Werris Creek centre Zack Leonard tries to bust the Northern Rivers defence during the GNA’s successful day of matches on Saturday. Photo: Grant Robertson 230213GRD49
THE WESTS Greater Northern Academy is celebrating a fantastic end to its 2012/13 campaign after winning all six of its games on Saturday.
The GNA hosted teams from the Northern Rivers, North Coast and Western academies and beat them all at Farrer High School.
The younger GNA squad dominated the competition, with three comfortable wins.
In game one the “Yellow” squad beat North Coast 22-6, Mitch Doring and Beau Parry scored doubles in a 28-4 success against Northern Rivers in game two and completed the day with a 28-14 victory over Western.
“In the first game we played well,” GNA Yellow coach Peter Stevens said.
“We just didn’t put the other side away.
“The defence was good but we just didn’t finish them off.
“In the second game the defence was really good again.
“We spoke about Western at the end and we built into that one.
“We didn’t have a bad player and the defence was good again.”
The rain may have been falling all day but the older GNA squad had to pull its first two games out of the fire.
It trailed North Coast 10-nil before winning 18-10 but its biggest comeback was in game two against Northern Rivers when it was down 16-4.
The comeback saw GNA score two tries to level the match and captain Jay Gallagher then barged over to win it 20-16 with only seconds on the clock.
Gallagher also bagged two tries in the last game, which was a more comfortable 24-4 win over Western, and gave the GNA a six from six record.
“That last game was good,” GNA Maroon coach Chris Brennan said.
“There were times when we should have scored.
“Four times in the second game we should have scored but the last pass or last play or last catch let us down.
“But the effort to get up for that last game was good.”
After four months of trials, training and matches, the program officially came to an end when players received their hoodies and awards were given out after the last game.
Gallagher was the standout winner of the Maroon squad award, while prop Tyler Austin was given the award for the Yellow squad.