By Liam Cook

Norths’ much-anticipated first victory of the season against Easts last weekend was building for some time according to young Eagles’ Ryan Ah Yek and Harry Langbridge.

“Everyone was pretty happy with it. It was quite a relief to get one and we had a reasonably big night to celebrate that,” Langbridge told Rugby News.

“Two weeks ago, we nearly beat Brothers. We had them there for a bit and then towards the back end of the game we let go and they took it but it gave us a lot of confidence heading into last week’s game against Easts,” Ah Yek said.

After one draw and ten losses for the season prior to last week’s win, it would have been understandable if the young Norths’ outfit put the cue in the rack for season 2022.

However young talent’s Ah Yek and Langbridge say they were more determined than ever to secure a win against Easts and they now want to go on with it.

“This week we played for the full eighty minutes and didn’t allow Easts to come back into it at the end. I think the coaches were really happy with how the effort was there the whole way through and we didn’t let up and didn’t let it blow up towards the end,” Langbridge said.

“After our Brothers’ game two weeks ago and our win over Easts last week I think we can really give it a good crack and I don’t see why we can’t walk away with four from four,” Ah Yek said.

Norths’ will get there first chance to go back-to-back this season against Bond on Saturday at the Gold Coast.

“I’m expecting Bond to be pretty physical, they’ve got a versatile backline with a lot of experience there,” Ah Yek said.

“They’ve got a good forward pack and are going to want to maul a lot and get the big’s working early in the game.

“Don’t think much will change tactically, they’re a pretty handy side and they’re pretty similar to Easts so we’ve got the ability to knock them off,” Langbridge said.

The Eagles’ current optimism wasn’t always evident after a brutal start to the year tested their depth and resilience.

“It has been a bit of a struggle this year. There’s a lot of new players that come into the fold from last year and we’re still working toward gelling together as a team,” Ah Yek said.

“First half of the season’s a bit tough to gauge because we weren’t winning many games and we were putting some decent passages of footy together for fifty or sixty minutes then we would just lose track for ten-minute blocks and leak a few tries,” Langbridge said.

After a draw with Souths in round one, early season hope quickly diminished thanks to an onslaught of injuries, including to winger Ryan Ah Yek.

Following his strongest ever off season and a powerful round one performance, Ah Yek succumbed to a high ankle sprain that kept him out for twelve weeks.

“When I got injured I felt isolated and I was about to head into a bit of depression for a week not being able to walk for a month,” he said.

“Everyone reached out to me and showed a lot of support so I made a promise to the club and to my parents that I had to do my rehab, stay fit, keep going to the gym even if I was in a moon boot.

“I came back and the coaches were saying I looked even fitter then before I got injured so I was super stoked about that.”

Despite their shared impact on this young side, Ah Yek’s rugby background and that of Harry Langbridge’s vastly differ.

Auckland product Ah Yek received a rugby scholarship to Brisbane Grammar in 2018 while also competing for his home country Samoa in track and field.

The powerful winger then made the trek to Wests before covid interrupted his development.

“I decided to take a more practical approach living local to Northside and Dan Ritchie, who was taking over the under twenties program at Norths, reached out to me and asked if I was interested in moving to Norths,” Ah Yek said.

“I played colts one in my first year at Norths last year and then I made my first-grade debut after the middle of the season against Bond.”

Hailing from Noosa, Langbridge became an Eagle at the start of 2022.

“Made Queensland Country in 2019 and then I went over to tour in New Zealand and I stayed over for a season there playing for High School Old Boys a club in Christchurch,” he said.

“The following a year I came back and played Noosa again then spoke to Willie (Will Rogers) about coming down this year and I think Leo got approached by Pat as well so we decided we’d come down and play at Norths this year.”

The versatile back was thrown in the deep end early on in his premier grade career.

“I think my season’s been a bit mixed because I started playing nine in second grade and then I think I played a couple times off the bench on the wing for prem grade,” Langbridge said.

“We had a few injuries and Jacob our ten from the start of the year went down and Jordy was filling in and he got injured as well so I ended up playing ten about mid-way through.”

Despite being in his first top grade season, the makeshift flyhalf has relished his new role.

“I’ve quite enjoyed a bit of extra space and it’s the first time I’ve played there.”

“As the season’s gone on I’ve gotten used to playing there and where I’m positioning myself on the field and I think my form reflects how I’m getting a bit better as it goes along.

“The body’s a bit sore and there’s a fewer bigger bodies to tackle so the shoulders and back are definitely feeling it.

“The skill level’s definitely a big step up too you’ve got to be on your game otherwise you get run around a fair bit.”

Both Ah Yek and Langbridge have been fully embraced by their new club since arriving.

“It’s probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in terms of where I’ve gone with my footy,” Ah Yek said.

“They took me in at under twenties and I was really close with all the assistant coaches and trainers who invested a lot of faith in me as a player.

“To leave the under twenties and make my first-grade debut was pretty special to me and I owe a lot the club.”

Langbridge’s transition has been made easier through his connection to a couple of Noosa products already representing the Eagles.

“The other Noosa boys Willie and Yvahn have both been playing quite good footy. Yvahn came good last few weeks and Willie’s been going really well the whole way through the season and has made something like 10% of our tackles despite missing a game and is up there in the comp leader board for tackles.”

The young back’s said experienced Eagles’ like Tonga Ma’afu, Mitch Wood, Conor Chittenden, Kieran Fitzgibbon, and newcomer Jack Peoples have all been consistent performers this year and helped their personal development.

With four games left in the season, Ah Yek, Langbridge and their teammates all have plenty to play for.

“We’ve really built something in the back end of the season,” Ah Yek said.

“For me personally it’s just about scoring a few more tries, bumping off a few more people and doing well for the club and my parents who are always on the sideline.”

“Me personally I just want to feel a bit more comfortable playing ten and build into that role in the team,” Langbridge said.

“Hopefully we cause a few upsets coming along into the back end of the season, that’d be nice.”