Group 2 Rugby League: Top talking points from round seven

Check out some of the top talking points below.

WOOPI ISSUES WARNING

Woolgoolga put the rest of the competition on notice in round seven and extracted a slice of revenge for last year’s decider with a 42-18 thumping of defending premiers Nambucca in a grand final rematch at Solitary Island Sports Ground.

After trailing 12-8 at the break, the Seahorses ran absolutely riot in the second 40 as they scored eight tries to three overall to seal a big win.

The victory extends the team’s unbeaten start to the season to four games and it clear at the top of the ladder.

Perhaps worryingly for other sides in the competition, Woolgoolga skipper Jake Elphick believes his team still isn’t playing anywhere near its potential.

“It was a great win, I’m very happy with how we went, but I think we’ve still got a lot of improvement left in our side,” he said.

“We’ll certainly take the win, put that one under the belt and it’s good to know that we’re capable of that. It’s just about being a bit more consistent throughout the whole game.”

SEAHORSES LEAD CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

Woolgoolga just doesn’t find itself on top of the first grade ladder, with the Seahorses also leading the race for the club championship.

After round seven, the club sits at the top with 114 points, with the first grade, reserve grade and women’s tackle sides yet to taste defeat.

The club has a healthy lead over Sawtell (90) and Macksville (82), while behind them are the Grafton Ghosts (74), South Grafton (70) and Nambucca (68). Coffs Harbour, who is not eligible for the overall crown on account of not having a women’s side, has collected 58 points.

The club championship points are calculated as follows: in first grade, the sum of total competition points are multiplied by four; in reserve grade they are multiplied by three; women’s tackle are multiplied by two; and the under-18s’ points total is simply added to the broader tally.

GHOSTS EYE OFF CHARGE UP LADDER

There were brilliant scenes at Frank McGuren Field on Sunday afternoon as the Grafton Ghosts broke through for their first win of the season in dramatic fashion, defeating Macksville 26-24.

After a seesawing clash in which the lead changed multiple times, it all came down to a play after the full-time siren as Macksville goal kicker Romain Pallares lined up a penalty goal attempt from the sideline to try and secure a late draw.

However fortunately for the Ghosts, Pallares’ attempt fell short and the Grafton side celebrated its first success of 2025.

It was a well-celebrated win for the club after a difficult start to the season. Despite being well in the contest for three of their four games going into the Macksville game, the Ghosts hadn’t been able to break through for victory.

Despite these frustrations, coach Troy McLean, who joined the club this season from Murwillumbah, has been impressed with the resilience of his playing group.

“They’ve got a real never-say-die attitude, they try and put themselves in everything. They don’t give up and play for 80 minutes,” he said.

“It’s just getting the finer part down pat: completing our sets, kicking to corners. I’d like to think that I’m the new bloke coming into town to just try and set a few new little rules and goals within the club. We’re definitely heading in the right direction as a club, that’s for sure.”

The Ghosts are now hoping to use the win as a springboard to jump up the ladder.

“In the Group 2 comp it’s very tight. From first to seventh there’s only six or seven points in it, it’s up for grabs, that’s for sure,” said Grafton coach Troy McLean.

“We’ve got Sawtell at home this weekend for our old boys’ day. We led 22-6 in the first round and got run down. If we can bank another win this weekend we’ll be right back in things.”

COFFS HITTING THEIR STRAPS

Coffs Harbour has continued its resurgence after a slow start to the season, knocking over South Grafton 28-12 at Geoff King Motors Oval.

After kicking off the campaign with three competitive but ultimately unsuccessful losses, the Comets have now won two straight and sit in fifth place on the ladder.

While it may seem like a fairly modest return compared to the rest of the competition, the results are a significant improvement for the Coffs Harbour team, which recorded just three wins over the course of last year’s season en route to collecting the wooden spoon.

Although the team has made a subtle improvement in average points scored per game (17.3 in 2024 versus 18.4 in 2025), the big difference can be seen in defence.

While the Comets conceded a competition-high 368 points last year at an average of 31 per game, they have well and truly tightened the screws in 2025, letting in just 90 points in five games. This averages out to just 18 per game to leave the team with the second-best defensive record in the competition.

Coffs will be on the lookout for three in a row on Sunday when it travels to Macksville to take on the Sea Eagles.

NAMBUCCA COP BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES

On the other end of the scale, it has been a difficult fortnight for defending premiers Nambucca, who slumped to their second straight loss after going down to Woolgoolga 42-18.

The return of skipper Tyronne Roberts-Davis from suspension wasn’t enough for the Roosters, who were overrun in the second half by a rampaging Seahorses team.

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After kicking off the season with three gritty wins, Nambucca will now head into the break on the back of successive defeats.

It is a far cry from last season, when the side lost just two games all season as the claimed the minor and major premiership.

Defence appears to be a big part of the problem for the defending premiers. After conceding just 222 points across 14 games last season, at an average of 16 per game, the team has already let in 100 in just five games in 2025, at an average of 25.

Originally published as Group 2 Rugby League: Top talking points from round seven