PROPS Daniel Head and Chris Vidler provided the muscle and reaped the best and fairest points rewards when their personal triumphs led to Group 4 first grade team wins on the weekend.
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Head, 19, was outstanding for his Gunnedah Bulldogs, riding roughshod over Oxley Diggers to post a 66-20 win at Scully Park after leading 42-4 at half-time.
And Vidler, the West Lions equivalent of a Sherman tank, outgunned the North Tamworth Bears forwards with a starring role up front, in both attack and defence, for a 33-30 win at Jack Woolaston Oval on Sunday.
Vidler’s bullocking runs and crashing defence stopped the Bears in their tracks.
He and Tom Hine, Kyle Cochrane and Jake McLoughlin were extra strong for the Lions in an absorbing tussle with a Bears pack that also gave as good as it got, with Bill Jeffery, Nic Dobson, James Cooper, Shane-Leigh Wadwell and Luke Byrnes prominent.
However it was Vidler who deserved the three points.
“It was a tough game,” Vidler said after the three-point victory had virtually sealed the minor premiership.
“It was a big effort by all the boys. Two big packs going at it.
“That was the best side we’ve put on the paddock all year too.
“We worked on getting a good roll on up the middle and it worked much of the game.
“They (Norths) did have a few out though.”
Vidler was coming into the match after a two-week break from suspension for fighting in the previous loss to North Tamworth but there was no hint of any ill-discipline from the forward leader on Sunday.
He hit hard, legally, in some surging runs as well as making some ferocious hits in defence.
The three points also returned him to the top of The Leader Group 4 Player of the Year Award, giving him a two-point lead over Narrabri captain-coach Lachlan Cameron .
Head’s three points were his first for the season.
He didn’t have the best of preparations either, coming straight from work to arrive at Scully Park Regional Sporting Precinct just five minutes before kick-off.
He is a belt splicer, contracted to the mines, and belted a few Diggers too on Saturday evening as the young Gunnedah side reigned supreme in a storming first half.
They ran in eight tries in the first half to lead 42-4 after Chris Rolinson and captain-coach Trent Hilton both notched doubles and lightning-quick winger Kih McDonald crossed for a first-half hat-trick.
McDonald added a fourth in the second half, while five-eighth Shannon Swan also glided his way to a pair in a big win.
Head is the son of a former Bulldog frontrower, Mick Head, and certainly received his genes for size, build and strength.
He has also come through the junior ranks and is part of a “Bullpups” side being prepared by Wayne Griffiths and Hilton.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries,” Head said of a stop-start season.
“But we were always going to bounce back when we got everyone back.
“It was great to have Trent back tonight too. He’s a leader on the field.
“And we do have a very quick backline too.
Then we have DJ (David Smith) and Shannon (Swan) in the halves.
“They can mix it up.”