A second-half fightback and some Cameron Lyons brilliance has helped the Darlington Point-Coleambally (DPC) Roosters maintain top spot on the Group 20 ladder following their 26-20 win over the Leeton Galloping Greens at Coleambally Sport’s Ground on Sunday.
The Greens led the Round 15 top-of-the-table clash 14-6 at half time, after Brayden Scarr crossed for a first-half double and Will Barnes dived over the line. Luke Hogan scored the home’s side’s only try.
Scarr made it a hat-trick early in the second half to give Leeton a commanding 20-6 lead after 46 minutes, before Jack Kelly and Jon Sila both crossed for the Roosters. Josh Veivers locked the score up at 20-all after a penalty conversion in the 74th minute.
Lyons secured the win for DPC in the 78th minute, after the back-rower demonstrated some Rugby League nous by stripping the ball and sprinting to the line to score the game-winner. The Rooster finished 26-20 winners following Veivers’ conversion.
Lyons, who is in his first year with the Roosters, was certainly the man of the moment following the come-from-behind victory.
“It was pretty tight, and we knew we had to do something, and they got a 20-metre tap, and we went in to tackle the fella with the ball, and I was able to get my hands on the ball,” he said.
“I just ran as fast as I could and got there to score and it was just good to get the win.”
Despite trailing by 14 points in the second half, the Roosters never panicked, and Lyons said it all came down to getting the basics right.
“At half-time we knew what we were doing wrong and in the second half we were just making sure we completed sets, got into the grind, and we kept pushing and we were able to get a few tries,” Lyons said.
“It was a good fight back from the boys, and to get a win like that when coming from behind shows how well we are going.”
The Roosters and Greens have been the two standouts in the 2022 Group 20 competition. Lyons said the match had a finals-type atmosphere, and despite losing, he believes Leeton will come back bigger and better later in the season.
“It felt good to be playing finals-type footy like that, and we will probably play them at some stage in the finals,” Lyons said.
“We have beaten them twice this season, so they know it is going to be tough against us, but we know they are a really good side, and we won’t be taking them lightly.
“There is still a long way to go, and anything can happen.”
The 20-year-old does believe DPC are the team to beat though, and he said the Ben Jeffery captain/coached team were building nicely heading into the final few rounds of the regular season.
“This is my first year with the club, and they have welcomed me, and playing with Ben Jeffery has been really good,” Lyons said.
“We have a really good team and I feel like we can go the whole way. We still have a lot to do, but if we play our best and keep improving, we can go close to doing it.”
With only three games remaining in the 2022 Group 20 home and away season, Sunday’s victory all but locks up the Minor Premiership for the high-flying Roosters, who can seal top spot with a win over the Griffith Waratahs-Tigers on Saturday.
Round 15 Group 20 results: Griffith Black and Whites def Hay 26- 14; Yenda def Tullibigeal-Lake Cargelligo 30-20; West Wyalong def Yanco-Wamoon 42-22; Darlington Point-Coleambally def Leeton 26-20.
Round 16 Group 20 draw: Darlington Point-Coleambally v Griffith Waratahs-Tigers; Yenda v Yanco-Wamoon; Tullibigeal-Lake Cargelligo v Leeton; West Wyalong v Hay
Group 20 ladder: Darlington Point-Coleambally 28, Leeton 24, Griffith Black and Whites 24, Griffith Waratahs-Tigers 18, West Wyalong 18, Hay 14, Yenda 10, Yanco-Wamoon 8, Tullibigeal- Lake 6.
Round 13 Group 9 results: Tumut def Young 24-14; Temora def Albury 38-30; Wagga Brothers def Southcity 34-30; Wagga Kangaroos and Gundagai were on the bye.
Round 14 Group 9 draw: Gundagai v Young; Tumut v Southcity; Temora v Wagga Brothers; Albury and Kangaroos on the bye.
Group 9 ladder: Gundagai 25, Young 22, Temora 22, Temora 16, Kangaroos 12, Albury 11, Wagga Brothers 10, Southcity 8.
