QUIRINDI roared into the Central North finals with a 39-nil final round win over Gunnedah at Gunnedah Rugby Park, on Saturday.
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The win was all the Lions needed to finish on top of Tier 2 and progress to their first finals series since 2010.
"The boys are pretty happy about it," co-coach Ben Wilkes said.
For a lot of them it is new territory - playing finals. Only skipper Toby Simkin, Elliot Tourle, James Davidson, and Mitch Wheatley remain from that 2010 side.
They had headed to Gunnedah with their destiny in their hands, but needing a win to stave off the challenge from Barraba and Tamworth.
Winger Jake Smith started the scoring for them about six minutes in, pushing off his opposite as the Lions spread the ball from side to side and stretched the Red Devils' defence.
The home side held them until about 12 minutes to go in the first half when a quick lineout throw led to a try to co-coach Nick Rees.
Minutes later five-eighth Elliot Tourle found fullback Ben Webber with a beautiful long ball and he got on the outside of the Red Devils defence to, with the conversion, put the Lions up 17-nil at the break and on their way to the finals.
The Magpies spoiled Barraba's 1986 premiership reunion party with a 27-24 win in the other Tier 2 game, while Narrabri edged out Inverell in an equally as tight Tier 1 clash, 26-22.