Harry Reid came out of nowhere, an unexpected treat whose rugby league resume prior to this season was light on representative football.
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At Rugby League Park in Armidale on Saturday afternoon, the 17-year-old hooker once again announced himself in a big way.
His three-try blitz and a sharp dummy half running game were instrumental in the Greater Northern Tigers' under-18 side sinking the Northern Rivers Titans 36-20 in a third round Laurie Daley Cup clash.
It was the Tigers' second win, and a impressive rebound from their 22-4 loss to the Central Coast Roosters the previous round.
Reid - who arrived in Singleton some three years ago by way of Mount Isa and Townsville - had his fingerprints all over the contest.
"He's the man of the match," a woman said after Reid scored his third try - an explosive dummy half dart from close to the Titans' tryline: 36-16 after Mitch Henderson's conversion from in front.
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She was right: Reid won the Tigers' game ball for the second match a row, after also impressing in a 30-22 defeat of the North Coast Bulldogs in round one in Aberdeen.
In year 12 at Singleton High and a Singleton Greyhound, Reid said he did not "feel eyes" on him prior to this season. Now he does.
He has not been contacted by an NRL club, but expect that to change if he keeps playing like this.
Knowing that he can be destructive at this level was "a big confidence booster", he said, adding that he was "pushing" for entry into an NRL club.
"Hopefully I can get some people looking," he said.
People were looking at Rugby League Park, and they liked what they saw - shouting their approval as he left the field.
The Tigers - sixth on the ladder going into the match - scored six tries to four and led 24-10 at half-time.
The Tigers and the Titans - who went into the match fourth on the ladder with one win (they beat Macarthur Wests Tigers 30-12 in round one) - went blow for blow early in the clash.
The Titans scored first when No 7 Harvey Moase produced a beautifully weighted cross-field kick, which winger Harry Sivewright caught on the tryline and crossed untouched: 6-0 after Michael Roberts' conversion from touch.
The Tigers hit back immediately when skipper Henderson put the foot down some 20m out from the Titans' tryline and willed himself an improbable try - just too fast, strong and determined for the defence.
His conversion from out wide made it 6-6 - soon to be 12-6 when Tigers second-rower Luke Smith scored the first of a double.
Northern Rivers winger Jack Field crossed out wide to make it 12-10.
But when Reid scored his first try - a close-range effort from dummy half - and Henderson converted from in front to give the home side a 18-10 lead, they had gained an ascendancy they never relinquished.
Greater Northern play the Newcastle Maitland Region Knights in a penultimate round clash at Cessnock next Saturday.
The ladder was yet to be updated when this article was published.
In the earlier under-16 encounter, the Tigers remained winless after a 30-16 loss to the Titans.
TIGERS 36 (Harry Reid 3, Luke Smith 2, Mitch Henderson tries; Henderson 6 goals) d TITANS 20 (Harry Sivewright, Jack Field, Tanu Nona, Jye Davis tries; Michael Roberts 2 goals)
Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
