The Harden Hawks sit atop the George Tooke ladder after defeating the North Canberra Bears in a very physical match, scoring 22-16.
Steve Anderson, Drew Arabin and Josh Fogg all scored, while another unknown Hawk crossed the line. North Canberra responded in kind, but fell a converted try short.
It was a physical game with Hawks stalwart Luke Brown informing the Times, “The game started off pretty tough, they were big lads. It was tough all the way through, it was close all the way, and then we sort of got them at the end. We outdid them with a little bit of fitness.”
The Hawks have a more agile squad than most while also having some ‘big boppers’ up front in Tyson Astill and Matt Holmes, who they didn’t have last year.
Brown returns for what is closing in on 25 years of First Grade after debuting in Group 9 as an 18-year-old. He celebrates his 41st birthday this year. “I’m back playing, I’ve started most weeks in the back row. At my young age now, it’s tougher, slower, but it’s still going, it’s not too bad. I’m still getting a few minutes in there. I will be 41 in November,” he said.
“Tyson and Holmsie are going good, they are a big help. Adam Byrnes came back on the weekend for his first hit out. Riley has been going well too, all those lads.
“It’s a pretty good, pretty even little squad. Everyone does their bit.”
The Hawks have played six and won six, and are 239 for and 52 against, highlighting their defensive prowess under Coach Hall.
The club and their Coach will be grieving the loss of Nick’s father and our newspaper team who regularly deal with Nick send our condolences. Nick always answers the phone and is willing to spread the rugby league story.
Try scoring phenom Riley Manwaring had his shoulder injured during the game. He told the Times, “I got the all clear on the nerves and then went and saw the physio and he had a look at it and found a few little tears in some of the ligaments and tendons. Initial reports I guess were probably six weeks for best case return to footy, but now it’s looking more like four.”
As part owner of Headley Grange, Manwaring came in for some attention after an opposition player may have raised the knee and left him with an injured shoulder, gash to the head and a stint on the sideline to recover. We hope that the injuries were softened by his horse winning its first Group 1.
He commented on his family’s horse by saying, “The monkey is off his back now, he’s got his group one, so anything he keeps doing now is just obviously always more progressive and just beneficial for the family.”
“He’s still a five-year-old. His prize money could be even higher as he’s just been beaten so closely in these races because it is so competitive, but he got one over them this time,” he said.
“The first four races in the actual autumn down there in Sydney, he was racing against literally the best horses in Australia, like Autumn Glow and Lady Shenandoah and Sheza Alibi. They’re some of the best horses in Australia.
“He won the Kingswood Smith Cup, but he’s into the Stradbroke now. Both races are in Queensland.
“He pulled up fine after the race. He was fresh as a daisy. He didn’t even look like he’d run around.
“There’s a few races in the springtime that we might go down to, it just depends on how he pulls up and keeps going.
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