Brambani's stay is short and sweet

Dominic Brambani’s fledgling rugby union season with Cleckheaton is to be cut short.

The 23-year-old former Bradford Bulls Academy star is going Down Under next month to play rugby league.

After masterminding Cleckheaton’s excellent derby victory over third-placed Morley, Brambani explained: “I am flying out on January 12 to play for a club – I don’t know which one yet – in the Gold Coast League.

“I have a year’s visa and it’s a pity in a way because I am really enjoying myself here and they are a good set of lads.

“I started the season late because of my commitments with the Eagles and needed a rest afterwards but I will be able to play two more league games for Cleckheaton before I go to Australia.”

Brambani, whose dad is the cousin of former Olympic cyclist Lisa, has been brought up on the 13-a-side code.

He said: “I was with the Bulls’ academy when I was 16 and signed for Castleford when I was 18, and played seven Super League games for them.

“Then I was at Halifax for a year and for the last two seasons I have been with Sheffield Eagles.

“It was while I was there that our assistant coach Waisale Sovatabua, who had signed for Cleckheaton, asked me if I wanted to come down too.

“This was only my fourth game and I am still learning the rules.”

On a pitch that was extremely wet – there was standing water in front of the stand and in front of one set of posts – Brambani’s tactical kicking and Ross Hayden’s goal-kicking and eye for a try proved the difference against a side that was five places and six points better off.

Cleckheaton’s first challenge, the Morley pack apart, was to survive for ten minutes with 14 men after No 8 Ben Wade was sin-binned in the 14th minute for handling on the floor.

But with Brambani keeping his balance when rivals and team-mates were losing theirs, Wade returned with the score still at 0-0.

The Maroons strayed offside in the 34th minute and home full back Hayden, with a minimal run-up, kicked the ball between the posts from Morley’s ten-metre line.

Flanker Lance Hamilton’s determination in the tackle was evident two minutes later when he brought down Morley second row Daniel Chamberlain in front of a stand that included former Cleckheaton director of rugby John Bentley.

And in first-half injury time, a neat diagonal grubber kick by Brambani was seized upon by Hayden, who collected and slid over in the right-hand corner.

As if that was not enough of a bonus, Hayden then landed the conversion from the touchline to extend the Moorenders’ advantage to 10-0.

Morley have a young side but they applied more consistent pressure in the second half, Brambani – not for the first time – having a clearance kick charged down.

Flanker Peter Dadswell was up quickly on the fly half but his 50th-minute block only caused the ball to shoot over the in-goal line to safety.

Brambani successfully took play into Morley territory with an accurate touchfinder and when he was high-tackled three minutes later after cutting through at speed, Cleckheaton won another penalty.

This time Hayden’s kick, from just inside Morley’s ten-metre line, sliced wide of the near upright.

Morley’s best chance of putting points on the board came in the 57th minute when Hamilton was penalised for offside but fly half Mark Chester pushed his effort wide.

With the rain making conditions ever muddier, Cleckheaton changed their red, black and white shirts for a clean set of royal blue and light blue-quartered ones.

It didn’t change what was largely a defensive display, however, although the hosts did venture upfield for Brambani to fire a drop goal just wide in the 77th minute.

The win helped Cleckheaton into mid-table and Brambani said: “Our defence was superb.

“Our coach Doug Trivella told me that things were going to revolve around me because of the conditions.

“But I enjoy the kicking side of the game. The try came from something that we have worked on in training.

“I did a switch with centre Tom Lauriston and I saw that their winger had come up so I kicked it through and Ross slid in for the score. It was a good win as Morley were third.”