The Central Coast Centurions U18 and U16 teams remain winless after three rounds of this season’s junior representative rugby league action.
Lock Bayley Faul passes to Jarrett Boland during the opening round loss to Balmain
The 2015 junior representative rugby league season kicked off on Valentine’s Day with the Central Coast Centurions receiving little love from their opponents as they suffered heavy losses at both U16 and U18 levels.
The local boys drew the Balmain Tigers in the opening round; games which were played in uncomfortably humid conditions at Morry Breen Oval, Kanwal.
The Centurion U16s conceded three tries in the first half of their game to trail 16-0 at the break and, despite second half tries to Wyong’s Peter Koszyk and nippy dummy half Kyle McLean from Woy Woy, the Tigers proved to be too strong on the day, running out 34-10 winners.
The follow up S.G. Ball Cup game saw Balmain run riot.
Led by Toukley Hawks’ recruits Daniel Peck and Jakob Giles, the team in orange crossed for a dozen tries as they inflicted a hefty 58-8 defeat upon the Centurions.
In a bizarre first half of football, eight tries were scored in all; six by Balmain and two by the Coasties, however, not a single conversion was successful.
Ryan Papenhuyzen finally bucked the trend 12 minutes into the second half when he managed to raise the flags from directly in front.
The same player would cross for five of his team’s 12 tries in an afternoon the young fullback will long remember.
Terrigal’s Bayley Faull scored a powerful back rowers try in the 18th minute and this was followed by a spectacular dive into the Lake Haven corner by Coast winger Lachlan Gallegos eight minutes later.
Trailing 24-8 at half time, the Centurions had no answer to their up tempo opponents after the break, conceding a further six tries.
Former Centurion hooker Daniel Peck was outstanding for the Tigers whilst for the local team, Kincumber prop Ben Thomas toiled manfully and centre Ethan Niszcot provided an occasional moment of dash.
In the next round, the S.G. Ball Cup team bounced back well from their hefty opening round loss to Balmain at Kanwal to push the Western Suburbs Magpies all the way before falling 28-26 at Campbelltown during week two.
Coached by former Terrigal mentor and The Entrance Tigers player Gavin Spain, the U18 Centurions were then handed an acutely difficult assignment; running headlong into the unbeaten St George side, in a game that was also played away from home.
Terrigal halfback Scott Drinkwater contributed all of the Centurion’s points during the comprehensive 40-12 loss.
In the younger, Harold Matthews Cup division, the Central Coast suffered a heart breaking 22-20 defeat at the hands of the Magpies in the second round after having taking a handsome 16-4 lead into the half time break.
Just seven days later, a smattering of déjà vu descended upon the camp when the eager Coasties found themselves leading St George 10-4 at the mid game point, only to once again find themselves being hauled in during the game’s latter stages.
The Dragons ultimately edged out the Central Coast boys 20 points to 14.
Media release,
15 Feb 2015
Andrew Stark, East
Gosford