Tallon Smith
It may not have been the win that they craved, but the Deniliquin Blueheelers still broke a 48-year drought in their clash with Ivanhoe on Saturday when they scored their first try at home since 1977.
Despite the ladder-leading Roosters racing out to a massive lead on their way to a 50-4 win, the moment of magic when Trevor Morgan crashed over saw the healthy crowd erupt, with the familiar sound of car horns again filling the air as a Deniliquin side registered points at home for the first time since the Raiders in the mid-1990s.
Blueheelers coach Drew Hinkley said that although the side has fallen short of a victory so far in their return year, there have been plenty of things to smile about for rugby league players and supporters in Deniliquin.
“Every week we’re improving,” he said.
“The fact that by half time it was 18 [nil], defensively we can’t ask of much more from the boys
“Every week we’re improving, and every year we’re hoping for more numbers.”
“Kurt touched on it with the ABC, we’ve got people travelling far and wide to come and help us out and get the structures down for us, and eventually we will be a dominant team, it’s just going to take time.”
50 Proten games for Springs veteran Parsons
Earlier in the day, Hillston outlasted Narrandera 14-10 in a contender for match of the year, with neither side giving an inch in a battle resembling a defensive Group 9 match, while Rankins Springs showed their credentials in a 22-0 win over rivals Goolgowi.
The match featured a historic occasion, as Rankins Springs winger Brent Parsons became the first player to play 50 Proten Cup games since the competition’s inauguration in 2018.
Speaking to Battlers For Bush Footy after the game, Parsons said the win was a hard-fought one despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise.
“It was a good hard game, Goolgowi didn’t drop away,” he said.
“It was definitely better beating Goolgowi, it makes the day even more special.”
Reflecting on the milestone, Parsons said that he was privileged to play 50 games in a competition that had such humble beginnings.
“[Looking back to] seven years ago, I’m surprised we even made one year to be honest,” he said.
“The competition is going stronger and better than ever, [and we’re] out at Deni here today so it’s a good day.”
After a hiccup in their first game of the season, the Dragons have found their form, and now sit in equal first, narrowly trailing Ivanhoe on points differential.
With the finals approaching, Parsons said the belief is there that Rankins Springs can match the feats of the 2022-23 Narrandera side and secure back-to-back Proten Cup premierships.
“I think we always had that, we’ve got the same group of boys from last year,” he said.
“We had that one loss against Barellan, but I think that was just first game back syndrome.
“Good wins all the way along, hopefully we can continue it and see if we’re there on the big day.”
The Proten Cup continues next Saturday with the final round of the regular season set for Rankins Springs, with Deniliquin to face Barellan, Ivanhoe to tackle Hillston, and home side Rankins Springs taking on Narrandera in a long-awaited Grand Final rematch.
Battlers For Bush Footy 