THE Laurieton Hotel Stingrays defeated Hastings League newcomers Bellingen Valley-Dorrigo 34-6 in a dominant display at home on Saturday, 14 June.
The Stingrays asserted their authority from the opening minutes of the match.
Lincoln Bell crossed the tryline out wide for the first points of the match, followed by a successful conversion from Jacob Humphreys.
The early six-point lead set the tone, with Chris Piper and Jayden Lack both soon finding the line for the Stingrays to continue the onslaught.
Cuban Piper successfully converted both tries, extending the Stingrays’ lead to 18-0 at the halftime break.
The point tally continued to rise in the second stanza for the Stingrays, with tries to Cuban Piper and Tom Worton.
Lincoln Bell also bagged his second try of the day after an intercept and 90-metre run to the line.
Piper kicked two more successful conversions, taking the scoreline to 34-0.
Solid defence kept the visitors scoreless until the final minutes of the match, when Bellingen Valley-Dorrigo were eventually rewarded with a well-deserved Aaron Caleb Rhodes try.
A successful conversion by Seth Martin followed, taking the fulltime score to 34-6 in favour of the Stingrays.
Laurieton captain Cuban Piper expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, crediting the victory to the efforts of the entire squad.
“I’m really glad we got the win today and all the glory to the boys,” said Piper.
“It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but coming away with a draw against Beechwood last weekend boosted our confidence.
“We just need to continue to build each week and continue to believe in ourselves.”
Piper’s standout players included Lincoln Bell for his impressive try-double, and Chris Scilinato for his solid tackles and runs in the middle.
Reflecting on his own performance, Piper emphasised the need to lead by example and identified areas for improvement.
“There was one stage today when we only had 12 men on the field as I gave away a silly penalty which I’m kicking myself for,” said Piper.
“As a captain I should be a leader and I need to fix that in my game but the boys dug really deep in defence and pulled us through.”
By Kim AMBROSE
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