Cudgen Rugby League Club have a long and proud history but there is still one thing that has eluded the senior sides – back-to-back premierships. However this might be about to all change, thanks to the club’s high-flying Reserve Grade side.
Premiers in their division of the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL) last year, the mighty regies are well in the race to get their hands on the trophy again and break a long-time Cudgen Hornets hoodoo.
In fact, not are they in the race, at the half-way point of the season, they are well out in front.
“We are unbeaten so far,” captain coach Leigh Brown admitted, trying not to get too far ahead of himself with half of the season to play.
“There are only about six or seven of us from last year. We lost three games last year and we’re undefeated so far, but we still have another eight games to play.”
He said there had been a lot of interest from past and present players in finally breaking the hoodoo.
“We have actually had a lot of guys come back to the club this year because they know we have never done it (won back-to-back premierships) before. We have a good mix of old heads and young guys coming through the ranks this year. There is a lot of depth in the club,” he said.
Leigh has also stepped up, moving from captain last year, to captain-coach for the 2011 season. He describes the dual roles as “challenging” but it is obviously a challenge he is up too.
The reserves’ latest win was against Byron Bay 24-18 at the Hornets’ home ground on Friday night. They now take a week’s break due to the long weekend, travelling to Lismore to take on arch-rivals Northern United in two weeks’ time. United are the side they beat in the grand final last year (after going down to them in the early rounds). This year the Hornets have already played them once, winning 28-16 but as Leigh Brown is quick to point out – it’s a long season.
