NEWRL: Coach baffled by Country omissions; newbies' first win; forward's big ban
Newcastle won the Country Championships for a third consecutive year in March, but only five players feature in an 18-man Country side named to play City at Brookvale on Saturday.
"I was expecting more," Brennan said.
"I don't know who the fullback or the hooker is, but they must be exceptionally good.
"To keep [Cameron] 'Spider' [Anderson] and Liam Wilkinson out of the team, they must be exceptional players."
Newcastle's Country reps include Maitland trio Chad O'Donnell, James Bradley and Matt Soper-Lawler, Central's Lachlan O'Brien and Wests' Jake Goodwin.
"I thought he had a great campaign, Jake," Brennan said.
"The other four speak for themselves; will never let you down.
"I thought Liam Wiscombe (Wests) should have been in the conversation. Luke Higgins (Northern) too. There's a few that were unlucky."
Anderson's omission at least means he can try and help Central, who are second last, notch their first win against Wyong on Sunday.
Aaron Gorrell-coached Country face City at 1.50pm.
Northern Hawks, the newcomers to the women's premiership which kicked off last weekend, started their inaugural campaign with a 10-4 win over Souths on Sunday and Brennan, who is also the Hawks' head of football, described them as the club's "shining light".
The Hawks are mostly made up of former Raymond Terrace players, a club no longer in the competition.
"The commitment, the team ethic from most of them, whenever we have a function all the girls are there, they've got a really good vibe amongst them that [coach] Brooke Roach has developed," Brennan said.
The win came as the Hawks' lost their fourth consecutive men's match. They are dead last ahead of hosting defending premiers Maitland on Saturday.
"We're missing [prop] James Taylor," Brennan said.
"He is a rough chance this weekend.
"We didn't have Henry Penn on Sunday, Floyde Tighe our halfback hasn't been there. It will take time.
"The competition is so close. A couple of wins and we're back up there."
They escaped with a 12-6 win over Wyong to stay in touch with the top five, but The Entrance are now set to be without forward Jack Alipate for the next month.
Alipate copped a combined four-game ban for two charges, dangerous contact and a dangerous throw, in Sunday's Central Coast derby. He won't return until round 10 following a bye.
The Entrance, who are 2-2, have had a mixed start to the year but look to be building.
On Sunday, they host a Cessnock side who will be without winger Joe Woodbury for the next two games after he was suspended for a shoulder charge.
Central hooker Joey Morris was the other player banned out of round five, copping one week for dangerous contact.
LADDER: Wests, Maitland (8), Souths, Kurri, Cessnock (6), Lakes, The Entrance (4), Wyong, Macquarie (2), Central, Northern (0).
Rebels coach Garth Brennan is baffled how two Newcastle players, particularly, were overlooked for the NSW Country side.
Newcastle won the Country Championships for a third consecutive year in March, but only five players feature in an 18-man Country side named to play City at Brookvale on Saturday.
"I was expecting more," Brennan said.
"I don't know who the fullback or the hooker is, but they must be exceptionally good.
"To keep [Cameron] 'Spider' [Anderson] and Liam Wilkinson out of the team, they must be exceptional players."
Newcastle's Country reps include Maitland trio Chad O'Donnell, James Bradley and Matt Soper-Lawler, Central's Lachlan O'Brien and Wests' Jake Goodwin.
"I thought he had a great campaign, Jake," Brennan said.
"The other four speak for themselves; will never let you down.
"I thought Liam Wiscombe (Wests) should have been in the conversation. Luke Higgins (Northern) too. There's a few that were unlucky."
Anderson's omission at least means he can try and help Central, who are second last, notch their first win against Wyong on Sunday.
Aaron Gorrell-coached Country face City at 1.50pm.
Northern Hawks, the newcomers to the women's premiership which kicked off last weekend, started their inaugural campaign with a 10-4 win over Souths on Sunday and Brennan, who is also the Hawks' head of football, described them as the club's "shining light".
The Hawks are mostly made up of former Raymond Terrace players, a club no longer in the competition.
"The commitment, the team ethic from most of them, whenever we have a function all the girls are there, they've got a really good vibe amongst them that [coach] Brooke Roach has developed," Brennan said.
The win came as the Hawks' lost their fourth consecutive men's match. They are dead last ahead of hosting defending premiers Maitland on Saturday.
"We're missing [prop] James Taylor," Brennan said.
"He is a rough chance this weekend.
"We didn't have Henry Penn on Sunday, Floyde Tighe our halfback hasn't been there. It will take time.
"The competition is so close. A couple of wins and we're back up there."
They escaped with a 12-6 win over Wyong to stay in touch with the top five, but The Entrance are now set to be without forward Jack Alipate for the next month.
Alipate copped a combined four-game ban for two charges, dangerous contact and a dangerous throw, in Sunday's Central Coast derby. He won't return until round 10 following a bye.
The Entrance, who are 2-2, have had a mixed start to the year but look to be building.
On Sunday, they host a Cessnock side who will be without winger Joe Woodbury for the next two games after he was suspended for a shoulder charge.
Central hooker Joey Morris was the other player banned out of round five, copping one week for dangerous contact.
LADDER: Wests, Maitland (8), Souths, Kurri, Cessnock (6), Lakes, The Entrance (4), Wyong, Macquarie (2), Central, Northern (0).
Rebels coach Garth Brennan is baffled how two Newcastle players, particularly, were overlooked for the NSW Country side.
Newcastle won the Country Championships for a third consecutive year in March, but only five players feature in an 18-man Country side named to play City at Brookvale on Saturday.
"I was expecting more," Brennan said.
"I don't know who the fullback or the hooker is, but they must be exceptionally good.
"To keep [Cameron] 'Spider' [Anderson] and Liam Wilkinson out of the team, they must be exceptional players."
Newcastle's Country reps include Maitland trio Chad O'Donnell, James Bradley and Matt Soper-Lawler, Central's Lachlan O'Brien and Wests' Jake Goodwin.
"I thought he had a great campaign, Jake," Brennan said.
"The other four speak for themselves; will never let you down.
"I thought Liam Wiscombe (Wests) should have been in the conversation. Luke Higgins (Northern) too. There's a few that were unlucky."
Anderson's omission at least means he can try and help Central, who are second last, notch their first win against Wyong on Sunday.
Aaron Gorrell-coached Country face City at 1.50pm.
Northern Hawks, the newcomers to the women's premiership which kicked off last weekend, started their inaugural campaign with a 10-4 win over Souths on Sunday and Brennan, who is also the Hawks' head of football, described them as the club's "shining light".
The Hawks are mostly made up of former Raymond Terrace players, a club no longer in the competition.
"The commitment, the team ethic from most of them, whenever we have a function all the girls are there, they've got a really good vibe amongst them that [coach] Brooke Roach has developed," Brennan said.
The win came as the Hawks' lost their fourth consecutive men's match. They are dead last ahead of hosting defending premiers Maitland on Saturday.
"We're missing [prop] James Taylor," Brennan said.
"He is a rough chance this weekend.
"We didn't have Henry Penn on Sunday, Floyde Tighe our halfback hasn't been there. It will take time.
"The competition is so close. A couple of wins and we're back up there."
They escaped with a 12-6 win over Wyong to stay in touch with the top five, but The Entrance are now set to be without forward Jack Alipate for the next month.
Alipate copped a combined four-game ban for two charges, dangerous contact and a dangerous throw, in Sunday's Central Coast derby. He won't return until round 10 following a bye.
The Entrance, who are 2-2, have had a mixed start to the year but look to be building.
On Sunday, they host a Cessnock side who will be without winger Joe Woodbury for the next two games after he was suspended for a shoulder charge.
Central hooker Joey Morris was the other player banned out of round five, copping one week for dangerous contact.
LADDER: Wests, Maitland (8), Souths, Kurri, Cessnock (6), Lakes, The Entrance (4), Wyong, Macquarie (2), Central, Northern (0).
Rebels coach Garth Brennan is baffled how two Newcastle players, particularly, were overlooked for the NSW Country side.
Newcastle won the Country Championships for a third consecutive year in March, but only five players feature in an 18-man Country side named to play City at Brookvale on Saturday.
"I was expecting more," Brennan said.
"I don't know who the fullback or the hooker is, but they must be exceptionally good.
"To keep [Cameron] 'Spider' [Anderson] and Liam Wilkinson out of the team, they must be exceptional players."
Newcastle's Country reps include Maitland trio Chad O'Donnell, James Bradley and Matt Soper-Lawler, Central's Lachlan O'Brien and Wests' Jake Goodwin.
"I thought he had a great campaign, Jake," Brennan said.
"The other four speak for themselves; will never let you down.
"I thought Liam Wiscombe (Wests) should have been in the conversation. Luke Higgins (Northern) too. There's a few that were unlucky."
Anderson's omission at least means he can try and help Central, who are second last, notch their first win against Wyong on Sunday.
Aaron Gorrell-coached Country face City at 1.50pm.
Northern Hawks, the newcomers to the women's premiership which kicked off last weekend, started their inaugural campaign with a 10-4 win over Souths on Sunday and Brennan, who is also the Hawks' head of football, described them as the club's "shining light".
The Hawks are mostly made up of former Raymond Terrace players, a club no longer in the competition.
"The commitment, the team ethic from most of them, whenever we have a function all the girls are there, they've got a really good vibe amongst them that [coach] Brooke Roach has developed," Brennan said.
The win came as the Hawks' lost their fourth consecutive men's match. They are dead last ahead of hosting defending premiers Maitland on Saturday.
"We're missing [prop] James Taylor," Brennan said.
"He is a rough chance this weekend.
"We didn't have Henry Penn on Sunday, Floyde Tighe our halfback hasn't been there. It will take time.
"The competition is so close. A couple of wins and we're back up there."
They escaped with a 12-6 win over Wyong to stay in touch with the top five, but The Entrance are now set to be without forward Jack Alipate for the next month.
Alipate copped a combined four-game ban for two charges, dangerous contact and a dangerous throw, in Sunday's Central Coast derby. He won't return until round 10 following a bye.
The Entrance, who are 2-2, have had a mixed start to the year but look to be building.
On Sunday, they host a Cessnock side who will be without winger Joe Woodbury for the next two games after he was suspended for a shoulder charge.
Central hooker Joey Morris was the other player banned out of round five, copping one week for dangerous contact.
LADDER: Wests, Maitland (8), Souths, Kurri, Cessnock (6), Lakes, The Entrance (4), Wyong, Macquarie (2), Central, Northern (0).
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
31 minutes ago
- ABC News
Torrential downpour puts dampener on inaugural NRLW Magic Round
Wild weather in Newcastle has wreaked havoc with the opening day of the NRLW's first-ever Magic Round. All three matches on the first afternoon of the two-day extravaganza were played in torrential conditions, while the Tigers-Roosters match was temporarily delayed due to an approaching thunderstorm. With the Tricolours leading 20-4 five minutes into the second half, play was suspended for 35 minutes after lightning was detected in the area. Such measures are uncommon in first-grade rugby league but not unprecedented — a men's match between Canterbury and South Sydney in June was delayed for the same reason. Before the delay, conditions were already challenging, with water pooling across the pitch under the heavy downpour. The rain made handling especially difficult in the opening match of the day between the Bulldogs and the Titans, which ended in a 14-all draw — the first stalemate in the competition's seven-year history. "You have to play in any conditions at the end of the day," said Bulldogs captain Tayla Preston. "Errors are going to happen in that weather, but there was a period of about five minutes where none of us could see the ball or the players. "But we had the fans turn out, and both teams tried to do their best with the conditions." In the second match of the day, the Roosters resumed control on resumption of their game against the Tigers and ran out 34-6 winners. Star centre Isabelle Kelly ran in a double as the premiership favourites stayed unbeaten in a comprehensive performance. The opening day wraps up with a match between Brisbane and Cronulla before another triple-header on Sunday. But the heavens are expected to open yet again, with up to 35mm of rain expected in the Hunter. Despite the poor conditions, Titans captain Georgia Hale praised the concept and commended the fans who made the trip to Hunter Stadium to brave the rain. "The occasion of the weekend is really special. It's great to create history and be in the inaugural game," Hale said. "To still see bums on seats supporting our game, and hopefully they stay for the entire weekend, was really special. "It's hard to reflect on our own performance and put a smile on it, though we really wanted the two points today."
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
NRLW Magic Round in Newcastle begins with a historic draw after a fierce contest between the Bulldogs and Titans
Canterbury and the Titans have fought tooth and nail to secure the NRLW's first ever draw, splitting the premiership points on the back of a 14-14 score line. Kicking off the NRLW's inaugural Magic Round in very wet conditions in Newcastle, each side headed into the clash with a 2-2 record, and a point to prove at McDonald Jones Stadium. Locked at 14-14, both sides continually shot themselves in the foot, turning it over in the torrential rain before the siren rang to send the contest into golden point. The Bulldogs parked themselves in the opposition's red zone for the bulk of the extra period, skipper Tayla Preston's first attempt at a one-pointer wide before, and Chapman racing up to throw her off before her second snap. Neither side could find the field position in the second period, the siren ringing out to signal the first draw in the competition's eight-season history. Players were dropping like flies to start the contest, Gold Coast winger Lily Patston carried off after 90 seconds while Canterbury were momentarily left with a one-woman bench in the first ten minutes. A simple sweep saw Jaime Chapman swing to the left to put Georgia Grey over in the corner for the first-ever women's Magic Round try, before Natasha Penitani doubled the advantage a few minutes later, crashing over next to the sticks. Enter, Canterbury's halves. The Bulldogs No. 6 and 7 in Ash Quinlan and Preston dragged Canterbury back into the affair, albeit in different methods. Quinlan fired an absolute bullet through the air for winger Elizabeth MacGregor to put the blue and white on the board, the rookie crossing the line untouched. Veteran half Lauren Brown kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Titans, shaping to kick in-field before turning her body, putting a deft grubber through the line for Jasmine Solia to snatch a 14-4 halftime lead. Preston had the Bulldogs humming early in the second stanza, a brilliant 40/20 leading to another Quinlan bullet pass the next set, this time Monica Tagoia dotting down. The left-edge was humming for Canterbury, finding success again minutes later on the back of a simple shift, handing MacGregor her fourth try in just two NRLW games. It was a double whammy for the Titans, losing the lead as well as Solia, with the Bunker finding high contact from the edge forward in the lead up, leaving Solia in the sin bin and Tagoai on a medicab. The draw leaves both sides just outside the top four after five rounds, and despite the constant downpour, there's little doubt there's more magic to come this weekend.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Live: Ponchos are the accessory of choice on day one of Magic Round
It's arguably the biggest weekend in NRLW history as all teams converge on Newcastle for the inaugural Magic Round. We'll be across all the updates from on the field and off it as a crowd of more than 10,000 is expected to attend the two days of games. Follow the blog below. It's arguably the biggest weekend in NRLW history as all teams converge on Newcastle for the inaugural Magic Round. We'll be across all the updates from on the field and off it as a crowd of more than 10,000 is expected to attend the two days of games. Follow the blog below. It's arguably the biggest weekend in NRLW history as all teams converge on Newcastle for the inaugural Magic Round. We'll be across all the updates from on the field and off it as a crowd of more than 10,000 is expected to attend the two days of games. Follow the blog below. It's arguably the biggest weekend in NRLW history as all teams converge on Newcastle for the inaugural Magic Round. We'll be across all the updates from on the field and off it as a crowd of more than 10,000 is expected to attend the two days of games. Follow the blog below.
