Cover Photo: Tullibigeal-Lakes United RLFC Facebook
Tallon Smith
The Tullibigeal-Lakes United Sharks have extended their remarkable winning run to six games after defeating West Wyalong 34-14 in the local derby at the Tullibigeal Sports Ground on Sunday afternoon.
After a fast start, the Sharks controlled the match from start to finish against a West Wyalong side missing captain-coach Luke Clarke to move into the Group 20 top three.
TLU co-captain Nathan Morris said the victory over the club’s local rivals was one to savour for the squad, after they fell to the Mallee Men in the teams’ first meeting in May.
“[It’s] always good to get a win against, I wouldn’t say the arch enemy, but it is the local derby, so any win against those guys is good,” he said.
“We have been on the other end of some important games, and every time we play Wyalong it’s always a tough game.
“To get the points, we needed to win and [it was] pleasing to do so.”
The Sharks took an 18-4 lead into the break thanks to tries to Toby Denyer, Jaden Kelly and Warren Lloyd, with Max Lawson crossing for the Mallee Men’s only reply.
The Sharks extended their advantage to 18 points when Bryce Fisher crashed over on a short side play, before West Wyalong hit back with two tries to Logan Collins and Dylan McCartney to reduce TLU’s lead to 22-14.
However, the Sharks hit back with two of their own as Cody Collins dived over before Lloyd completed his double to seal a 20-point victory.
With six tries in his past five games playing in the front row, Morris said Lloyd has been a big driver of the Sharks’ success not only through his go-forward, but also on the scoresheet.
“He has been playing pretty good footy ever since he’s come out to Lake,” he said.
“He’s led from the front, he plays big minutes for a big fella up front and he loves it.
“He’s good to have around the club, that’s for sure, he gives the younger fellas [confidence] when he’s in the side [and] he’s got over for a few this year, so he’s going alright, he’d be up there for our tryscorers I think.”
As for the competition table, Sunday’s win and Leeton’s draw with Yanco-Wamoon in Saturday night’s local derby has elevated the side into the all-important top three.
After putting themselves in the box seat to leapfrog the Greenies with a victory over them away from home a week earlier, Morris said the goal of securing a double-chance is one of the side’s main goals in the run home.
“That’s been a big one, especially when we got that win last week at Leeton, that was a good one to get away from home against a quality side,” he said.
“We’ve talked about it, it is game by game, but if you can keep winning you can take other results out of play.
“If you’re winning, you’re going to get the points and give yourself a chance at a double chance, so that is probably the main focus, [to] control what we can control ourselves and then you don’t have to rely on results to go your way.”
Next up, the Sharks will take on the Griffith Waratah Tigers at home this weekend, while West Wyalong will travel to Solar Mad Stadium for a crucial fifth versus sixth showdown against the Griffith Black and Whites.
TULLIBIGEAL-LAKES UNITED 34 (Warren Lloyd 2, Toby Denyer, Jaden Kelly, Bryce Fisher, Cody Collins tries; Kelly 5 goals) DEFEATED WEST WYALONG 14 (Max Lawson, Logan Collines, Dylan McCartney tries; Nicholas Cooper goal) at Tullibigeal Sports Ground, Sunday July 19.
