Ryley Mackay: Roosters second-rower a player to watch

There's the new job, the new relationship, the new body (10kg of extra muscle), the new status at Kootingal-Moonbi and the new Group 4 season.

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The second-rower - a converted five-eighth - shone bright at Werris Creek on Saturday, rewarding Geoff Sharpe's confidence in him by delivering an eye-catching performance underlined by a try double.

It was a hard-running, hard-hitting display that showcased the new player the Peel High graduate has become since joining the Roosters from Bendemeer in 2019.

Prior to the match, won 46-6 by Kooty, Roosters coach Sharpe said Logan Howard's injury had opened the door for Mackay.

He said Mackay had "worked hard on his body during the COVID break", and had "put on enough size" to move from five-eighth to the second-row.

Mackay, he continued, is a "strong defender and a good hole runner on the edge".

"I'm looking forward to [seeing] what he can bring to the team," the veteran mentor added.

As Mackay had a break on the wing against the Magpies, Sharpe barked from the sideline that the back-rower would not be substituted.

Mackay responded favourably, something he has done in life in general since splitting from his longtime partner, the mother of his son, in June last year.

"So that's what made it hard," he said of the relationship's demise.

"I've sorta had to restart [my life]," he also said. "But I'm happy now and it's all going good so far."

Mackay works at Bluescope Steel, where he folds metal for roofing and fencing. Last month, he announced on Facebook his relationship with Sophie Johnson.

"I feel like I've improved a lot over the last two years, coming over to Kooty," Mackay said. "Training's intense, but it's showing."

The Roosters and the Bears clash in a grand final replay at Kootingal on Saturday.

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