There is arguably no more exciting player in the Central North competition than Emori Waqavulagi.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Gunnedah winger is 'box office', as they'd say.
That player that if you were just a casual fan you'd pay your money to see.
The one that when he has the ball in his hands you never quite know what's going to happen but you sense that something is, and can create something out of nothing and turn a game in an instant.
Just ask Pirates about that.
After tearing them apart with three tries in the corresponding game last season, on Saturday his brilliance was a launching pad for the Red Devils' second half surge, as they made it four straight regular season wins over Pirates at home with a 46-27 triumph.
Cementing their position at the top of the table, it was a statement to the competition and probably themselves too.
For all the conviction of the final 19 point margin, they were really challenged. Pirates came hard at them, especially in the first half.
Post match captain James Perrett praised their "determination and grit" to keep themselves in the game early with Pirates having a lot of the play the first 20 minutes or so.
"We were struggling massively just to stay with them," he admitted.
But somehow they did, and even looked like they might take the lead into half-time with Cameron Mitchell putting them ahead 15-10 with two minutes to play.
They were though unable to secure the ball from the kick-off and Nick McCrohan scored off a cheeky lineout play to lock the scores up at 15-all at the break.
The crowd had barely got settled again and he had his second in what was a perfect start to the second half for the visitors.
As Perrett quipped, "very good" at not switching on coming out of the break, it was the kick they needed "to get going". They hit back a few minutes later through Dylan Lindsay to reclaim the lead 22-20.
Then virtually from the kick-off they were in again, Perrett finishing off some Waquvalagi magic.
Pushing them out to 29-20 - the biggest lead of the game - they seemed to lift another gear. And when Waqavulagi crossed for his first, the momentum had well and truly turned their way.
READ ALSO: Live scores: footy action in real time
Sam Collett got Pirates back to within seven but Elijah Sufia quickly quashed any thoughts of a comeback with a barnstorming run for his second. Waqavulagi then had the crowd on its feet with a 50m solo effort to seal it.
"We controlled the ball a lot better (in the second half)," Perrett said.
"We didn't do so many silly things and we didn't give away silly possession and penalties."
"And we just stopped them from playing their game.
"We were able to disrupt them. Not lie on the ball, not commit people to the breakdown. Just realign, get up and defend and I guess that just stopped their flow and their momentum."
As for Waqavulagi, "he's just a class of his own".
"You give him a metre of room and that's all he needs," Perrett said.
"He can come inside, outside, stop on a dime and get back up to top speed in two steps."
"To play against that is absolutely terrifying but to play with it, it's just magic."
True to the nature of games between the two sides it was physical and willing, and there were plenty of battered and bruised bodies at the final whistle.
But while the Red Devils have two weeks off now to recover - they have the bye, then it's the Country Championships - Pirates have to front up against Narrabri next week.
The Blue Boars had a good win on Saturday, beating Inverell 47-22.
In the other game Quirindi accounted for Scone 45-26.
