PIRATES put last year’s finals nightmare behind them at Ken Chillingworth Oval on Saturday but not without a few jitters, with Moree erasing a 17-point half-time deficit to almost send the game into extra-time.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was only the post that denied the Bulls in the end as Pirates hung on for a 37-34 win and set up a grand final showdown with Narrabri.
Last season, Pirates lost both their major semi-final (to Moree) and final (to Narrabri).
On Saturday, Pirates looked to be steering their way to this year’s decider when they led 34-15 10 minutes into the second half but the Bulls showed why they are the defending premiers and stampeded their way back to within three points with a minute and a half remaining.
They were then awarded a penalty after the bell just inside Pirates’ half – and a chance to tie the scores up.
The kick looked pretty good off Heath Riggs’s boot but just tailed out and hit the left upright, bouncing back infield to Pirates second-rower Charles Elton, who belted it into touch.
It was a dramatic final twist to an enthralling contest that was finals football at its best, and in the balance until the final whistle.
“I didn’t know we’d won the game until Chuck (Elton) kicked the ball out,” Pirates co-coach Andrew Verrell said.
Like they did against the Blue Boars last week, Pirates scored inside the first couple of minutes.
It set the tone for the way Pirates wanted to play – coming after they’d taken a quick tap from a short-arm penalty – and what was to follow with Greg White, Josh Stewart and Jake Douglas all finding the tryline as the home side opened up a 27-10 half-time lead.
All the ingredients that make them so good were there.
They shifted the ball quickly, and slickly, and looked dangerous whenever they got the ball to the backs.
“When we can play at that pace we play well, and are very hard to defend against,” Verrell said.
White’s try exemplified that.
Five-eighth Andrew Moodie orchestrated it, holding up the pass brilliantly to hit fullback Jake Hartmann chiming into the line. He got in behind the defence and the Bulls were in trouble from there – a few passes later Ned O’Neill-Shaw popping the ball up to White.
“I wish they could play 80 minutes of that,” Verrell said.
“Half-time has been our enemy lately.”
He can’t put his finger on it but, as was the case against the Blue Boars last week, they were defending more than they were attacking in the second half.
The Bulls muscled their way over first through prop John Adams.
But they made a mess of the kick-off and Elton came through and claimed the ball and ran about 30m to score.
It was a decisive moment, pushing Pirates out to 34-15 – beyond two converted tries.
That comfort didn’t last long though, with Jordan Cosh ducking his way over, and then coach Damien Kelly barging over to make it a seven-point game with 18 minutes to go.
Moodie stalled the Bulls’ momentum with a penalty and, on the back of some fundamental errors from the Bulls and great cover defence, it looked like it was going to get away from the Bulls.
But with their title defence on the line, they dug deep and replacement second- rower Joe deDassel stormed over to give them a shot.
It was a day of close tussles, with Pirates holding on to win second grade 14-13 in similar circumstances to firsts with Narrabri having a penalty after the bell to win.
Earlier, the Pirates 18s claimed the Reg Kelly Shield with a 29-24 win over defending champions Moree, while Quirindi pipped the home side 27-26 in the 16s grand final to win the Don Ewing Trophy.
