INVERELL coach Nigel Henley was overwhelmed after the Highlanders’ seconds rumbled two-times defending champions Moree 27-15 to end a 10-year drought at Moree on Saturday.
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The Highlanders were last champions in 2005 and had only made the decider once since then – the following year.
“I’m a little bit overwhelmed,” Henley said in the haze of the after-whistle jubilation.
Saturday didn’t get off to an ideal start, with Bulls number eight Damien Kelly charging over from the back of the scrum just a couple of minutes in.
“I think we were probably a little bit nervy to start with, a little bit jittery,” Henley said.
After that, it was a fairly even game in the first half, with both sides having periods when they looked on top.
But to no avail, with Kelly’s try standing as the only points for the half.
For the Highlanders, that was down to their defence.
“We got off the line well, made a lot of tackles and got a few turnovers,” Henley said.
Nick Cumming kicked first points for them in the second half before a brilliant counter-attack from a midfield bomb from the Bulls saw Liva Sili race away to put the Highlanders in front.
The Bulls hit back through Kelly to level at 10-all with just under 20 to go.
The game swung back the Highlanders’ way a couple of minutes later, with Sili putting pressure on Bulls half-back Henry Noble as he tried to clear from the scrum, and forcing the ball loose.
Sili swooped on it and sent Simon Clarke away.
From the kick-off they were in again, with Sili making a break and Pulu Siaki Maea finishing off to – with Cumming adding the extras – push out to 24-10 with just under 15 on the clock.
Those back to back tries were the turning point and when Henley really started to believe.
“When we got 14 ahead and got that penalty, that sealed it for us,” he said.
“We knew there was not enough time.”
He said once they got in front they got the wind in their sails.
“Once we got down their end and held onto it (ball) and worked together I knew it was going to happen,” he said.
It was a matter of just being patient with the ball.
Their fitness was also a key towards the end and some strategic replacements.
That was always going to be a factor, with the likes of Tala Vea and Sili warming the bench, and was something Bulls co-coach Matt Moore had alluded to heading into the game.
He’d said he wanted to have a hold on the game when their experienced first graders came on.
5-nil wasn’t quite the hold he was hoping for.
“They brought on some crucial players and they really made a difference,” he said.
He was gutted and drew comparisons to the major semi-final.
“We were really out-enthused,” Moore said.
They lacked that urgency in their defence and on their kick chase.
The other thing that really hurt them was their scrum.
“Our scrum was poor,” he said.
He thought, despite only leading 5-nil, they played pretty well in the first half.
He spoke to them at half-time, mainly about getting their tackles a bit lower, and keeping their kick chase.
His instructions certainly weren’t to leak two quick tries.
Even still, he thought they were in it until about 10 minutes to go, and reflected back on a couple of points they didn’t take.
There was a penalty right in front before the Highlanders got any points that they turned down.
“It’s all about momentum,” Moore said.
“I thought if we kick those three points it would make it 8-nil and the momentum would be with us.”
Kelly was strong for them while Damiem Meppem was dangerous at the back.
