YUIN Monaro produced an almost impossible escape act to topple the fancied Moree Boomerangs in their quarter-final at the NSW Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout yesterday at Carrington Park.
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Monaro charged into the semi-finals courtesy of a freakish finish in which they piled on three tries in the final five minutes to record a famous 22-20 win.
Down 20-6 after Penrith Panthers centre Brad Tighe raced 60 metres to score what looked like the sealer for Moree, Monaro scored a try that was seemingly nothing more than a consolation effort through Anthony Terare.
From the restart, towering forward Scott Laurie had an inspired ‘halfback moment’ as he took the ball on his own line and looked to cart the ball into the Moree defence.
Instead, he kicked ahead, rounded a few opponents, re-gathered and offloaded, setting up the try of the carnival so far, which finished with full-back Dave Terare crossing under the posts.
With 40 seconds on the clock, Monaro by this stage were high on confidence and low on inhibition and simply threw the ball around until Bradley Manton found space and darted 40 metres to score a brilliant matchwinner.
“That is one of the best games of footy I’ve ever seen,” Yuin Monaro hooker Michael Weir said afterwards.
“We came out a little bit flat, and credit to Moree, they were the better side for a lot of the game and they did it with 12 men.
“When I saw Scott put that kick in, I though ‘oh no, what the hell has he done’ but then it turned out to be gold.”
Earlier in the game, Moree opened the scoring through Caleb Binge in the eighth minute after the Boomerangs had enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges.
They had another try disallowed shortly after, and lost the services of five-eighth Jade Porter for a spear tackle just before the break.
They went to half-time with a 4-0 lead but it evaporated soon after as Keiran Stewart scored the first for Yuin, but, when they made an error coming out of their own end, Moree made them pay through Brian Saunders.
Yuin Monaro’s last chance looked to have
disappeared when they had a try disallowed for a forward pass, leading to a try to Freddy Waters,
followed by Tighe’s effort.
The 20-6 buffer wasn’t enough, though, to stop the brilliant finish from Yuin.
“I think that was a real wake-up call; we definitely won’t be that flat again in our next game,” Weir said.
Yuin Monaro will play Macleay Valley in today’s first semi.
The other semi will pit the Dubbo Googars against the Mindaribba Warriors, who defeated Newcastle All Blacks in their quarter-final.
