A PAIR of tries from centre Jacob Howes has helped the Oberon Tigers senior men's rugby league team clinch their first minor premiership in 12 years.
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Howes has scored plenty of tries for the Tigers, but in crashing over twice on his home ground on Saturday it helped Oberon to a 28-18 win over Cargo and saw them finish the regular Mid West League season undefeated.
"Minor premiers, it's only the second time I've ever got it in 18 years of footy, so it was pretty good," Oberon coach Dallas Booth said.
"The other one was that senior year in 2008, so it's been 12 years."
That 2008 minor premiership also came in the Mid West League, a competition Oberon returned to this season after a stint in Group 10.
But Booth still remembers how that campaign 12 years ago finished - the Tigers lost 26-20 to Portland Colts on grand final day - and he's determined for things to end differently this time.
"It's a long time ago for some of us, but in 2008 we were minor premiers and probably had we our egos out and we ended up getting beat in the grand final, so it is my job to make sure that doesn't happen again," he said.
"We've got to make sure we stay in check, forget about being undefeated because semi-finals are a different ball game.
"Yes we are undefeated, but the last three games have been tough games, we've been lucky we've scored a couple of tries towards the end of the game that have blown the scorelines out a little.
"Against Cargo it was 16-12 at three-quarter-time, CSU got to 16-8 against us at three-quarter-time and the Warriors were 22-14 - so we've been lucky and it's probably credit to the boys and the fitness they've been doing at training that we've been able to come home strong.
"But they've been tough games, the scorelines have flattered us and that's something we need to be wary off. We've been lucky enough in games to get the job done, but that doesn't mean it will happen in the semi-finals."
As Booth indicated, Oberon has faced its challenges along the way to the minor premiership and a very big one came against Cargo on Saturday.
Like the Tigers, the Heelers went into the contest undefeated.
It was the hosts who began the best with Josh Rivett crossing close to the sticks before lock Charlie Bailey charged over. Rivett converted both to make it 12-0 at quarter-time.
Howes added a third try for the Tigers in the second quarter as the margin blew out to 16, but the Heelers rallied and fought their way back into the contest.
They scored two unanswered tries to get within four of the lead with a quarter remaining.
"They were in the game the whole way. We started strong, they made a couple of errors early on which allowed us to get a couple of tries and make it 12-0 and that ended up being the difference in the game," Booth said.
"Once they settled in and we settled in, it was just a good grind, it was a good game of footy.
"They scored just before half-time and just after half-time make it 16-12, so at three-quarter time it was still in the balance, it was anyone's game."
Once they settled in and we settled in, it was just a good grind, it was a good game of footy.
- Oberon coach Dallas Booth
Oberon need to lift and they did - a strong run from Lochie Gilmore gave the Tigers good field position and the next play Booth steamed onto a nice Sam Gascoigne ball and burst through the Heelers' defence.
Howes then found space out wide to cross for his second and Rivett's conversion made it 28-12.
"Howes' try in the corner that put us over a converted try in front was good, he sort of ran away down the sideline, pinned the ears back, beat a couple of defenders and managed to score in the corner," Booth said.
"Then Josh Rivett then nailed the sideline conversion to put us over a couple of converted tries in front with a few minutes to go."
The Heelers nabbed a late consolation to make it 28-18, but it was the Tigers who kept their winning streak intact and ended their minor premiership drought.
With the decision made on Monday night not to reschedule the August 22 snowed out games, the Mid West finals will proceed this Saturday as planned.
Oberon has the week off as minor premiers while Cargo hosts CSU in the major semi-final. It will be an all-Orange minor semi with the Barbarians to play the Warriors.
In the league tag competition CSU finished as undefeated minor premiers and will play the victor of the Cargo versus Barbarians semi in the first grand final qualifier.
The minor semi-final in league tag sees Kandos take on Oberon.
