Thirroul Butchers head coach Jarred Costello has credited his side's disciplined approach and a standout performance from hooker Harrison Hood after a commanding 44-4 victory over the Dapto Canaries in round four of the Illawarra Rugby League Harrigan Cup.
The final scoreline at Dapto Showground far exceeded Costello's expectations, but he was delighted with the execution of the game plan. 'I wasn't expecting that at all today,' Costello admitted. 'We just wanted to make sure that we started the game really well, because we haven't started any of our games at the start of the year well. That was our main focus, and just the way we wanted to run really hard with the ball and be good defensively ... was really pleasing.'
Hat-trick hero and try-scoring spread
Hooker Harrison Hood was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick with back-to-back tries in the first half and another in the 69th minute. But the try-scoring was shared across the park, with points coming from wingers Bryden Rutledge and Dane Courtney, centre Luke Maddaford, debutant Flynn O'Mara, and Sione Afemui who scored just five minutes after coming off the interchange.
The 21-year-old Hood, a recruit from Cronulla, has been a consistent performer for Thirroul. Costello was full of praise for the young talent. 'He's been a great get for us, Harrison,' the coach said. 'He came down with a couple of other guys like Logan Dillon and Jordan McGrath. He's been outstanding for us. Really smart dummy half and he can play a bit of 13 as well.' Hood is now just one try behind competition leader and teammate Maddaford, with the pair boasting seven and eight tries respectively after four games.
Debutant shines
In the absence of Luke Gallagher, Sitaleki Akau'ola Laula and Corey Allen, Thirroul junior Flynn O'Mara was given the green light to make his first grade debut. He made the most of the opportunity, becoming the sixth Butcher to cross the line. 'He got held up once, but he had a great debut and I'm really proud of him,' Costello said. 'It's another Thirroul junior playing first grade ... we had nine or 10 juniors in our side today. We're always gonna have a few players from outside of the area come and supplement the side, but you need to make sure you've got a good crop of juniors coming through, and we do.'
Top of the ladder
The win cements Thirroul as ladder leaders after four rounds, regardless of Sunday's results. It marks a significant turnaround from the 2025 season, which played out in less-than-ideal fashion. However, Costello remains level-headed about the early success. 'I don't know if the butchers of 2023 or 2024 are back,' he said. 'We're only four rounds in, so we're not getting ahead of ourselves, but I just think the guys are a really tight group. They've trained hard, they're working hard for each other and at the moment we're getting a few wins, but we're not getting ahead of ourselves.'
Next challenge: Wests Devils
Next weekend poses a crucial test as the Butchers face reigning premiers Wests Devils at home. Costello is under no illusions about the challenge ahead. 'That'll be really hard,' he said. 'Hopefully we don't get any injuries out of today and we'll go ahead and try and be better again next week. We're expecting West to be a real challenge. They're a big and experienced side, so we'll have to be on our game.'
Another performance like Hood's hat-trick would certainly come in handy as Thirroul looks to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
