Four months ago, a knee injury ended former Dubbo CYMS co-captain Rikka Lamb’s debut season with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the 2018 Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership.
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But the Group 11 premiership-winner made a stunning comeback to the sport when she won the 2018 NSW Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout with the Newcastle Yowies on Monday afternoon.
Lamb’s Yowies faced the Wellington Wedgetails in the decider and were dominant in the opening half, but failed to convert the pressure to lead by just two points at the break.
But their connections solidified in the second half, and the visitors ran away with the 22-6 victory.
“It’s an unreal feeling!” Lamb told the Daily Liberal after the game.
“This is my first comp back [after the knee injury] so I sort of had an unlucky year but this sort of tops it off so I can’t complain!
“It took us four years, a new team, a couple of new players, so just to work hard for each other it’s a good feeling.”
Wellington coach Nathan Towney chalked the result up to a draining semi-final, but was proud of his team’s efforts.
“We had it tough in the semi-finals against the defending champions, the Redfern All Blacks and we spent a lot of gas getting through that game,” Towney said.
“The goal going into the Knockout is always to make it to the Monday, that means you’re in the final four and it’s a great result.”
The ultimate victory almost didn’t happen for Lamb – she hadn’t actually expected to be fit in time for the Knockout, and even feared reinjuring her knee.
“I had a knock to my knee in the [semi-final] so I sort of stuck out on the wing,” she revealed.
“I usually play fullback but I stuck out on the wing and my big mouth kind of got the girls talking a bit! So it was good!”
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Lamb has been somewhat adopted by the Newcastle Yowies – a side captained by her first cousin – in recent years.
She said it was special to “be back on home soil” where she started her rugby league career.
And she joked that her own family had been “on the fence” as she lined up against former CYMS teammate and sister-in-law Majayda Darcy, whose performance for the Wedgetails saw her named the back-rower of the Knockout.
“Obviously I started footy in Dubbo and to where I’ve got to today, the Dubbo family helped me out,” Lamb said.
“Obviously blood makes you related, but loyalty makes you family and [the Yowies] have been loyal to me. They’ve helped me every year so I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Lamb will now turn her attention to preparing for the next season with the Rabbitohs, and coming back “bigger and better” with the Yowies in 2019.
