By Jon Geddes

AN SOS call on the eve of the game saw hooker James Margan come to the rescue of Northern Suburbs in their 32-0 win over Souths at North Sydney Oval on Saturday.

Named as a fresh reserve, Margan was contacted at 6.30pm on Friday asking if he would start in the backrow after the team was ravaged by injury. 

Margan didn’t hesitate at taking on the assignment, even though he had not played No.7 for over a decade when he was a student at the famous rugby nursery, St Josephs’s College.

Not only did he slot in seamlessly, but Margan was a standout for Norths in a performance highlighted by their impressive defensive effort which kept Souths scoreless.

Margan’s effort caught the eye of one of Norths’ favourite sons,  former Wallaby Adam Ashley-Cooper.

“He was hooker last week and then backrower this week and didn’t look out of place and it was probably an MVP performance,” Ashley-Cooper told Rugby News.

 TEAM FIRST     

HEAD coach Zak Beer revealed how Norths’ devastating casualty list, with seven key players on the sideline, led to his emergency call to Margan.

“A player had to pull out at six last night,” Beer said after the game. “Our forwards coach Nick Kellaway asked ‘Margs’ would he play at seven for us.

“And he said ‘of course I would, whatever I’ve got to do for the team’ – and he had a whale of a game.

“I think he has been one of the best hookers around the park in the Shute Shield the last couple of years.”

After the call from Kellaway, Norths backrower Luke Gersekowski sent Margan a cheat sheet of every pattern and move and where he had to be on the field. 

“When he got here today (Saturday) we just walked through his role – and while all of that is nice – if ‘ Margs’ didn’t have the right attitude none of that matters,” Beer said.

“It shows what he is about – it’s team first and he stepped into it.”

THE SAME GAME

MARGAN felt right at home turning the clock back 10 years in making  the big switch from the frontrow to the backrow and couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about .

“It’s no different to the normal of game of footy I play – no lineout throws, that is the only difference,” he said.

And Margan was unphased when he took the unexpected call from Kellaway.

“If anything, it is more daunting playing hooker, you have more things to focus on,” he said.  “I felt more comfortable than I’ve ever felt, it was fun.”

Margan said he wrote a few notes on his wrist before the game.

“But it was in Texta and it got wet – and after the first 30 seconds I couldn’t see anything,” he said with a chuckle.

A SUPER SPECTATOR  

NORTHS’ Waratah forward Hugh Sinclair was in the crowd and liked what he saw from his club teammates.

“Defensively I thought they were really good,” Sinclair said. “They seemed to dominate the middle of the park.

“The way they kept repelling and repelling I thought was brilliant, that’s where games are won.

“There are quite a few boys to come back which is nice – it is good to have depth.”

And one of those players Norths will be hoping to see again later in the season is  Sinclair, who has been a bit of unsung workhorse for the Waratahs.

Sinclair said it was always special being at North Sydney Oval. 

“My young brother (Hamish) is playing and that’s what I want  to come back to as well,” he  said.