A confident Newport Nasties made a welcomed return to Porters Reserve on Saturday in front of a packed crowd against local rivals the Dee Why Lions. After the 1st Grade team had decimated the hapless Waverley side 62-12, the Blue White & Pinks were confident of a good showing. "They all trained really well this week. It should be good....." said a spirited Coach Mojo just before kickoff.

The local side had the best of possession in the opening stanza but did not take advantage of the situation after some great runs in the forwards by TTE, Pesty anf Tink. With many of the backline stars missing, the makeshift combination included Michael King and QF1 did well to contain a powerful Dee Why lineup out wide. It was however to no avail as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the break.

Spurred on by the parochial crowd, the Nasties were determined to have a better showing in the second half. An inspirational talk at halftime by Coach, Tink and Skip had the Nasties firing early on. With Gaven Sheehan directing play, the Nasties began to make in-roads through the middle of the pack. The Axe as usual was in the thick of it with Sean Panambalana coming in off his wing for some great runs. In the end the Dee Why team proved too strong on the day day for a 3-0 win. ".....we actually didn't play badly, they just caught us off guard out wide a few times and scored" a philosophical Skip McGrath commented to the ABC commentators.

Afterwards it was over to the Breakers Clubhouse for a well deserved drink and dinner to watch the Bledisloe Cup match on the TV. A good hard game was enjoyed by all those who played today despite a few bumps, bruises and even a broken nose for the Nasties. In the final lead-up to next month's World Festival, the Nasties next game is the Penrith Gala Day on 29 August. We look forward to the 3 weeks rest.

Onwards & Upwards