Rugby League is growing in interest amoungst the Thomas Hassall student community. Our newly accredited coaches have meant that we have been able to offer a more comphrensive program including clinics, training sessions and games.
A massive thankyou to Mr Williams and Mr Coulton who have taken this challenge up in 2017, becoming an unstoppable team. Here are some highlights from last season.
The Thomas Hassall Anglican College Junior Rugby League team begun the season undefeated, winning their frist three games. Beginning with a game against local rivals William Carey the boys took to the field with passion and energy and quickly climbed to a 16 nil lead.
The General, Julian Algeri directed his troopers around the field, sending Cooper Clifford down the middle for some big hit ups. Thomas Busfield, Blake McDermott and Callum Kayess led the team with a great defensive effort. However, an energised William Carey took to the second half with renewed vigor and finished the game with a try on the buzzer ending with a conversion to draw the game at 16-16.
With a couple of training sessions under their belts and the wisdom of Coach Williams to enjoy the contact and physicality of the game the Thomas Hassall boys took to the field against the highly fancied Clancy boys.
Down 8-nil at half time the boys set themselves three clear goals:
1. To have good line speed.
2. Hit, squeeze and roll in the tackle.
3. To spread the ball wide on the 3rd and 4th tackle.
With these goals in mind, the young men of Thomas Hassall sent the big forwards down the middle and spread the ball wide on the third and fourth tackle, ending the game 22-14 victors. Daniel Dawood and Michael Mangesi each made runs down the field, knocking Clancy defenders out of their way. Lucas Panerello and Tinodaishe Garakara were great additions to the team, proving difficult to tackle.
The final game began with some trepidation after noting the size of the Good Samaritan boys. Conceding a try to one of the many 8-foot giants on the Good Sam team in the first set of 6 was a shock! Despite this early setback the young men of Thomas Hassall kept their heads up and tackled their hearts out, hitting low and hard with their shoulders for the next 40 minutes.
Jarod Hooker brought his Oztag skills to the game dancing around the Good Samaritan players and scoring a great try. The game once again ended 22-14, with Thomas Hassall the winners.
Daniel Pearce and Matthew Sukkar once again proved that there is no one they cannot tackle and Captains Matthew Devitt and Dylan Foat led from the halves with a hat-trick for Dylan and a number of assists from Matthew.
It is with great excitement that Mr Williams and Mr Coulton took on the rest of the season with these fine young men, unfortunately finishing third overall after a narrow loss in the finals.
This term, we will see the Year 9/10 Rugby League team take to the field. We look forward to their development and achievements throughout the season.
Play Hard!