RUGBY UNION By Samantha Newsam
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JOSH Stewart underlined his growing footballing stature on the weekend as he collected a rare award double.
For the second time this season the Pirates breakaway has been recognised as NSW Country's best after being named the Will Tanner Trophy winner for 2012.
Named in honour of the former Quirindi, Central North and NSW Country prop, the award acknowledges the NSW Country Senior Player of the Year.
Stewart was consistently mentioned among the Cockatoos best players over a five-game campaign that ended with a five-point loss to NSW Surburban at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.
He polled 17 points to edge out former winner and Armidale coach Mike TeMoana and Jeff Wilson, both on 14, and last year's winner Sam Stewart with 12.
It follows Josh Stewart being adjudged the player of the Country Championships earlier in the year.
That double hasn't been achieved for a while ? if ever.
His eye-catching performances during the championships also saw him given the honour of leading the Cockatoos. Saturday night wasn't quite the finale or the perfect celebration of Country Rugby Night they were hoping for with Subbies getting up 27-22 to retain the Maher-Ross Cup.
It was a tight tussle and the result could have gone either way with the Cockatoos having a try disallowed in the last five minutes.
Winger Cal McDonald was pretty confident he'd scored in the corner, coach Col Jeffs said, but the refs didn't see it the same way.
But there were other opportunities before that the Cockatoos missed.
"We had most of the opportunities in the game," Jeffs said.
They were just unable to finish most of them off with soft turnovers hurting them, particularly late in the game.
"We made three vital mistakes in the last 10," he said.
He said they threw everything at them, but in the last 15-20 Subbies really muscled up in defence and were able to produce a few crucial turnovers.
Their last try, to effectively clinch the game, came against the run of play and from a soft turnover.
The Cockatoos were attacking but Subbies somehow managed to get the ball back and ran away to score.
"The first half we just gave away some dumb penalties, which gave them the opportunity to get some points," Jeffs said.
Aside from that they did play pretty well.
Jeffs said the lineout was strong and their work around the ruck area was good at times.
"When we had our rolling mauls going we were quite competitive," he said.
TeMoana and Moree's John Adams both got over the line.
TeMoana was dominant again, Jeffs said, naming him as one of their best along with the two Stewarts and Jacob Robinson.