Rugby league in Port Stephens is alive and well despite the fact that the district has been unable to field a men's first division club for more than three years.
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The Newcastle Rugby League is rich in talent with junior products from Port Stephens stamping their authority in the region's toughest competition.
Leading the charge are the Raymond Terrace-based Higgins brothers, Liam and Luke, who are this year playing for opposing clubs - Liam with the Macquarie Scorpions and Luke with Souths Lions.
In their first of three scheduled encounters for 2019, Liam's Scorpions took the points, 20-12, in a tough clash played at Townson Oval last Saturday.
Dad Craig Higgins, a former Terrace player and coach, made no bones about his mixed feelings as a keen spectator on the day.
"At one stage the score was 16-12 and I was thinking how great it would be if it ended up in a draw," he said.
"It is a shame that Port Stephens doesn't have a top grade club but it comes down to dollars. Unfortunately, you cannot sustain a first division club without the backing of a major licensed club.
"But that doesn't mean the Port cannot continue to produce great talent. The junior districts of Raymond Terrace, Nelson Bay and Mallabula are packed with strong teams and skillful individuals who need pathways to progress through to representative levels."
Also playing for last year's premiers Souths in 2019 are brothers Jacob and Justin Afflick, who like the Higgins siblings are products of the Raymond Terrace Roosters.
Kurri centre Jarred Anderson also had his start as a Terrace junior.
Across at Maitland showground last Saturday, the Pickers fielded in their first grade side two former Nelson Bay juniors in Isaac Upton and Tyler Perrin.
The Pickers managed to hold on to a hard-fought 27-20 victory over Central Newcastle, who featured another Bay junior, Kurt Warden, among its ranks.
In addition to Upton and Perrin, the Maitland club features another two Bay junior players in Liam Walsh and Mitch Wilton among its 2019 squad.
Port Stephens continues to field strong second division clubs in Fingal Bay, Raymond Terrace and Mallabula, with all three clubs recording successful starts to the season.
And not to be outdone are the ladies league and tag players who are making huge inroads in their respective competitions right across the Port. Female registrations in both juniors and seniors are at record levels and their numbers are growing every year.
Higgins said that the emergence of the ladies teams in Port Stephens in recent years had been something to behold.
"It's quite impressive to see so many locally based ladies doing so well and getting the strong community support they deserve," Higgins said.