It’s not exactly scientific, but a good barometer of how well Gunnedah are playing is the amount of times Bulldogs coach Sean Hayne drops the F-bomb.
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In the first half against Werris Creek on Saturday it was dropped more frequently than usual of late, as the in-form Bulldogs misfired against a fired up Magpies in a knockout final on an overcast and chilly day at Kitchener Park.
Passes were dropped. Passes missed the target. The energy level was down. Hayne dropped an F-bomb.
Down 18-8 at halftime, Gunnedah lifted in the second half to win 34-28 against a Magpies outfit who left nothing on the field and kept coming until the end. The Bulldogs booked a preliminary final spot, where they will play the loser of Sunday’s major preliminary final between the Roosters and the Bears at Kootingal.
The winner of the Kooty-Norths clash advances to the grand final.
At Kitchener Park, the match-sealing play came in the 74th minute when a sweeping backline movement from a scrum 10 metres out from Werris Creek’s tryine ended with winger Lachlan King crossing in the corner – fullback Dylan Lake providing the final pass. Centre Reece Jaeger missed the conversion and the Bulldogs led 34-28.
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Two minutes earlier, the Magpies made it interesting when tiny winger Jermain Walford scored his second try after five-eighth Dwight Millgate made a left-edge break inside Gunnedah’s 40m zone, passed to his brother, fullback Harlee, who linked with Walford. No.7 Scott Berry converted from about 10m in from the western touchline and it was 30-26.
The Magpies had a chance to score close to fulltime but the pass was ruled forward.
The scrum that led to King’s try was packed after Magpies prop Beau Parry dropped the ball in a tackle from the restart following Walford’s try. Magpies co-coach Matt Parsons sought Parry out after the match for a comforting word.
Parry has been a mainstay at Werris Creek for several seasons and played 11 matches this season as the side made a successful return to the top grade, finishing fourth and then beating Narrabri in the elimination final last weekend.
Against Gunnedah, Parry and his fellow forwards dialled up the physicality, especially in the first half. Teenage Bulldogs prop Lincon Smith received special attention, in light of his good form and rising profile, but he kept throwing his big frame at the defensive wall.
There were less Hayne expletives in the second half, but he still expects more from his side. However, he gave credit to Werris Creek: “They turned up to play that first half. They ran harder than us, they were more determined, had a bit more energy. We were a little flat to start with.
“We turned it around a little bit in the second half but we still made a lot of mistakes and handed the ball over in cheap field position and made some dumb errors that we can’t afford to do.”
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Werris Creek scored first when, in the ninth minute, Harlee Millgate went himself inside Gunnedah’s 10m zone and found Cody Tickle with an inside ball close to the tryline and the second-rower crashed over. Berry converted – 6-0.
The Bulldogs hit back when back-rower Sam Lumby charged on to a pass from five-eighth DJ Smith close the Magpies’ tryline and scored. Smith missed the kick after a dreadful strike.
In the 26th minute Tickle scored his second try when he pounced on a Berry grubber on the western side of the field inside the Bulldogs’ 20m zone. Berry converted – 12-4.
Six minutes later, Lake scored after claiming a chip kick from Bulldogs centre Aaron Donnelly about 20 metres out from the Magpies’ tryline on the eastern side of the field.
Smith, who has kicked more goals than anyone this season (60), failed to convert after another awful strike. That made it three poor conversion attempts in a row for him – the first being a missed penalty goal against North Tamworth in the qualifying final at Jack Woolaston Oval last Sunday that would have sent the match into extra time had he made it.
He was relieved of the kicking duties after the second miss on Saturday, with Jaeger taking over and doing a good job.
The Creek took a 10-point buffer into the break when No.11 Jamie Bailey sliced the Bulldogs up the middle and raced about 35m to score.
Gunnedah responded with a close-range try to Donnelly in the 45th minute. And eight minutes later DJ Smith scored after catching a high ball on the Magpies’ tryline that Lake put up. Jaeger converted and it was 18-all.
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Walford then crashed over in the corner to make it 22-18, before replacement Marcus Hayne went himself from dummy half on the Magpies’ tryline to score in the 54th minute. Jaeger added the extras – 24-22.
Gunnedah extended their lead when Hayne, operating from dummy half, got through the Creek’s defences inside the Magpies' 20m zone before passing to DJ Smith, who scored next to the uprights.
GUNNEDAH: 34 (DJ Smith 2, S Lumby, D Lake, A Donnelly, M Hayne, L King tries; R Jaeger 3 goals) def WERRIS CREEK 28 (C Tickle 2, J Walford 2, J Bailey, S Berry 4 goals)
