WIN the Woodbridge Cup in their maiden season - that is the mission Oberon Tigers captain-coach Abel Lefaoseu now has full confidence his players can execute.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$1/
(min cost $8)
Login or signup to continue reading
On Saturday after Oberon posted a 56-10 win over CSU - the side which claimed last season's Mid West League Cup - the buzz around the Tigers is that they are building towards something special.
Gone are the question marks which previously existed when the Tigers made the move from Mid West to Woodbridge Cup at the start of the season.
Lefaoseu now believes his Tigers, who have scored 161 points in winning their last three games, are a genuine premiership chance.
"That's the aim now, to win it. Everyone is keen, the culture is there, and everyone is believing in each other. That's why we are going so good at the moment," he said.
"I've played the top teams and I don't think that they are all that, I think we could handle them with our full strength side. I can't wait to play them again, I want to play them again.
"Everyone was pumped after Saturday, when people were talking to us after the game it was like 'Wow, that score you put on CSU', because they are quality.
"The supporters are starting to come out of the bushes too, so it's good."
Oberon and CSU have built up a good rivalry over the last two years and while the Mungoes had the better of the Tigers in 2021, on Saturday it was a different story.
The Tigers handled the testing conditions well, running in 11 tries off the back of hard work from its forward pack.
"It was good, especially to get that score in the wet, it was cold and it was pissing down rain," Lefaoseu said.
"I wasn't expecting that score, but we played some quality footy in the rain, everyone just clicked.
"We just sucked them in with our forwards and then we spread it out wide and opened them up."
The Tigers scored the opening two tries, but CSU responded with star centre Mick Latu and the hard running Zac Hunt finding holes in the hosts' defence.
However, the Tigers opened up a gap once more to head to the break with a two-try lead.
From there Lefaoseu's men rolled on to their third consecutive win.
The captain-coach, who played in the centres, finished with a double as did form hooker Caylib Marsten.
Prop Greg Behan, playing his first game for the Tigers in seven weeks after injuring himself against Condobolin, also bagged a double.
Liam Walsh added more starch to the Tigers' pack, while halfback Anton Wereta - who played alongside Lefaoseu in the 2017 Group 10 grand final - steered the side around nicely.
It was a performance which highlights the threat the Tigers pose when the full squad is fit and available.
"It was pretty close in the first half, but we just blew them away in the second half," he said.
"I told them before we started that it was going to be a forwards' game and they just couldn't contain our big fellas.
"We only had one forward out, but we pretty much had our full strength side for the first time this year. It's good we are peaking at the right time."
OBERON TIGERS 56 (Abel Lefaoseu 2, Caylib Marston 2, Greg Behan 2, Will Melchers, Lochie Gilmore, Anton Wereta, Daniel Rogers, Liam Walsh tries; Anton Wereta 7, Lochie Gilmore goals) defeated CSU 10 (Michael Latu, Zac Hunt tries; Blake Armstrong goal)
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.westernadvocate.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
