Story & photos John Campbell
In the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League, there is probably no venue that oozes the very essence of bush footy like Kyogle’s New Park.
Surrounded by paddocks and in the shadow of a hazy knob of weary gum trees, it’s not a place of warmth and welcome for a mob of hipsters from trendoid Byron Bay – especially with all of those knuckle-dragging John Jarratts milling around the bar with their stubbies and gravy-soaked chips (yes, gravy)… but I love it.
When local side the Turkeys (you’d change your name, wouldn’t you?) hosted the Red Devils on Sunday, the ground became the ‘last chance saloon’ for both sides, as neither had collected a point after four rounds of the competition.
It might be overstating it to say that our boys are back in the fray but, by registering a convincing 30-20 victory, they showed us something we’d hitherto seen scant indication of… they looked like a team.
Better than that – if it was a reasonable call to label their first forty of the previous week their worst of the year, it is only fair to praise them for a first half at Kyogle that was dynamic, focused and a delight to watch.
They went to the break leading 24–0, scored soon after the resumption and then, ahead 30–0, put the cue in its rack.
In the last fifteen minutes, encouraged by the Devils nodding off, the Turkeys ran in four tries – there would be no time for Byron to allow defeat to be snatched from the jaws of victory, but it exhibited a lapse of concentration that coach Graham ‘Easy’ Lees would do well to address.
Forgetting the closing stages, though, there were numerous highlights for the Devils’ faithful to savour.
Captain, Ryan ‘the Crab’ O’Connell, had assumed a roving centre commission, which suits him eminently well; Brad ‘Bruce’ Lees was wearing the number one jersey again after a less-than-convincing stint with the pigs, and a new half/five-eighth combination of ‘Michael’ Jordan Reed and Harry ‘Vanda’ Witt worked smoothly as a fulcrum around which the team might eventually function to optimum capacity.
For the first time in yonks, the Devils were completing their sets and, as a reward, a good bounce fell their way. Reed ran on to a sloppy pass to plant the ball under the sticks.
He was in again after surging runs from Witt and Joey ‘the General’ Gordon, and when Lees collected a spilt ball to run 50 metres for another meat pie, you could see Byron’s self-belief grow… and it led to a try for the ages just before half-time.
Sam ‘Dolly’ Dwyer, after bursting into the clear, found numerous hands in support – the game is all about support – and at the end of a gorgeous passing rush, prop Jason ‘Buddy’ Hackett was the man on the spot to plant the ball over the line.
Even the one-eyed Turkey supporters had to acknowledge its sweet fluency.
The Devils’ mind was not quite on the job in the second forty, especially after Gordon ran a beautiful angle on to a delightfully weighted pass from O’Connell to show scorching speed on his way to the line (must have been all the lollies he ate before kick-off).
The Bay thought it was all over red rover… which it wasn’t, quite.
But no carping – winners are grinners.
Go, the Bay!
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