RUGBY LEAGUE
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EMERGING St Pat’s star Luke Bain and his fellow Western Rams came agonisingly close to taking out the Country Championships final at Tamworth’s Scully Park on Sunday, going down 16-12 to the Greater Northern Tigers.
Bain and his team-mates had not lost a game heading into the decider and things were looking good as they led the Tigers 12-6 at half-time.
But after the break the Tigers stepped up their defensive efforts. It told.
Tigers drew level when halfback Bailey Ellis put flying winger Luke Howes over in the right corner before Ellis slotted his second conversion from the left sideline to lock the game up again at 12-all with five minutes to go.
The Tigers then applied the blowtorch in defence again, causing a turnover on halfway that saw them attacking the line before the ball flew back to Jordy Allan on the last for a field goal attempt.
The pass went to ground but the Scone thoroughbreds junior showed plenty of poise to run the ball and find flying Tingha fullback Steve McGrady out wide who touched down in the right corner on the bell to take the title.
The last-minute win comes on the back of a similar victory over Bidgee in the semi-final last week at Dubbo, although coach Gary Jones was still blown away by the effort of his young charges as the Tigers made it three Country Championships in a row for Jones, who describe the win in one word.
“Incredible,” Jones said.
“We knew if we could hang in there we could get them at the back end.”
“The whole side defended so well and that was the difference.”
Western coach Jamie Szczerbanik was obviously disappointed with the loss but was impressed with the maturity shown from both sides in the tough final.
“The Northern Tigers are a good side and sometimes the footy gods aren’t in your corner,” Szczerbanik said.
“They stuck in defensively and we made too many errors and made too much work for ourselves.”
Five-eight Matt Burton was one of the best on field and was lock Nathan Swain and centre Brock Naden.
GREATER NORTHERN TIGERS 16 (Hayden Bourke, Luke Howes, Steve McGrady tries; Bailey Ellis 2 goals) defeated WESTERN RAMS 12 (Zarrin Galea, Nathan Swain tries; Matt Burton 2 goals)
