The fact former NRL player Josh Starling refers to Wellington’s Richard Peckham as the most talented player he’s ever lined up alongside would shock many but the Cowboys’ man showed his class on Saturday when leading his side to a Group 11 victory over Macquarie.
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Starling, who amassed 80 NRL appearances before liking with Oberon in Group 10 this year, played alongside the likes of Adam Reynolds, Daly Cherry-Evans, Kieran Foran and many other big names in his time in the top flight but when speaking on social media on Saturday he said a young Peckham was the best he’d seen.
“Unbelievable talent. Could do it all, run, ball play and put some massive shots on. Was the best player in the Illawarra for (under) 18s which included Tyson Frizell and Damian Cook,” he tweeted during the Cowboys’ clash with the Raiders.
With star fullback Will Lousick having one of his most quiet games for the season on Saturday and the Cowboys immense forward pack struggling to gain any real ascendancy, it was Peckham, now 26, who time and time again who got his side on the front foot.
While admitting there was a lot to still work on this season, injured Cowboys’ captain-coach Aidan Ryan was delighted with Peckham’s performance in the 44-32 victory.
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“Richard Peckham, again, was probably man of the match,” Ryan said, his five-eighth’s running game particularly instrumental.
“He played unreal and CJ Ralph, our centre, played another really top game so it’s good having other fellas step up in games and dig in.”
Ryan was also proud of his side given the mounting injury problem at the club.
Ryan is set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines with a vertebrae issue and Lewis Stanley missed the match as well while forwards Jaden Chatfield and Swade Dunn left the field in the first half hour on Saturday and didn’t return.
As well as that, Lousick and a number of others are carrying ongoing knocks.
“We had to make a few adjustments but our middle was pretty poor today and I take pride in our three middle men, we’ve got good experience there but they didn’t set the platform today,” Ryan said.
The Cowboys shot out of the blocks and led 12-0 early with tries to stand-in captain Justin Toomey-White and Peckham, who crossed after a brilliant right-foot step, both coming off the back of Raiders penalties.
That wasn’t the only time that happened in the match and that is something all too familiar for Raiders coach Dylan Hill.
“We scored 32 points and that shows we’ve got the potential to score a lot but leaking 44, defensively that’s not ideal and again we’ve got to aim up,” Hill said, before speaking about the discipline.
“It’s something I’ve spoken about for numerous weeks now and I said it again right before the game but we still can’t seem to do it. Allowing them points off penalties and errors kill us.”
The Raiders got within two points at one stage in the first half but the Cowboys went into the sheds with a 28-10 lead after Toomey-White bagged his second.
The second half was an action-packed one and while youngster Jai Merritt, who started off the bench, made the Raiders a vastly better team it was Wellington’s sheer array of attacking options which proved decisive.
Halfback AJ Davis produced another strong all-round performance with his playmaking matched by some stiff defence and an impressive boot which landed six from eight conversions.
That was decisive as Macquarie’s Kurt Fuller kicked just one from five while Merritt kicked one of two attempts.
Ryan was also proud of the effort of Wellington under 18 players Brock Naden, Will Allen and Daniel Stanley after the trio backed up and performed well in first grade.
The win, combined with Parkes’ loss to Forbes last weekend, saw the Cowboys move into second spot behind Dubbo CYMS.
WELLINGTON COWBOYS 44 (Justin Toomey-White 2, CJ Ralph, Richard Peckham, Brogan Black, Jarirn Fernado, Will Allan tries; AJ Davis 6 goals) defeated MACQUARIE RAIDERS 32 (Dalton Medcalf 2, Josh Ciappara, Kane McDermott, Jayden Merritt, Sam Thorpe, Ash Widders tries; Kurt Fuller, Jai Merritt tries)