KOOTINGAL Roosters grabbed a Group 4 Second Division Rugby League minor premiership advantage when they beat Werris Creek Magpies 46-12 at David Taylor Park on Saturday.
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The Roosters started much too well for the home side, leading 20-nil, weathering a second half fightback before finishing too strongly for the Magpies in the top-of-the-table clash.
Werris Creek had clawed their way back to trail 20-12 after 10 minutes of the second half but the Roosters steadied and two Jeremy Moss diving tries in the corner enabled the visiting side to lead 30-12.
Roosters captain-coach Nathan Hamlin gave the last pass for both Moss four-pointers, the first of which was converted from the sideline by Andrew Moodie.
The Roosters also scored three tries in the final 10 minutes after some impressive chipping and short passing from five-eighth Jordan Sharpe shaped a runaway win.
Winger Tristan Fowler completed the try-scoring after a well worked team passing raid.
“They beat us in every department in that first half,” reckoned Werris Creek co-coach Ron Dellar.
His co-coach Lindsay Bowne agreed.
“We were too slow, turned over too much ball and they outplayed us everywhere,” Bowne said.
“We didn’t help ourselves at all. We did play a lot better after half time but we just didn’t show up in that first half.”
Prop Bryce Parsons, five-eighth Latrell Hampton and hooker Brendan Hunt were the Creek’s best, Hunt’s spearing passes from dummy half set up the two tries for Nathaniel Slater.
However, the Roosters were too good and overcame some recent slow starts with a controlled first 40 minutes.
“We knew we couldn’t start slowly down here,” Hamlin said after the match.
“We played well that first 20 minutes. These are the sort of games you want to step up for.
“It takes us to the top of the table.”‘We knew they’d come out firing in the second half and we weathered that.
“It was about completing sets today. We did that and frustrated them.”
The Rooster play the ball was much quicker too, especially in the first half where Hamlin, Moodie and Shaughan Stevenson ran riot.
Jordan Sharpe, hooker pair Daniel Sullivan and Matt McCulloch and fullback Anthony Smith also excelled in a team full of good players.
In other Group 4 Second Division games Dungowan Cowboys beat Uralla 50-10 with Zander Smith in great form again. He crossed for two more tries in a side where Matt Wilson, Lochie Collins, Clint Ridley and Chris Gooch were also good.
At Barraba the home side’s semi finals were dealt a mortal blow.
Needing to beat fourth-placed Boggabri, Barraba led 18-12 at halftime only to lose 30-18.
