No Marchant, no Jamie “Emu” Andrews, no Don Hamiton, and half a team of newcomers, last season’s grand final side from the ranges was no match for the triple premiership-winners, going down, eight tries to nil.

“It was a very hard fought game. We have been hit very hard by injury and a shortage of players this year. We played a large part of the game with only 13 players and the team stuck together and really made me very proud. You can't ask for any more than that. Hopefully we can pick ups few more players over the next couple of weeks,” Cockies captain Stuart Paynter said.

Blame could not be attached to Gloucester’s forwards. With hefty, new 125-kg powerhouse, Mitch Meredith, exerting rare strength at prop in the early scrums, their pack cutting even in the lineouts through Ethan Hamilton, and vigorous work at the breakdown, Gloucester had ample ball to score tries.

With Marchant in their pack, the Cockies would have capitalised on their possession behind Kenneth Wamsley’s scrum and the 14-4 penalty count against the Dolphins by referee Ron Mancell, a long-time Sydney referee tutor and now welcome Harrington resident.

The Dolphins out-stepped and out-sped Gloucester’s tackle-shy back line with the visitors’ think tank of inside backs, Liam Brady, Matt Nuku and Mark Hagarty excelling in the heavy traffic, aided out wide by Jesse Logan and Jack Nicholson.

An important factor in the Dolphins’ supremacy was coach Ron McCarthy’s use of his reserves’ bench with utility player Colin Harris again proving an indispensable front row replacement, countering Meredith’s strength and administering his own crushing response with two barrelling tries.

It is absolutely sinful that the Mid North Coast rugby selectors have not beaten down five-eighth Nuku’s door to recruit him for the Axemen’s N.S. W. Country carnival at Armidale from May 7-8. In his New Zealand place of origin, they would have snapped him up in an instant.

But then how frequently do the selectors venture to the underworld of the Lower M.N.C., eyes fixed on the rugby riches of Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour?

For the Dolphins, lock forward Jack Woods had one of his finest games and Welsh “import”, flanker Tom Homer, continues to shine in the heaviest going at the breakdown. 

The Myall Coast Mud Crabs go from strength to strength, overwhelming the battling and under-manned Old Bar Clams, 88-0, but all the discussion of the second round centred on the Wallamba Bulls’ seven tries to two and 56-10 demolition of the Manning River Ratz at Taree Rugby Park.

New Bulls coach Lee Sullivan began training in January. With discipline and focus, the club has attracted strong numbers. They have built a big pack under the calm captaincy of prop Aaron Gordon and fine ball-winners through the back row brothers, Daniel and Rhys Hessing.

Coach Sullivan is particularly pleased with the development of his inside backs, half “Shorty” Curnow, five-eighth Chris Tout and inside-centre James Dinnan. 

They are exciting times for the Wallamba Bulls, and the Nabiac community. 

WALLAMBA 56 beat MANNING RIVER 10; FORSTER TUNCURRY 52 (M Hagarty 2 C Harris 2 T Haines J Logan R Avard  L Brady tries; L Crozier 5 goals J Nicholson goal) beat GLOUCESTER 0; MYALL COAST 88 beat OLD BAR 0.

Next Saturday’s third round games are: Wallamba Bulls v Gloucester Cockies at Nabiac; Old Bar Clams v Manning River Ratz at Trad Fields; and Forster Tuncurry Dolphins v Myall Coast Mud Crabs at Tuncurry.