ON Saturday the Nambucca Roosters travelled north to meet the Grafton Ghosts on their home ground of Frank McGuren Field to play out the Round 4 games that had been postponed due to extreme weather.

It was a successful campaign for the Roosters, winning three of the four grades, with only the Reserve Grade suffering defeat.

It was a momentous occasion for the Roosters Women’s Tackle side, who picked up their first win of the season.

The First Grade game was a rather one-sided affair with the visitors putting the home team to the sword with a full-time score of 62-12.

The game began with both sides appearing to be evenly matched for possession and completions and solid in defence.

The Roosters attack had real pace on the edges that Grafton found hard to counter.

With eight minutes gone on the clock, an intercept saw Nambucca’s Dane Saunders get in the clear to make a 60 metre sprint for a great individual try.

Six minutes later a pinpoint chip-kick by Tyronne Roberts-Davis resulted in Beau Langford crossing the line in spectacular fashion close to the posts.

A successful Roberts-Davis conversion followed, putting the Rosters in front 10-0.

Grafton responded almost immediately with a Liam Bloomer try, taking the game to 10-6.

With 20 minutes still to play in the first half, Tyreece Sines burst through a well organised defensive line for a try, converted by Roberts-Davis.

Five minutes later Logan Jones scooped up a dropped ball against his own line and capitalised on a gap in the defence to run the length of the field to score in the corner.

Only minutes later the visitors launched an impressive passage of attacking play which saw the ball work its way right across the Roosters line and back to the centre in textbook fashion.

The move ended with Jack Margetts crossing the try line, the Roosters pulling away from the home side, 26-6.

Grafton was able to close the delta a little via a Jake Martin try, although this was soon followed by a melee that halted play for five minutes and saw Tyronne Roberts-Davis sent to the bin for ten minutes.

Despite being a man down the Roosters did not falter and finished the half in style with a play that had every Rooster getting a touch of the ball.

A dangerous tackle penalty going their way on the bell enabled Toby Batten to kick a penalty goal, heading to the sheds at half time, the Roosters in front 28-12.

Whatever it was that Coach Warrick Jones said to his squad at half time did the trick and the Roosters launched a rolling attack that caught the Ghosts off guard.

With less than two minutes gone in the second half, Nambucca’s Jack Margetts was over the line for a try, converted by Toby Batten, the score 34-12.

Eight minutes later, Margetts crossed the line once more, again converted by Batten and the scoreboard reading 40-12.

Logan Jones then added to the home side’s woes by scoring two tries only three minutes apart.

Both were great team efforts with Roosters attackers absorbing defenders and enabling the nimble Jones to exploit the gaps created.

Returning to the paddock, Roberts-Davis was back to kicking conversions, and the score went to an almost cruel 50-12.

In an attacking master class, Tyronne Roberts-Davis piled on more points when the Ghosts fullback fell for a dummy pass and Tyronne crossed next to the posts for a great individual try, converted by Batten, the score 56-12.

Never giving in, the Grafton Ghosts put on a determined fight back during the final stages of the game, holding the Roosters against their line for over four minutes of great pressure in attack.

When the Roosters got the ball back they exploited one more scoring opportunity and got Tyreece Sines across the line, converted by Roberts-Davis for a full time score of 62-12.

In the Under 18s the home side had the better of the Roosters during the first half, leading 18-14.

During the second half the Nambucca boys exploited the fact that the Ghosts were not at their best defensively and turned the tide to win the game by a massive margin, 42-10.

The cohesion in the Roosters Under 18 outfit is blindingly apparent, demonstrated by their eagerness to play for each other, resulting in good football and producing points.

The Roosters Ladies Tackle Team had their first ever win in a quality match-up that produced some classy football, the girls playing their best game yet with stellar improvements in all facets of their game, particularly in attack near the line.

A close finish made the result all the more satisfying, the Roosters ladies winning 10-8.

The Reserve Grade game was the only game where the visitors did not pick up a win.

Completions let the Roosters down in the first half, too often changing over possession with the home side in good field position and able to capitalise, the halftime score 8-0.

It was a more composed Roosters that took to the field in the second half and although the Ghosts took the score to 18-0, the Roosters launched a fightback to bring them to within eight points of the lead until Grafton pulled away in the closing minutes, full-time in the Reserve Grade, 24-10.

By Mick BIRTLES