Brothers to take on red-hot Mustangs in NRRRL grand final

THE Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League grand final will return to Lismore for the first time in 22 years with Marist Brothers hosting the Murwillumbah Mustangs at Crozier Field.

It will be one of five grand finals played at the venue on Sunday, September 14.

Brothers have not won a premiership since 2003 and qualified for the grand final after a determined 20-6 win over Bilambil.

Murwillumbah have built momentum late in the season and qualified from fifth spot after upsetting the minor premiers 38-10 in its semi-final.

Halfback Kade Hill was dominant in attack with front-rower Bodene Thompson leading the way in the forwards.

The Mustangs knocked over defending premiers Ballina the previous week with coach Arwin Marcus having won a grand final with Bilambil in 2022.

He came across to Murwillumbah this year and was confident they could get back on track after finishing ninth last year.

“I was lucky to get a junior base of players coming into first grade at Bilambil and that’s what they’ve done well here, too,” Marcus said.

“They have a great culture and it’s made it an easy transition for me.”

The Mustangs last tasted premiership success in 2016 and played in a losing effort against Ballina in the 2019 grand final.

Brothers come into the game with only hooker Paul O’Neill having last played in a grand final as a teenager with Ballina in 2010.

Halfback Shallin Fuller will be the key man along with strike centre Mitchell Krause, who will play his final game after 15 years in the NRRRL.

“We want to put in our best performance and get the whole town of Lismore behind us,” Brothers coach Darryl Butcher said.

“We had weeks at a time where we couldn’t get on a field because of the weather this year, but the boys just kept putting in the work and turning up for each other.”

The game is scheduled to kick-off at 3.10pm.

In other grades, Byron Bay will look to go one further than last season when it takes on minor premiers Bilambil in the reserve grade grand final.

Mullumbimby secured its grand final spot with a field goal win last weekend and will take on Bilambil in under-18s.

Bilambil and Northern United will contest the women’s tackle grand final, while Marist Brothers will take on Tweed Heads in the ladies league tag.