Saturday night was the opening day for the Comets. The day started at 2pm when the under-16 team played followed by the under-18 team. At 5:45 the Comets had their first test against Mackay. I arrived at 4:30 to help them get ready. Let me tell you, being in a men's locker room is a new experience for me! Lots of sweaty boys and testosterone permeated the air, not to mention all the heat and mozzies trapped inside the small locker room. I couldn't wait for the game to start, so I could get out and breath some fresh air while watching the game from the sidelines.
The boys took the field in their brand new uniforms sporting the new logo. I got to sit back and try and figure out how the game was played. The boys get 5 downs to score before the ball is turned over if the attempt is unsuccessful. When tackling, they have to hold them down for it to count. To score, they have to purposefully place the ball down on the ground. A goal earns 4 points, followed by a kick that can earn them 2 points. Typically they play in 40 minute halves, but they have a heat rule that the enforced that had them get a drink at 20 minutes. They do have a scrum like rugby union, but I'm still not sure why because it doesn't seem to serve any purpose in this game.
Unfortunately, the Comets lost to Mackay 0-10, but at least Mackay didn't score until the last quarter. Fortunately, there were no injuries to report, just a few sprained muscles. After watching how they take each other down, that was a nice surprise. They pretty much grab a guy behind the back of the knee, lift him up and toss him on his head! So, after checking in on them after the game and finding out they were all ok, I was free to go enjoy the Brisbane Broncos (the Comets' affiliate team) play the Melbourne Storm. This was a National Rugby League pre-season match up. Some of the Comets were actually being trialled as well, so it was fun to see a few guys that I know play as well. The game was a lot quicker and the passing a lot sharper and I had Ronnie, the Comets trainer, explaining the rules to me as the game went. Now that I had a better understanding of the game (and a tinnie of Gold in hand) it was a pretty exciting event!
Saturday night was the opening night for the Comets 2010 season! The game was faster-paced and a bit more exciting than the previous scrimmages we had watched.
