NARRABRI coach Hunter Harley was viewing Saturday’s close shave against Tamworth as the scare they possibly needed.
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The Blue Boars have just one more game before the finals and will tussle with old foes Moree this Saturday for the minor premiership.
He’s hoping to get a few of their injured contingent back, and knows they will have to play better than they did on Saturday.
“It wasn’t our best performance,” he said.
That sharpness wasn’t there, particularly in the first half in both attack and defence.
“I thought our defence lacked urgency and our line speed was poor,” Harley said.
They spoke about that at half-time and cutting down their mistakes.
“It all comes down in these conditions to who makes the less mistakes, that’s who will be on top,” he said.
“We made too many mistakes in the first half.”
The second half was a lot better.
“We didnt make as many mistakes,” Harley said.
“(And) The Magpies probably made a few at the wrong time.”
They also spoke at half time about bringing it in tighter.
Not necessarily playing 10-man rugby but playing it through the forwards more.
In the end they (forwards) were what got them home.
They really came into their own late in the second half and allowed the Blue Boars to control the game.
“All our forwards played well,” Harley said.
They didn’t have a bad forward, he said, and he found it hard to split hooker Luke Findley, number eight Sam Clements and skipper, and half-back, Matt Schwager as their best.
Henry Curtin also had a great game. It was his first back since the last time they played the Magpies.
He and Clements both finished with doubles and got the zone best and fairest points for the Blue Boars with Clements earning the three and Curtin the one.
As happy as he was to get the win and the way they really shut the game down in that last 10 minutes, Harley was viewing it almost like a loss.
That’s not to take anything away from the Magpies.
“Tamworth are a much-improved side,” he said.
“I thought they played well.
“They’re a team to watch.”
The conditions weren’t really convulsive to the quick game they wanted to play, nor probably the Magpies, but the home side’s willingness to spread the ball wide did cause some them some problems.
“They seemed to catch us out wide,” Harley said.
“I thought we made some poor reads.”
That will be something to work on for the Bulls.
