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Lismore go with 'nothing to lose' to the FNC Rugby Union's powerhouse

The Lismore App

21 June 2019, 8:14 AM

Lismore go with 'nothing to lose' to the FNC Rugby Union's powerhouseGavin Tulk and his 17-year-old son Dylan return for Lismore when they travel to Wollongbar tomorrow

Winless Lismore Rugby Club have to travel tomorrow to Wollongbar to face Wollongbar Alstonville Rugby Club who have won all 10 matches played in Far North Coast Rugby Union's 2019 season.


Wollongbar Alstonville, who are chasing their sixth-successive premiership, also had three players selected for the NSW Country side - Sam Kerry, Ben Damen and Alex Gibbon (a former Lismore player).


So what do you say to the 18 Lismore players who are facing the competition leaders?


"I told the players there is no pressure on us, there is nothing to lose. Wollongbar Alstonville are not going to be expected to lose. They are thinking they are going to play Lismore, who are bottom of the comp," said Lismore's coach Ray Taylor.


"So, as individuals we want to be better than their players, that means everyone. If one player does not want to be better, then it is not going to happen."


Taylor praised prop Greg Martin, in his first match of the season after coming out of retirement, for inspiring his side against Byron Bay in the narrow loss last Saturday. Martin is not playing tomorrow and Taylor was nonplussed.


'There are enough senior players out there to inspire the younger lads, who all have some experience now and are finding their feet. Everyone should put their hand up and give it their best in attack and defence.


"The younger boys are all out to get better, to contribute something, and they are coming on.


"We have lost props Greg Martin and Marcus Ellison but welcome back Dylan (who was selected into the NSW Junior Rugby Union's Under 18s Representative side) and his dad Gavin Tulk. Ben Carroll comes in too. We have hardly seen Dylan this season. In the first two games of the season he was a stand out. He said at training some of the players he was playing against for NSW Country were the hardest he had ever come across, so I look forward to seeing him in action tomorrow."


Taylor said the five try performance last Saturday saw increased numbers at training in the week.


"We had nearly two teams last night and I know Marcus Hannaway was training with Marist Brothers Rams, so it was pleasing. Centre Jake Lennon is improving every match. He is still a young bloke and next year he will leading the way."


Lismore: 1. Gavin Tulk, 2. Cameron Bryant, 3. Ben Carroll, 4. Dylan Tulk, 5. Jathan Von Bratt, 6. Tyler Coveney, 7. Brenden Williams (c), 8. James Grubb, 9. Jack Everingham, 10. William Fairweather, 11. Sam Nilon, 12. Jake Lennon, 13. Marcus

Hannaway, 14, TBA, 15. Andrew Sky

Wollongbar Alstonville: 1. Jaiden Reginato, 2. Bill Johnston, 3. Benji Tiatia, 4. Matt Scott, 5. Josh Galbraith, 6. Austin Markwort, 7. Justyn Keir, 8. Nick Pennisi, 9. Louis Hollman, 10. Ben Damen (c), 11. Josh Damen, 12. Daniel Damen, 13. Alex

Gibbon, 14. James Vidler, 15. Sam Kerry


Other FNC Rugby First Grade Round 11 matches and provisional teams


Casuarina Beach: 1. Bruce Somerville, 2. Daniel Heritage, 3. Robert Beacroft, 4. Trent Ryan, 5. Elisio Tagidrau, 6. Matt Worland, 7. Henry Bradford, 8. Mitch Planten, 9. Webb Lillis, 10. Rian Olivier, 11. Michael Coates, 12. Hiroshi Takeyama, 13.

Richard White, 14. Luke Gyory, 15. Graham Dodge

Casino: 1. Blake Birmingham, 2. Ben Collison, 3. Scott Kenny, 4. Callum McLennan, 5. Marcus Cusack, 6. Josef Lalabalavu, 7. Elliott Birmingham, , 8. Ratu Vio Batibasaga, 9. Stephen Murchie (c), 10. Nick Armstrong, 11. Nick Benn, 12. Sililo Stavenow, 13. Harrison Cusack, 14. Jake Roberts, 15. Wilson Lovokuro


Lennox Head: 1. Angus Langfield, 2. Brad McGoulrick, 3. Jacob Carter, 4. Callum Jones, 5. J Smith, 6. Kurt Orlanno, 7. Jackson Gardnir, 8. Hayden Blair (c), 9. Abe Goldsmith, 10. Billy Goldsmith, 11. Matthew Bermingham, 12. Martin McNamara, 13. Callum S Jones, 14. Rhys Tatum, 15. Sam Fitzgerald

Bangalow: 1. Sean Petrou, 2. Nick Jones (c), 3. Otty Fifita, 4. Rob Wrightman, 5. Jock Craigie, 6. Josh Johns, 7. John Turagabeci, 8. Dave Johnson, 9. Rowan Ozols, 10. Ben Farrow, 11. Jack Bensley, 12. Dan Hill, 13. Kye Spence, 14. Adam Brien, 15. Alex Wadsworth


Southern Cross University: 1. Mitchell Bird, 2. Isaac Penfold, 3. Kirk Taylor-Brown, 4. Brad Sneath, 5. Dean Buchanan, 6. Riley Spencer, 7. Peter Murphy, 8. Ben Prozinski, 9. Will Hawkins, 10. TBA, 11. Rhys Harrison, 12. Pat Dawson, 13. Matt

McMullen, 14. TBA, 15. Michael McMullen

Ballina: 1. Isaac Pratten, 2. Hayden Warneke, 3. Marcus Lees, 4. Jack Pippo, 5. Jakob O'Connor, 6. Brad Brown (c), 7. Luke Kliese, 8. Stan Lolohea, 9. Nick Watson, 10. Beau Clarke, 11. Rhyen Kennedy, 12. Nick Brydon, 13. Tupou Lolohea, 14. Leigh Foster, 15. Luke Simpson


Byron Bay: 1. Jordan Elliott, 2. Dan Morgan, 3. tim Hartmann, 4. Ed Randall, 5. Will Aisake, 6. Cooper Lau, 7. Ben Wood, 8. Courtney Raymond, 9. Tom Brooks, 10. Pete Gillespie, 11. Erik Rademacher , 12. Owain Roberts, 13. Romey Vassell, 14. Blake Whittakar, 15. Jascha Saeck (c)

Grafton: 1. Martin Boyd, 2. Zac Mason-Gale, 3. Dan Blackman, 4. Rhys Nelson, 5. Nick Collie, 6. Gary Wilson, 7. Tom Tanner, 8. Jack Anderson, 9. Adam Smidt, 10. Kyle Hancock (c), 11. Riley Durrington, 12. Jayden Reti, 13. Ed McGrath, 14. Ryan Spies, 15. Keaton Ingram

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