It was great to see so many of the team returning from last year, with four new players joining J4 Black this year.

The boys left off where they finished last year and started to play a more structured game, finding their natural position either in the forwards or backs. The boys worked hard throughout the season to build their skills in the key aspects of the game of tackling, passing and the breakdown.

When it came off, it was a joy to watch. Despite losing a key loosie, James, through injury mid-season, the pace and high work rate of Ryder and strength of Taiaa helped us win countless breakdowns. Luke, Jack and Liam L ran straight and hard off the back of rucks and mauls. The quick and brilliant passing of Fletcher in his first season of rugby was a game changer for the team. This freed up the jinking running of Henry, Liam B and George, the power of Taiaa and the pace of Oban, Carlos. This year saw George, Luke, Fletcher and Henry score their first tries for Cote.

Tackling is still a work on for J4 Black but confidence has built through the season. We saw hard tackling from Taiaa, Carlos, and Henry, try-saving tackles from George, Fletcher and Liam L and a large number of tackles per game from Jake, Luke, Liam B, Ryder, and Oban that helped us keep a lot of games closer than we would have earlier in the season.

Thank you to all the J4 Black parents for their fantastic support throughout the season. A big thank you to our referee, Cal Hyde, and Nik Payne, our manager and pizza provider, for their support and help in making the 2022 season enjoyable for all involved.