David Garsed
The Mullumbimby Giants have picked up their first win of the season after coming home strongly to beat local rivals Byron Bay 28–26 in a hard-fought encounter.
Playing at home the Byron Red Devils raced away to an early 12–0 lead with tries to Gabe Belcher and Daniel Gibbons. But they received a body blow when in-form front-rower Kyle Kennedy succumbed to injury and left the field.
The Giants lifted their intensity and after sustained pressure Sio Alefosio scored the first of his tries.
The Devils kept turning over the ball and were eventually punished for their sloppiness when Giants winger Rhys Curruth scored in the corner.
Further tries to Byron’s Matt Gallagher and Mullum’s Brett Kelly Wirth saw the sides go to halftime oranges with the Red Devils hanging on to a six-point lead.
The second half belonged to the Giants who looked far hungrier as the Devils lacked the fight in the contest.
Against the run of play the Red Devils were first to score on the back of an Andrew Battese 40-metre solo effort.
But the Giants took advantage of their sustained attack and added three tries to Zac Docking, Sio Alefosia, and Rhys Carruth to close out the game-worthy winners.
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