11 Nov 2022
On Wednesday the 9th of November our Buckley Shield Champion team left Griffith for Canberra to take on Edmund Rice College, the best Catholic/Independent under 14s rugby team in the state.
The match got off to a shaky start after MRHS let a try slip through in the game's first minutes. Rather than undermining the boys’ morale, the try galvanised Murrumbidgee and inspired some courageous running and tackling from the forwards.
The momentum soon shifted when Sioeli Vea crashed through under the posts, locking the score 6/6 after a conversion from Matty Adams. Vea busted through the line once again with Viliami Siale in support, bringing the score up to 12/6 only five minutes later.
This heroic display inspired the boys to play what was perhaps their finest 15 minutes of football to date. A kick from Matty Adams to Marli Simoes in the corner was the try of the day. Soon after, Siale crossed for his second after a line break from Kaiden Simpson. The boys led 22-6 at half time.
The second half got off to a slow start, with a few costly mistakes from the Bidgee boys allowing Edmund Rice to close the gap. MRHS managed to repel all but two tries, which came in quick succession.
With the crowd on the edge of their seats, Nate Charles managed to score under the posts after busting six tackles. Another late try from Clive O’Hara further extended MRHS’ lead. Murrumbidgee’s victory was sealed 32-14 at the final siren.
Sioeli Vea was awarded Man of the Match for his outstanding performance on the field. The whole team’s game no doubt caught the eye of the Raiders scouting officers in the crowd and would have thrilled former MRHS students Michael Asomua, James Schiller and Pasami Saulo, who were watching from the sidelines.
After the match the boys were lucky enough to tour the Canberra Raiders Centre of Excellence. They were taught some valuable lessons on what it takes to become an NRL player. The boys were taken around the changerooms, nutrition kitchen, video rooms, gymnasium, recovery centre and board rooms. Some of the keener-eyed players even saw a familiar name on the Raiders' Players Board – Nigel Plum #275.
“It was an overall enriching experience for the kids and I know that they will continue to remember this trip for the rest of their lives," recounts Coach Adam McCann, “I think I have said it all about this group of young athletes. Time and time again they continue to impress and show exemplary skills for Rugby League. I can’t wait to continue to coach this team in the year to come for MRHS. Congratulations boys."
