The Road to Redemption

The weekend’s game saw the mighty Hounds bounce back into finals contention with a 40 – 18 win over a depleted Northside Natives outfit.  Normanby rarely got out of second gear all day and only showed very small glimpses of the quality of football to come in the next three weeks.  The Hounds were missing some big name players like Chan, Doyle, Tomlins, Ruka, Kirk, Von Pein, and Casey, but a 12 man Natives outfit ensured the hounds that a victory wouldn't be far away if they could follow the game plan set by coach Muharem.

Many of the boys were still in mourning over the death of musical legend Michael Jackson so the Hounds wore singular white gloves on their left hand to honour the pop hero.    

First half started well with returning centre Eddie Muharem bagging a double off the back of some well structured play.  At 10 – 0 up Normanby clocked off and thought the rest of the afternoon was going to be a cake walk but as usual the creative Natives outfit hit back with two tries of their own  to level the scores at 10 a piece.  A confused Elliot scooped up a Natives knock on thinking he had the advantage only to be shown the touch line and taken out.  The game day official stated “your number 7 picked up the loose ball and ran for the sideline, the advanatge was over". Elliot replied promptly with "yeah thats right, I just ran for the sideline, you IDIOT".  Champagne Rugby League! 

In the biggest play of the game Mitchell Stalker took Normanby back into the lead with a barnstorming run straight over the top of the biggest Natives player (arguably the biggest player to have played the game of rugby league) to take Normanby to the break 16 - 10.

The second half saw tries to Burgo, La Budda and Humpa with Humpa also having a good day with the boot kicking 7/8.  Consolation tries were let in towards the end of the half making the score look respectable for the Natives.  Normanby victors 40 – 18 and the premiership dream is still alive.

Biggest hit of the game was one of the final plays where Tower charged the ball back from a deep restart only to get nudged off balance and eat turf.  The hit was massive and jarred the ball free.  Tower state “It’s the old debate of nature vs. nurture, nature always wins”. 

The Old Boys points for the round went to Humpa, Mitchell Chambers and Eddie well done boys.

All in all a great performance by the Hounds but we were defeated by the mighty GE!  Yowsah and a Yowsah and a Yowsah.