“It was a win.”
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dubbo College rugby league coach Craig May put it simply but it perfectly described his side’s performance in Thursday’s Astley Cup rugby league match with Bathurst High School.
Despite possessing a side stacked with Western Rams players and a host of other talents, Dubbo began well but struggled for consistency in the second half during a 26-18 victory.
Many predicted a dominant Dubbo performance, one that could possibly rekindle any hope of a stunning Astley Cup victory, but a powerful hat-trick to NSW Country representative Luke Gale and some brave on-line defence late in the match was the only real highlight.
“We showed a lot of courage having to defend for most of that second half but we played some dumb football,” May said.
“We gave a lot of dumb penalties away and at 22-6 two minutes before half time we were well-placed and in control of the game. We made a break but went out, they turned around and scored right on half time and in the second half we could never get anything going.”
While Gale was a powerhouse for Dubbo, Bathurst’s star men Riley Cheshire, a man mountain in the front row, and Brayden Wicks were also standouts.
“It was a gallant effort from the boys,” Bathurst coach Lachlan Blaikie said.