while the Leeton Greens will plan fundraising events throughout the months of his recovery. For further information about how to support Nikoro and his family, contact Sharon Elwin on 0427 532 966.

Simon Masterton

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 35

Group21 Colts Gallop to Glory

The Greta-Branxton Colts reversed the result of last year’s decider by triumphing over defending premiers the Denman Devils in a thrilling 18-16 Group 21 first grade grand final win last month.

“You certainly don’t look for revenge, but to get one back after what they did to us last year is satisfying,” he said.

“Full credit to them (the team), two years in a row they’ve been there and they’re worthy adversaries.”

Griffiths is particularly pleased with how his team’s hard work has paid dividends.

“We knew what we had to do; we put some things in place and challenged the players, and they bought into what we were doing,” he explained.

“This year, we struggled to score points and on top of that we were

Photo: Paul Arandale

Colts coach Ron Griffiths was ecstatic with result, but stressed that it was never about avenging last season.

conceding a lot, so we just worked on our defence and got that in order.”

The official grand final man of the match was awarded to Joby Patten, while coach Griffiths gave praise to second-rower Brady Hammond and fullback Andrew Roberts.

Griffiths confirmed that the celebrations went well into the night when Totally Rugby League spoke to him on ‘Mad Monday’.

“Not so much for me,” he laughed “But, I know the players did. They’re enjoying themselves. It’s been a tough year, particularly over the last fortnight. We went straight through (to the grand final) and I’ve asked a lot of them. They’ve done it, so they’ve earned it.”

The 2015 season will be a big one for the club and Griffiths is happy he’ll be at the helm again.

Photo: Paul Arandale

“Yeah, I’m back there,’ he enthused.

“I’m happy to hang around, particularly being the club’s 10th year, and hopefully we can back up the success we’ve had this year.”

Matthew French

Newcastle & Hunter

Hard Charging Cobras In a thrilling match the men in red and black triumphed when Kye Howarth burst through a hole to score the match winner with less than two minutes to play.

The premiership is all the more incredible given the fact that the Cobras had won only two from nine at the halfway point of the season. At the completion of the regular season, their record had improved to nine from 18 with an ordinary looking for and against of just minus six. This was good enough to scrape into fifth spot and earn a semi-final berth.

It’s at that point their amazing run really took off. Three big wins on the trot – 54-24 over Shortland Devils, 32-16 over Dudley Magpies and 54-28 over minor premiers Belmont Souths Rabbitohs – saw the Cobras safely to the grand-final decider, and as they say, the rest is history.

36 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Photo: Paul Arandale

The Cardiff Cobras have capped an extraordinary late season charge with a miraculous grand final win in the Newcastle & Hunter Rugby League A Grade competition. The Cobras managed to overcome the Windale Eagles 24-20.

For the Cobras, their 24 points were as a result of two tries to Howarth, and single tries to Mick Edmunds, Luke Stahlut and James Ahoy. Daniel Janissen kicked a total of two goals, while for the Eagles, their 20 points came on the back off Jake Backhus’s brace of tries, and Shannon Eyles and Carl Jones picked up tries. Damien Goodchild managed to kick two goals.

Matthew French

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 37

Castlereagh Cup

Sensational Swans The Dunedoo Swans have carried their outstanding regular season form with them into the Castlereagh Cup grand final by accounting for the Coonamble Bears 32 points to 12.

The Bears, the only team to have inflicted a defeat upon the Swans, suffered a number of serious injuries throughout the match, and were unable to keep pace with their more fancied rivals.

In a brutal game of rugby league the tone for the match may have been set in the first tackle when Bears front rower Aaron West was forced from the field with a head injury.

Up until round 13 of the regular season, the Swans appeared to be on track for a Clayton Cup, awarded to the best performed team in Country New South Wales, before the Bears knocked them over by 20 points to 12.

The pain of that defeat may well have inspired captain-coach Tom Yeo’s men to greater things as the Swans swept aside all comers on their way to claiming an emphatic premiership. Yeo himself led the squad by example in claiming his second consecutive Castlereagh League ‘Player of the Year’ award.

The standout player of the match was Swans centre Troy Rose, who was awarded the ‘Man of the Match’ honours after his three-try effort.

For the Swans, it was their first Castlereagh League premiership in 47 years.

Matthew French

Woodbridge Cup

Blue Heelers Too Good The Cargo Blue Heelers have claimed the Woodbridge Cup, after a dominant performance against the Eugowra Golden Eagles.

The grand final, held at Grenfell’s Lawson Park last month, had a blistering first half, with both sides scoring early in the game.

After a try to the Blue Heelers in the first five minutes, Eagles Kyle Hutchings scored twice to take the score to 10–4 in favour for them.

The Blue Heelers regrouped and went into the break with the lead, and emerged from the other side to produce a rigorous defensive spell.

The Eagles was denied twice in the second half, and the final score was a consolidated 24-14 victory to the Blue Heelers.

“Our forwards really did their job and rolled the opposition. It was definitely our defence that won the game.”

Dan Madden, coach of the Blue Heelers side, said that his team had laid the platform early on in the decider, and that led to their premiership success.

In other results on the day, the Condobolin Rams’ Senior Women’s League Tag team won against the Eugowra Golden Eagles side in an extremely close match after several bouts of extra time.

“We got over the top early,” explained Madden.

Natalie Shoebridge

38 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Northern Rivers Regional

Local Seagulls Complete Treble As a club that prides itself on its local juniors, on-field success tastes even sweeter for the Ballina Seagulls. In September, the Seagulls completed a treble of titles in the Northern Rivers A Grade competition, wrapping up its maiden Denis Meaney Shield, the minor premiership and securing a second consecutive major title with a victory over the Byron Bay Red Devils.

After conceding the first try early on, the Seagulls applied the pressure to lead 17-6 at half time. In a rare occurrence for a rugby league decider, both sides were kept to nil in the second stanza, and that’s how the score remained.

Seagulls coach Greg Barnes was surprised by the second half and had expected more points.

“We thought points would just naturally come with the game plan that we had,” Barnes explained.

“It just goes to show you don’t need many points to have a good grand final – a scoreless second half is extremely rare but it was a really good game.”

Brimming with locally-raised talent, there is an unprecedented level of pride at the Seagulls.

“17 local juniors have come together again which we’re extremely proud of as a club,” he said.

“We won the club’s first minor premiership for 21 years and went back-to-back for the major premiership.”

The Seagulls also took out the Denis Meaney Shield, named in honour of the Western Suburbs Magpies and Manly Sea Eagles front rower who was involved at both Seagulls and the Marist Brothers Rams. Awarded to the winner of both home and away games each season, it was the Seagulls’ first shield since its 2010 introduction.

The winning culture at Seagulls is something to cherish, and time will tell how long it lasts. With new Gold Coast Titans NRL coach Neil Henry in the stands at the decider, some of the Seagulls’ young talent may already be on the club’s radar.

Simon Masterton

HASTINGS LEAGUE

Blues Cruise to Premiership After finishing the regular season as minor premiers, the Kendall Blues have cruised through to a premiership in the Hastings District rugby league competition. The Blues were too strong for the Comboyne Tigers in the grand final by winning 34-20.

Captain-coach Chris Hanlon’s men performed just about perfectly in September when it mattered most. After identifying both of South-West Rocks Marlins and the Tigers as the teams to beat prior to the finals series, the Blues accounted for the Marlins 22-8, before backing up for their second successive 14 point win in the decider two weeks later. It’s a measure of how dominant the Blues were in the post-season.

After trailing 16-4 early on, the Tigers fought hard to get within two points of the Blues on two separate occasions. The game was put beyond doubt in the 72nd minute when Blues halfback Alex Pearce scored a sneaky intercept try.

Pearce was impressive in adding five goals to his try, while the official man of the match award went to Blues five-eighth Jahbe Latham who orchestrated the victory aplomb.

This year’s Hastings League Player of the Year was awarded to Keith Hollis from the Long Flat Dragons.

Matthew French October 2014 Totally Rugby League 39

Parramatta District

Tigers Dominate

The All Saints Toongabbie Tigers have secured the Parramatta District Rugby League A Grade Division 1 premiership with a convincing 3012 win over the Hills District Bulls.

The Tigers were able to reverse the result from only two weeks previous when it was the Bulls that triumphed in a tight tussle in the major semi-final. They then swept the Merrylands Rams aside in the grand-final qualifier to earn a return bout with the Bulls. In the four-team competition it was the Bulls who finished as minor premiers with 10 wins from 14 matches to finish three points clear of the eventual champions. The Wentworthville Magpies finished in third place on 15 points and the Rams trailing on 7 points. The Rams

found another gear in week one of the semi-finals by accounting for the more fancied Magpies.

In the other games, the Lalor Park Kookaburras scored a big 34-6 victory over the Cabra-Vale Diggers Cobras in the A Grade Division 2 grand final, while in the C Grade (Under 19s) Division 1 decider, the Hills District Bulls emerged as premiers after a tight 14-12 win over Mounties. The Merrylands Rams claimed the C Grade Division 2 grand final win after they defeated Blacktown PCYC 20-16.

Matthew French

George Tooke Shield

Barnstorming Brahmans The 10th of September in 2011 – that’s the date of the Binalong Brahmans’ last loss in the George Tooke Shield competition.

Given, the club didn’t compete for the George Tooke Shield in 2012, after player availability issues forced the side to withdraw, even with a 12-month hiatus; however, the Brahmans have now completed two seasons undefeated to wrap up consecutive minor and major premierships. On both occasions, the grand final victory has come at the expense of noted rivals the Harden Hawks, who have been dealt 32-6 and 34-4 defeats in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

The side’s captain-coach Chris Rawlinson was sidelined for the match with a serious hand injury, but was proud of his side’s effort without him.

“It was a pretty tough game in the first half, so to come out in the second half and actually go away with it was impressive,” Rawlinson said.

“It was pretty hard to watch, but the boys did the job.”

The seasoned playmaker puts his side’s two-year dominance down to the mateship within the team.

40 Totally Rugby League October 2014

“Everyone gets along with everyone,” he proudly explained.

“We brought the right people to the club who weren’t big heads, and we’re just all mates.”

Continuing the Australia-wide trend towards women’s rugby league, the inaugural George Tooke Women’s Touch Football competition also concluded with a Brahmans victory over Hawkettes. The Brahmans defeated the Hawkettes 7-2 in the grand-final decider.

Simon Masterton

Cronulla District

Dragons Burn Sharks The Engadine Dragons recently clinched the Cronulla-Sutherland District first grade premiership in the most extraordinary fashion.

In the grand final, the Dragons annihilated the Cronulla-Caringbah Sharks 62-0 at Cronulla’s Remondis Stadium.

After finishing the regular season as minor premiers, the Dragons carried their good form into the semi-final series. After accounting for second-placed De La Salle Caringbah in the qualifying semi-final, the Dragons earned the week off before the grand-final decider.

Dragons coach Wes Phillips was full of praise for his outstanding side.

“We hadn’t really got it together all year, but everything just clicked yesterday,” he expressed.

“They’re a sensational team, a lot of really, really good footballers – they were just too good.

went into half time 30-0 up. I thought they might ease up a bit, but they didn’t. They just kept on going.”

“They probably had six early sets on our line and then we got the ball back and broke through and scored. After that they kicked off and we went in again. It was 18-0 after about 20 minutes and we

The official man of the match was Dragons halfback Harrison Day, while Travis Young touched down for three of his side’s 11 tries.

Matthew French

South Sydney District

Hat Trick for Broncos At the culmination of an extremely tight regular season, the Moore Park Broncos have finished the semi-finals victorious with a tight 16-12 win over the Mascot Waratahs in the South Sydney District A Grade grand final and in the process made it a hat trick of premiership successes.

It was a fitting end to a season which saw only three points separating the top-five teams on the competition ladder. After 16 rounds of competition the Waratahs claimed the minor premiership on 22 points. In second and third sat the Broncos and South Eastern Seagulls, both on 21 points, while Maroubra Lions and Redfern All Blacks were two points back on 19. La Perouse United were only just off the pace on 17 and then the Coogee Dolphins languished at the bottom of the premiership ladder on nine points.

After accounting for the Waratahs two weeks earlier, the Broncos earned the week off before the grand final. The Waratahs earned another crack at the Broncos by disposing of the Seagulls in the final, but it was to no avail as the Broncos proved too strong in the grand final. For the Waratahs, it was their second runner-up finish in

Manly District

as many years, after they were defeated by the Broncos 24-10 in last year’s A Grade grand final.

In the A Reserve competition, the Coogee-Randwick Wombats defeated the Redfern All Blacks 16-8 to win the premiership. The Wombats, who boast current and former NRL players such as John Sutton, Reni Maitua, Blake Ayshford, Ryan Cross and Craig Wing as their juniors, lay claim to the most A Grade and A Reserve Premierships in the South Sydney District competition.

Matthew French

Sharks Upset the Form Guide Despite the muddy terrain of a very match-worn Brookvale Oval, the Narrabeen Sharks were triumphant in the A1 Grade Manly District grand final with an upset win over the minor premiers Valley United Spartans.

The two teams had met only a fortnight earlier in the semi-finals, where the Spartans came away 14-10 winners. However, the Sharks got the result when it mattered, with a convincing 16-4 victory in the grand final.

forwards around and have a very solid kicking game, which were the keys to our success.”

“It was a close game, particularly with the conditions,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the A2 Reserve Grade competition, the Forestville Ferrets won 22-12 against the Avalon Bulldogs. This game was the opener for the A1 Grade grand final. Despite placing seventh at the close of the regular season, the Ferrets managed to charge their all the way through to the grand final and take out what was a sensational win.

“The mud slowed play down, but we managed to move their

Natalie Shoebridge

Sharks coach Eamonn Donnelly said that it was a tight game, especially since the field was so ragged with the muddy conditions after a busy weekend of football at Brookvale Oval.

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 41

Toowoomba RL

WINNING WARRIORS After dominating the regular season by winning 17 of 18 regular season games and finishing 10 points clear at the top of the table, the Wattles Warriors have finished the season in style with a dominant grand final performance. Wattles were too strong for the Gatton Hawks as they ran away with a 36-12 win to secure the Toowoomba Rugby League Hutchies-Chronicle Cup. The first 40 minutes of the match were a relatively close affair with the Warriors taking a slim 10-6 lead into the break. The second stanza was coloured all green and gold, as the Warriors piled on 22 unanswered points to take the game out of reach of the defending premiers, the Hawks.

Wattles club president and lock forward, Aaron Scheid illustrated how his side weathered the early storm, before running away with it.

“It was definitely tough in the middle, but later in the game we just won it out wide with our backs,” he explained.

“Yeah, it was a tough game, but we just ran away with it at the end.”

Wattles centre Joel Koina was dominant, earning man of the match honours, by scoring three tries – including a 70-metre effort.

Scheid praised not only his star centre’s attacking prowess, but his toughness also.

“He always has a problem with his shoulder,” he said.

“I think he went off in the first 10 minutes with his shoulder popped out, but he ended up scoring three tries so he was definitely our key.”

Halfback Matt Duggan, the brother of coach Luke, was awarded

the Toowoomba Rugby League Player of the Year award for the second year running. It turns out that the Duggan’s are not the only set of brothers in the Warriors side. The Wattles, in fact, rival the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of the 1980s in terms of family connections, as Scheid points out.

“We have three families involved in the first grade side,” he noted.

“Matt and Ryan Duggan, then there was three Koina’s involved (Joel, Mitch and Brod), and there was two Manley boys: Pat and Xavier were the two front rowers and Dan Manley was the 18th man. So, yeah, three families that make up a great part of the team.”

Matthew French

TOWNSVILLE & DISTRICT

Oh, Brothers!

Continuing an era of dominance in the Townsville & District A Grade competition, Brothers last month appeared in a remarkable 11th straight grand final. In a repeat of their last success in 2011, the Brothers downed the Burdekin Roosters 22-8.

Despite holding the lead for 80 minutes it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Brothers, whose missed opportunities in the second half could have come back to bite them. Thankfully, coach Dave Elliott explained, the Roosters were also unable to convert for much of the game.

“I think we went in with a 14-4 lead at half time,” Elliott recalled.

“Then they came out in the second half and put another try on so it was 14-8. We probably squandered a few opportunities, I’m sure Burdekin would be thinking the same but for a long part of the game there was only six points.”

The feat of 11 successive deciders isn’t lost on the coach, but he also knows that maintaining such dominance is about to get even harder. With Townsville welcoming new Intrust Super Cup franchise the Townsville Blackhawks to town in 2015, successful sides are likely to lose quality players in much the same fashion as the Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton-based clubs.

“It’s credit to the club to be able to achieve that,” Elliott said.

“I know my captain Roy Baira has played in 10 of them, and won seven of them.

42 Totally Rugby League October 2014

“I’m sure there will be a couple of boys that will at least be training with the Blackhawks. I’d say there will be about four or five blokes that will finish up.”

Another finishing up is Baira, who is a recognised club stalwart at Brothers. With an obvious void to fill the club will look to its reserve grade and under 18’s teams – both runners up finishes this season – for new talent.

Simon Masterton

MACKAY & DISTRICTS

Souths Hold On for Hat Trick Souths Sharks have come out on top at the conclusion of a tight and absorbing Auscoal Super A Grade season in the Mackay & Districts Rugby League competition. The David Simpson-coached Sharks got off to a flyer, leading 24-0 at one stage, before holding Wests Tigers out for a 36-30 win to win their third premiership in a row.

Sharks Football Operations manager Troy Rovelli­­­­ said that it was a spate of mistakes allowed the Tigers back into the game.

“It didn’t end up a big win, but we won, that’s the end result,” he said.

“There was a heap of unforced errors on our part.”

Rovelli, who nominated lock Adam Wright as player of the day, was happy with the mixture of local and imported talent at the Sharks.

“We had seven of our local juniors take the field, including (former North Queensland Cowboys and New Zealand Warriors NRL player) Grant Rovelli,” he added.

to fight hammer and tong all the way, which has been a godsend really,” he commented.

The depth across the Mackay & District looks to have picked up this year, as Rovelli testified.

“The top half of the comp was certainly really strong, for example Western Suburbs never beat us all year, but we never beat Moranbah (Miners) all year and they came fifth.”

“This is our third premiership in a row, but in saying that we’ve had

Matthew French

ROCKHAMPTON & DISTRICTS

Standout Seagull Flies Home He broke club records, improved as a player and almost singlehandedly delivered his side its second Rockhampton & Districts A Grade grand final win in four seasons – but home is where the heart is for Yeppoon Seagulls five-eighth Blake Wallace.

With an extraordinary 30-point haul – including seven from seven conversions and no less than four tries – Wallace was instrumental in the Seagulls 46-6 victory over the Norths Chargers. Remarkably, it’s not even a personal best for the 22-year-old, who in March racked up a club-record 42 points in the 102-6 drubbing of the Fitzroy-Gracemere Sharks. Despite the success, the Illawarra-raised playmaker has been unable to nail down a Central Queensland Capras spot after three seasons in the sunshine state, prompting a return south to link up with the Illawarra Cutters NSW Cup side next year.

“I’ve just got to go down, train well and trial well and see how we go from there,” Wallace said.

“That’s where family and all my mates are, so it just seems like a good time to get back down and chase this opportunity.”

Much of the Seagulls’ success can be put down to Jason Green, who took on the head coaching role in 2014 and has worked closely with Wallace. Wallace, who is a Dapto Canaries junior, hopes to be a mainstay for the Cutters, who progressed as far as the preliminary semi-final in this year’s NSW Cup. Simon Masterton October 2014 Totally Rugby League 43

Gladstone & District

Successful Year for Past Brothers It was never meant to be a rebuilding year for Gladstone’s Past Brothers first-grade side in this year’s Gladstone & District competition, but it turned out to be a successful one.

First-year president of the Past Brothers David Ahern explained.

“Rebuilding is the wrong word to use; it’s more of a redirection,” he elaborated.

“Paul Smith had been president of the Brothers for 35 years. He approached me to see if I’d take over from him, so there were big shoes to fill. Our goal was to be successful on the field, but also to get things cooking off field. That had a flow on effect to our teams.”

The old saying goes that success on the field starts in the front office. Going by that theory the Past Brothers office must have been in fine form. Not only did their first-grade side win their grand final by 30 points, but their other sides made their respective deciders.

“Our Under 18’s side won their grand final by 40,” he proudly said.

“Reserve grade were rank outsiders against the undefeated Valleys, but actually lead them until about 20 minutes to go, but ended up losing. From a president’s point of view, it’s been a very good year.”

The first-grade fixture was a tight affair in the beginning before the

quality of the Past Brothers shone through. In the end, they ran out 52-22 winners over the Valleys Raiders.

“Our boys just turned up to play,” Ahern said.

“It was six-all, then it was 10-all, and then our class just prevailed.

Our halfback Trent Iselin, he got named player of the year, had a blinder.”

Ahern couldn’t praise their coach and former North Queensland Cowboys and Newcastle Knights NRL player Steve Southern enough.

“You might think it funny, but I think his boy like love of the game was of more benefit for everyone (than his NRL experience),” Ahern said of Southern, who joined the Past Brothers side at the beginning of the season from Calliope Roosters.

“He didn’t take himself too seriously. He has a genuine love for the game. Not once would he have said to anyone ‘I played for the Cowboys’, it was always about bringing the kids through and everyone enjoying themselves.”

Matthew French

Bundaberg Rugby League

Panthers Power

After the completion of what was the closest regular season in recent memory, the Western Suburbs Panthers emerged victorious in the 2014 Bundaberg Rugby League first grade premiership. The Panthers overcame a spirited challenge from the Isis Devils to win 42-28 to successfully defend their premiership honours.

The Panthers finished as minor premiers on the back of a superior for and against after they shared the top podium with Past Brothers Leprechauns and Easts Magpies on 25 points. Isis Devils finished on 22, with Wallaroos just two points back on 20 points.

The Panthers were able to weather the early storm as the Devils relentlessly pressed their line. After Devils centre Kurt Thompson opened the scoring, the Panthers hit back with four first half tries to take a 22-6 half time lead. Shortly after the break, the Panthers had raced to a 30-6 lead, before the Devils scored four tries in quick succession to get within two points. A late try to Corey Tanner sealed for the win for the Panthers.

The Les Somerville Medal awarded to the player of the match went to the Panthers’ George Kepa.

44 Totally Rugby League October 2014

In the other grades, grand final successes went the way of the East Magpies (Reserve Grade defeated Maryborough Brothers 20-10), Easts Magpies (Under 18s defeated Brothers 42-12) and Brothers (Women’s defeated Gladstone Raidettes 12-10).

Matthew French

Sunshine Coast-Gympie RL

SHARKS BITE BACK

In perhaps the greatest 12-month turnaround in Australian rugby league this year, the Caloundra Sharks have capped a remarkable revival with a 40-20 Sunshine Coast-Gympie RL A Grade grand final victory over the Maroochydore-Coolum Swans.

Earning the wooden spoon in the eight-team competition with just a draw to their name in 2013, the Sharks snapped their winless streak with a 78-6 demolition of the Gympie Devils in the opening round of this year’s competition. Since then, the side has played consistently well to take second place in the minor premiership and charge their way into the grand-final decider.

Coach Danny Gray says the welcome arrival of halfback Justin Otto from the Sunshine Coast Falcons, who, along with hooker Chris Ainsworth, added needed experience to the young side, which played a part in the side’s turnaround.

“Justin (Otto) had a couple of seasons playing at Queensland Cup level so just adding him in he was a bit of a steadier of the ship I suppose – Chris (Ainsworth) added the icing on the cake,” the secondyear A Grade mentor said.

“We play a pretty exciting brand of footy, I’d put it down to enthusiasm

and having a bunch of young guys who are very talented and good at what they do.”

Adding to the club’s incredible year was the Sharks’ reserve-grade side, who downed the Caboolture Snakes 22-18 in their grand final.

Being a mostly young side, Gray is hopeful of keeping much of his winning formula together for next season and beyond.

Simon Masterton

Bowen District

BULLDOGS BOLSTERED BY HOPE Despite finishing runner-up in this year’s Bowen District competition grand final, the Bowen Bulldogs are already looking towards next year and being able to go one better.

In the Bowen District competition, which is made up of a total of four sides (including a team from Burdekin), the Bulldogs were defeated by the Bowen Tigers in the grand final by 32 points to 12. The Bulldogs put up a good fight throughout the first half, but they were unable to match it with the Tigers in the second half and it saw them being comfortably defeated.

With all of the sides in the Bowen District competition affected by players work commitments, the Bulldogs had a number of key personal missing from their line up in the grand final decider.

“With our side, we were unable to field our strongest side all season, even in the grand final, but it’s the same for every other team in this competition.”

“Every team is our competition has the same problems with players being unavailable at different times during the season due to their work commitments,” explained Bulldogs coach Ken Snell.

In regards to next year’s plans, Snell is confident that he will be able to field a similar side to this year’s squad, and is looking to be to finish the season with premiership glory.

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 45

NORTHERN DISTRICTS

Sharks Wrap Up Premiership In a thrilling grand final contested at Miriam Vale’s Gary Larson Oval, the South Kolan Sharks were able to defeat the Avondale Tigers to claim the Northern Districts Rugby League premiership.

In what was a tight and brutal match, the Sharks triumphed by a single try over the Tigers by 30 points to 26.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, who crossed for six tries, they managed only one successful conversion from six attempts, and in the end it proved to be the difference between a victory and defeat.

Photo: Neil Redfern

The Tigers had led 18-12 at half time, and then managed to hold onto a tight lead to close out the match. When the scores are broken down, it was goal kicking on the day that made the difference. While the Sharks scored only five tries, halfback and super boot, Anthony Johnstone slotted them all for a 100 per cent strike rate.

Matthew French

BORDER RUGBY LEAGUE

CONSECUTIVE CUTTERS The Killarney Cutters have once again taken out the honours in the Border Rugby League competition grand final 30-14 for a second consecutive year after downing the Tenterfield Tigers.

After being a consistent front runner throughout the season, the Cutters managed a convincing win over the Tigers.

Cutters captain-coach John Trindall was impressed with the effort from his side and credited the return of star player Mick Bloomfield as a ‘highlight of the game’.

“We have a really good bunch of blokes in team,” he commented.

“The big bonus was having Mick Bloomfield back in the side, and it was just a great game.”

When asked about next year, Trindall didn’t shy away from their plans.

“I’ve spoken to the boys, and everyone’s keen to go ahead next year to try and go for three in a row,” he stated.

46 Totally Rugby League October 2014

Trindall took over the coaching role at the beginning of the year, and the results have spoken for themselves. After a season of convincing victories with margins reaching well beyond 50, the young playing group are keen to keep the streak going and affirm their place at the top of the table once again.

Natalie Shoebridge

Ipswich Rugby League

Tigers Break the Drought The North Ipswich Tigers have won the Ipswich Rugby League’s 2014 ‘Mayor Paul Pisasale A Grade Cup’ in stunning fashion by accounting for the Ipswich Brothers by 42 points to 16.

The win gives the Tigers their first premiership since 1995.

After finishing the regular season as minor premiers, the defending premiers’ Brothers team was unable to match the dynamic Tigers side, when it mattered most, in the grand final.

In week one of the semi-final series, the first placed Brothers took on the second placed Tigers for the right to go straight through to the grand-final decider. In a precursor to the grand final, the Tigers got up to the tune of 36-30. The following week, the Brothers earned a rematch with Tigers after ending the in-form Fassifern Bombers’ season 22-16.

Tigers centre Jarrod Biggs starred in the grand final, scoring a try and kicking a total of seven goals. Tries for the Tigers were also scored by Brad Oddi, Andrew Campbell, Brent Newton, Anava

Fasolai, Josh Roberts and Tonga Mounga. For Brothers, tries were picked up by Elijah Umu, Damien West and Shane Picker. Cameron Picker kicked two from three goals.

In the earlier games, the Whitehead Studios Reserve Grade Cup went the way of Goodna Eagles who defeated Ipswich Brothers 2820, while in the Boettcher Realty Under 19’s Cup, the Swifts downed the Goodna Eagles 44-20.

Matthew French

BRISBANE SECOND DIVISION

Bright Future for Brisbane Competition Competitions have wrapped up in the Brisbane Second Division Rugby League with the major winners being Pine Rivers Bears in the North Side Division 1 and Bulimba Valleys Bulldogs in the South Side Division 1.

Pine Rivers triumphed over Sandgate Brighton Gaters 36-10 in their grand final, while their counter parts south of the river defeated the Redlands Parrots 26-6.

Totally Rugby League spoke with Brisbane Second Division Chairman Mick Tierney, for his thoughts on the state of the competitions.

“This year, we had 10 grades all up,” he explained.

Responding to enquiries about the chances of the two conference champions playing off in future, or a higher level grade covering both sides, Tierney said.

“We had three north side grades, four south side grades, an under 20s, and two women’s grades. We had a total of 84 second division teams and 14 women’s teams.”

“For a few years we’ve had a premier grade as well, which was across both sides of the river,” he responded.

Indeed, when the number and quality of teams are such that the competition must be split into two separate conferences, things must be well.

“We didn’t have that this year, but if the interest was there we’d have it again.”

Matthew French

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 47

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Gripping Encounters Karawara’s George Burnett Park was the site of some classic rugby league last month, in what will go down as one of the most exciting grand final days in Western Australia Rugby League history.

After an under 14s showcase game between the Rockingham Sharks and a Pilbara representative side, followed by the ladies league tag grand final, the growing crowd enjoyed a two-point score line in the seniors’ third grade Grand Final.

If the North Beach Sea Eagles’ 18-16 victory over the Joondalup Giants had been a nail-biter; however, spectators would’ve nothing left to bite after the under 18s decider – the Sharks held off a gallant South Perth Lions fight back to register a 23-22 golden-point victory. The Lions would again fall agonisingly short in the second grade grand final, which North Beach Sea Eagles won 22-18.

The third time would be a charm for the Lions in the final match of the day. Holding off a near-miraculous Fremantle Roosters comeback, the Lions handed the Roosters their third-consecutive

grand final defeat and achieved a miraculous 20th premiership.

Meanwhile, the growing Pilbara Rugby League competition ended in a 48-6 thumping of the Port Headland Hawks in the grand final at the hands of the Karratha Roosters.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Drought Drags On The Nightcliff Dragons found themselves in an all too familiar situation last month, waking up the morning after the Northern Territory Rugby League grand final with the bitter taste of defeat once again.

The Dragons’ last premiership success came in 2006, and while eight years is rarely considered a premiership drought, the side has now lost four deciders in the past five seasons – three of them at the hands of traditional rivals Brothers.

Their latest defeat was a 28-16 loss to the Brothers mid last month, which Dragons coach Jesse Maclean has put down to the opposition’s big-game experience.

“They had classy players all over the park,” Maclean said.

“We got one player sent off in the second half, so it was 13 men against 12 and then played the final 10 minutes with 11 men and already we were playing up against it when the opposition’s so experienced.”

48 Totally Rugby League October 2014

The side will now enjoy the off season before returning in a bid to go one step further next year. In the Northern Territory’s other competition in Alice Springs, the Vikings took out their fifth consecutive Central Australia Rugby Football League premiership with a 58-26 thumping of minor premiers Wests Dragons.

VICTORIA

League Crosses the Murray On the banks of the Murray River, rugby league appears to be making inroads into Victoria’s AFL-dominated sporting landscape; with the completion of two newly-formed competitions on the Victoria-NSW border, the greatest game of all is gradually heading south.

The Wodonga-based Murray Cup recently wrapped up, with the Wodonga Storm downing the Corowa Cougars 24-10 to bag the inaugural title. Meanwhile the Sunraysia Rugby League, situated in the state’s north-west, ended with a 20-6 victory to the Robinvale Storm over the Mildura Warriors.

With the two competitions the first of their kind in the regions, local development officer David Skinner believes the standard of rugby league is destined to improve.

“The Wodonga kids and Corowa kids currently play in the stronger Group 9 competition, so I think you’ll start to see the competition improve for that reason,” Skinner explained.

“Also, I believe Wodonga is the second-fastest growing city in

Victoria, so you’re getting a lot of people move down from NSW who are already rugby league savvy.”

Meanwhile in the southern state’s capital, the Sunbury United Tigers (pictured above) defeated the Casey Warriors 48-16 in the Victorian Rugby League grand-final decider.

TASMANIA

Tasmanians Warm Up While teams around the country attend presentation evenings and begin boarding for end of season trips, rugby league on the Apple Isle is only just beginning.

“At this stage there are four clubs indicating interest to participate,” Silva said.

With the cooler temperate of the southernmost state, the Tasmanian Rugby League is the only competition in Australia that plays throughout the summer months. Due to kick off in early November, TRL spokesman Brent Silva said the competition’s four clubs were currently accepting registrations.

The 2014-15 season will be spread across 12 rounds, with a break being taken over the Christmas-New Year period. The South Hobart Storm will be looking to defend their 2013-14 title, while the competition as a whole is expected to improve with higher levels of participation.

“Usually going through PlayNRL.com should direct people to those club contacts if people are interested in playing for this season.”

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Victoria Park Hosts Grand Final Gala It was grand-final fever at Adelaide’s Victoria Park early last month, as the newly-developed ground played host to grand finals across all junior and senior divisions.

The day begun at 11am with the mixed minis teams, before teams in the four junior divisions took to the field. A sizeable crowd then witnessed the Henley Raiders bag the 2014 Youth Grade (under 16s) premiership, before the youth presentations and the youth relays. The Northeast Adelaide-based Eels then secured a back-toback victory by downing the Centrals Roosters 32-8, before a touch football demonstration game. In the first grand final to be played

under lights at Victoria Park, the Centrals Roosters then made it three in a row with a 30-18 showing over the Raiders.

With free admission to the general public, the event was aimed at showcasing rugby league to South Australia’s growing audience.

In the other major SARL instalment – the Mount Gambier Rugby League 9s Cup – the Naracoorte Jets ran out 26-10 winners over the Eastern Dragons, following the success of the first-year competition.

Simon Masterton

October 2014 Totally Rugby League 49

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