The grand final of the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League started with a huge push from underdogs the Byron Bay Red Devil’s yesterday at Kingsford Smith Park in Ballina, but the lads seemed to use all their steam up in one puff and the opening try proved to be the beginning of the end.
The A-Grade players from the Ballina Seagulls and the Devils stood for Suzie Teys’ national anthem, which again proved to be Ballina’s secret weapon.
Suzie sang for the Gulls when they won the premiership 20 years ago and she was lucky for the lads last year – before the match she said that the pressure was on to sing up a winning song for Ballina again.
Her voice rang true as the Seagulls won a history making back-to-back premiership in a 17-6 win against their northern neighbours.
~ Photo gallery Eve Jeffery
Recent stories tagged NRRRL:
Bombers knock Red Devils out of league finals
Byron Bay have been bundled out of the 2022 NRRRL by a tenacious Evans Head who won last Sunday’s match 22–21 at Red Devil Park.
Red Devils closing in on the top five
The Byron Bay Red Devils kept their chances of a final’s berth alive last Sunday when they beat the Tweed Coast Raiders 35–26 in round 10 of the NRRRL, playing at home.
No splendour in the farce for NRRRL
Story and photo John Campbell Every year, the Byron Bay Red Devils ask that their bye be allocated to the weekend of Splendour in the Grass, as they are most drastically affected by absenteeism it causes. And every year, presumably...
Red Devil women undefeated in new tag-league competition
Shannon Hulbert A tag rugby league competition started a month ago in the region and the Red Devils have had three wins from three so far. The women follow the Red Devils men’s team around and play the opposition clubs that...
Byron Devils score big win over Mullumbimby in league derby
John Campbell The Byron Bay Red Devils enjoyed their first win of the 2017 season when they romped home against a lacklustre Mullumbimby side 36–4. As local derbies go, there was a curious lack of intensity when the Red Devils hosted...
Mustangs prepare for grand final after death of teammate
The Murwillumbah Mustangs are preparing themselves for a grand final match against Cudgen despite the death of their teammate Grant Cook during the semi-final against the Casino Cougars on Sunday afternoon.
Man dies during rugby league match at Murwillumbah
Police will prepare a report for the Coroner after the death of a man during a rugby league match at Murwillumbah yesterday (Sunday September 11).
So near and yet so far for Devils against comp frontrunners
Winning becomes a habit. The Evans Head Bombers, an honest but not outstanding team, have acquired it. Byron Bay’s Red Devils have gone cold turkey on it.
Cometh the hour, cometh capitulation
My dad was a man of few words, but he had an expression: ‘what you need is a good kick up the arse’.
Cougars’ composure in wet leaves Devils down but not bowed
All of a sudden, the threat of the wooden spoon looms larger than the prospect of a finals berth for the Byron Bay Red Devils.