THE Bay Tigers Rugby League hosted the Young Cherrypickers on Saturday at Mackay Park for the inaugural Phillip Spring Memorial Shield.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The visitors got the points in under eighteens and first grade when they produced two large and organised teams for the day.
The Tigers 18s put on a great show and lead for the most of the game before going down 24-22 in the dying stages.
Best players for the Bay were Tom Cafetto, Rhys Burazer, Don Garland, John Vardy, Brent Pan and Sam Hornby. Kosta Yiannaros and Blake McAuley put in their usual tireless efforts but it wasn’t enough.
The first grade game was played at a solid pace with the Bay matching it with the
visitors for the first 40 minutes.
Young ran away with the game in the third quarter when the Bay spelled most of their players but the Tigers were never a match for the Cherrypickers.
Solid displays from new hooker Scott Lennon, Ben Ralston, Josh Cummings, Jake Clarke, and Alan Aldridge were backed up by big efforts from Nathan Woodbridge, Josh Kirk, Joe Smart and Adam Bohun.
New five eight Nathan Smith showed some early season class. Youngsters Josh Cummings and Jake Clarke acquitted themselves well, Nathan Woodbridge showed the way for the troops and was well supported by Joe Smart around the rucks.
The day was marred by a season-ending shoulder injury to front rower Kosta Yiannaros in the main game. Kosta will have corrective surgery in six weeks’ time in Canberra and his powerful running will be sorely missed by the club.
The Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs are coming to Mackay Park this Sunday for the traditional season opener. The ‘Dogs have recruited well in an effort to snare the 2008 premiership and are tipped to be a top three side.
The Tigers have prepared well and are fit. Some good young players only need experience and the only place to get that is on the field. This is a new side with 17 first graders missing from last season. Ben Ralston is the only regular first grader remaining from 2007.
Pre-season training has been hard, and the boys could surprise on the weekend. The first grade team to play the Dogs at 3pm is Josh Kirk, Wade Merritt, Josh Cummings, Jake Clarke, Mitchell Cummings, Nathan Smith, Ben Ralston, Adam Bohun, Scott Lennon, Luke Robinson, Woodbridge, Allan Aldridge and Joe Smart.
New reserve grade coaches Scott Ladmore and Chad Pickett are still looking for a few extra to make up the numbers. The club is looking for players with genuine ticker to put their hands up.
The reserve grade team to take on the ‘Dogs this Sunday at Mackay Park at 1pm is Zac Simon, Luke Aldridge, Gavin Ladmore, Gerard Dennis, Shane Stevens, Ron Callaghan, Chris Wheatley, Chad Pickett, Matt Brown, Scott Ladmore, Colin Wakelam, Dean Saunders, Haydn Mathews, Josh Stewart, Newton Bond, Jake Pan and Grant Rootsey.
The under eighteens have been rocked by the loss of Yiannaros for the season and the call up to first grade for Jake Clarke and Josh Cummings.
They have still come up with a strong side. The team to play at midday is DJ Garland, Rhys Burazer, Tom Cafetto, Blake Rootsey, Phillip Nguyen, Sam Sellick-Wilson, Brent Pan, Will Merritt, Blake McCauley, Clayton Payne, John Vardy, Sam Hornby, Brent Ayton, Nathan Eaton, Jonathon Tennant, Andrew Drake, Damian Bowen, Will Sellick-Wilson and Nelson Parker.
Southern Division 18’s
The divisional side will train at Batemans Bay each Wednesday for the next four weeks while they ready themselves for the country championship. The Tigers will put on a BBQ for the boys each night after training.
