They were the best team all year and Moree got their reward at Ken Chillingworth Oval on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bulls stampeded their way to the U17’s silverware with a 39-15 win over the Tamworth Magpies.
The Bulls pulled away to a 12-nil lead midway through the first half and were never headed from there, half-back Lockie Smith weaving his way through from a scrum about 10m out to extend their advantage to 19-nil with five minutes to play in the first half.
The Magpies hit straight back to make it a 12-point game at half-time.
They then came out firing in the second half and got back within nine through inside centre Ben Grant.
Grant instigated the try with a brilliant kick for Lachlan O’Keefe that forced the Bulls to take the ball dead.
But quick tries to Zac Parker and Sean Campbell saw the Bulls kick out to a 31-10 lead with 15 minutes to go.
Starting to find their rhythm again and consistently punching holes, the Bulls from then really took control, starving the Magpies of ball and territory.
“It was a good performance,” Bulls coach Kylie Dawson said.
“There was times where we were trying to over-execute but defensive wise they were outstanding and the forwards played really well.”
After coming out a bit flat in the second half she said Grant’s try did spark them.
“After that try they switched on and started to play their footy again, and they moved it through the hands well,” she said.
The game plan was to move the ball side to side, and for most of the game they executed that well.
“We worked them over fairly well moving the ball from side to side,” she said.
Breakaway Jacob Williams was named played of the grand final. Dawson said he had a strong game as did captain and backrow partner Hagan Size. Smith also directed them well at half-back along with Parker.
“(But) Collectively as a team they played well,” Dawson said.
Magpies co-coach Bernie Williams said the Bulls were “too big and too strong” but was proud of his sides effort.
Most of them are eligible to play U17’s again next season.
“We just needed to hold the ball a bit longer and control it,” he said.
“But hats off to Moree, they are a good side.”
He had spoken heading in about the importance of starting strongly against what was a bigger Bulls’ side, but that didn’t quite transpire.
“We didn’t have the ball in the first 20 minutes,” Williams said.
With a big job ahead of them, he said at half-time the main thing they spoke about was holding the ball and putting pressure on the Bulls.
They did that for the first 10 minutes or so but then they conceded a couple of penalties, Parker scored and the momentum shifted.
