MAX Altus led from the front at Scully Park on Sunday as the Greater Northern Tigers skipper inspired his troops to a last- minute victory over the Western Rams and lifted the AAMI Country Championships Shield in front of a huge home crowd.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Farrer student was named player of the match and justly rewarded with the number 13 jersey in the NSW Country side named after the match, although halfway through the first half he was a bit worried.
“We kept dropping the ball a bit but we kept rolling the dice,” Altus said.
“We were getting down their end but not finishing our sets well.”
What the Tiger cubs were doing well was tackling.
The home side always knew the first half was going to be a battle keeping the bigger Rams pack at bay but they did it with aplomb to trail at halftime 12-6.
While behind, it was a position the side was comfortable to be in after coming back in the second half to beat Bidgee in a nailbiter in the semi-final the week before.
“We had a good huddle at halftime,” Altus said.
“We said that we needed to switch on now and get into gear.”
That they did and, while they were always on top in the back end, they still couldn’t quite execute their last-tackle plays and break the Rams defence.
But with five minutes to go, halfback Bailey Ellis found winger Ben Fechner out wide before Ellis slotted his second sideline conversion to even the scores up at 12 apiece.
Four minutes later Steve McGrady would dive over in the other corner to seal the match in the final seconds and break the Rams’ hearts.
“Last week we came home so we knew we just had to stick with them early,” Altus said.
“It was real tough but we never gave up.
“It is the best and biggest win of my life.”
The hard-working lock can’t wait to go on to further representation after thoroughly enjoying his first year in the Country Championships.
“I’ve really enjoyed playing at this level.”
“It’s a bit bigger, harder and faster and I just love playing football.”
Altus was one of four Greater Northern Tigers named in the Country Under 16s to tour Samoa with the Country Firsts in October with Singleton’s Hayden Bourke and Ellis on the wing and at halfback for a side with Altus’s North Tamworth and Farrer teammate Alek Hall on the interchange bench.
They will play a curtainraiser to the Samoa-Fiji Test in Apia as well.
The Country Under 18s will tour to Perth with the Country Bulls and will play before the Manly Sea Eagles and New Zealand Warriors match.
Farrer and North Tamworth fullback Hayden Loughrey is the sole GN representative in the 18s.
