ASHFORD Rams bowed out of the Group 19 premiership race when they went down 54-16 to Moree Boars at Boughton Oval, Moree on Sunday.
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But while the Boars were the better team, the score in no way reflected the toughness of the sudden-death encounter.
“I’m good now,” Boars coach, Trevor Tighe said with a big smile after the match.
“But that scoreboard doesn’t indicate how tough Ashford were.
“They really stuck it to us for the first 25 minutes in both halves but then we got a run of possession and were able to put some points on them.”
Moree lost hard-working second-rower Daniel Jobson in the first minute when he was stretchered off with a leg injury but the two combatants traded tries in the opening stanza – Matty Marshall and Bruce Swan both scored for Moree off kicks while Dalton Dettman and Cameron Toomey grabbed four-pointers for Ashford – and after 25 minutes it was 10-all and evenly poised.
Then the run of possession swung strongly in favour of the home team and fullback Tom Ryan, lock Holt Cubis and prop Elekana Laupalo all scored in the lead-up to the break when the Boars led 26-10.
Points were hard to come by in the opening 20 minutes of the second half but Ashford fullback Brock Hobday played the ball very quickly and pivot Andrew Blair took advantage of the scattered defence to score a fine try which he converted to narrow the gap to 10 points.
In the 17th minute Moree winger Clayton Blacklock was sinbinned for a professional foul when he held an Ashford player down to prevent a quick play the ball and probably saved a try in so doing.
Two minutes later, Ashford had the defence shot to pieces but bombed an almost certain four-pointer.
Sadly for the Roosters, that was their final real opportunity as Moree took control of the final 20 minutes.
Marshall got his second in the corner, big Laupalo barged over again, Brenton Cochrane scored two in a row including a 90-metre intercept and Bruce Swan was brilliant for the final try.
“It was a team effort from my boys,” Tighe said.
“The Big Four – Matt Marshall, Marshall Barker, Brenton Cochrane and Stan Swan – got the job done for us but everyone contributed.
“We’ve now got two weeks to get over that game.
I think Daniel (Jobson) will be okay by then.
“Whoever we play, Inverell or the Boomies, will be bruised and sore from what will be a very tough game.
“We will be fresh so I give us a chance but we still have to improve defensively.”
Amongst a host of real triers for Ashford, Toomey, Dettman, Korey and Tom Lewis stood out.
Attacking weapon, prop Tony Toleafoa, ran hard but had real problems with ball security, losing possession on five occasions.
Best on field was Boars hooker Stan Swan whose organisation was key to their performance.
He took advantage of some lazy marker defence, especially late in the first half and his deft short kicks provided the platform for three tries.