IT was a day of firsts for the Cooper family and the Northern Blues on Sunday as they overcame Macquarie Scorpions 38-26.
For the club, a maiden first grade victory against the seventh-placed Macquarie at Peacock Field yielded its first competition points and lifted the proverbial monkey from the back of coach Robert Relf.
For the Corlette family, 17-year-old Nathan's call-up from the bench to play lock 15 minutes into the game was the first time he had played along side older brothers Matt and Cameron.
Father and former Blues player Len Cooper watched on as Matt, centre, Cameron, five-eighth, and Nathan helped dismantle the Scorpions and staved off a fight-back in the second period.
"Their first game together came a bit earlier than expected, but they went really well," he said.
It was Nathan's first grade debut and return game from a nine-week lay off, which he took to overcome a sternum injury sustained playing for the Knights SG Ball side.
"I knew he would handle it, I was mainly concerned about his sternum injury...but he was fine."
Nathan and Matt both crossed for the Blues on Sunday, while Cameron impressed during his return from the wing to his favoured number six spot.
Matt, 23, is certainly leading his younger brothers by footballing example, gaining selection in this month's NSW Country Rugby League (CRL) firsts team.
The team will travel to Bundaberg for the annual CRL versus Queensland Rugby League challenge.