In Group 19 Rugby League, Guyra clashed with Inverell at the Guyra Showground and maintained their undefeated status in the 2010 season on Sunday afternoon. Conditions were bleak and the game play failed to warm the hearts of spectators. Guyra was the superior side, clipping the wings of the Hawks with a final score of 52 – 28. Yet, despite fitness orientated training, the Guyra Super Spuds did not go the distance and a seemingly much stronger Inverell emerged as their equals in the second half.
A lack of swarming defence led to gaps and try scoring opportunities at both ends.
Guyra claimed first points when Simon Porter crossed the line. His try was converted by the consistent Ben Vidler.
Daniel Vidler got Guyra’s next try, which was converted by his brother, Ben.
Inverell’s Todd Cleal finally got Inverell on the board, with a try that he converted himself.
Blake Waters got Guyra’s next try, capped off by Ben Vidler.
Then the Vidler brothers struck again, with Dan’s try converted by Ben.
Guyra’s Tom Starr got a try, which was converted by Ben Vidler.
Will Archibald’s try and Ben Vidler’s conversion made the half-time score for Guyra 36 - 6.
The power of the Super Spuds appeared diminished, when the Hawkes began the second-half firing. Ben Hiscox scored a try for the Hawks and Todd Cleal converted.
Guyra’s Bevan Torrens responded with a try. Ben Vidler’s conversion attempt was to be his only miss of the game. 
Inverell’s maroon and whites kept up the attack. Aaron Fenton got a try on the wing and Todd Cleal nailed the conversion from the sideline.
Guyra’s Ron Dennison scored a try, which Ben Vidler converted.
Continuing the tit-for-tat point scoring of the second-half, Nathan Fenton’s try for Inverell was converted by Todd Cleal.
Dennis Gerrard responded with a try for Guyra and Ben Vidler got his final conversion of the game.
In consolation, the Inverell Hawks got the last points of the game, with an unconverted Todd Cleal try.
Guyra Captain, Dan Taylor, said Inverell was pretty tough. “They’ve got a bit of form on the board. They played well last week and kept coming at us. Our attack was pretty good in the first half. That’s what won us the game, our intensity dropped in the second half,
and their’s picked up. For us to concede that many points in a half – it’s not really good enough if we’re to win the comp,” he said. “Stand-out performers for Guyra were Blake Waters and Rodney Bull.”
Taylor said that Guyra looked set to struggle at the start of the season, but the team of local lads have stuck together to produce an unbeaten season to date. He pins their success on the team continuity and hard work at training. As for whether they can keep up the winning streak, “Oh, we can keep it going. There’s still a lot of hard games to go. We’ve got to play the Boomerangs twice yet, Tingha and Glen Innes again and we’ve got Armidale next week and they’re improving every week,” he said.
“Guyra were just too good. They are a class side,” Inverell Captain, Nathan Fenton said. “We had too much dropped ball and young fellas filling in.
“The second half was really good, and it was good to effectively win that half. On the whole, our strong players on the day were Chris Seagrott, as always, as well as youngsters, Todd Cleal and fullback Ryan Alexander,” Fenton said. “We’re slow starters, and once you let a side like Guyra get away, you’re always going to struggle to peg ‘em back.”

Story: Gary Fry