SOUTH West Robins scored three tries in the final 10 minutes to steal a reserve grade grand final berth from North Tamworth’s grasp, on a big day of preliminary final action at Kootingal on Saturday.
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Ahead 28-20 in a seesawing clash, the Bears looked home until they had two players, Shaquille Ervine and Jye Bateman, sin-binned within the space of a minute with less than 10 minutes left in the clash.
Robins halfback Nelson Smith then took command. He had already scored one brilliant kick-and-chase try in the first half and created another try gem for fullback Ben Caldwell.
He also set up a try in the second half to drag the Robins within two points of a Bears side who then fired back via captain-coach Nick O’Leary.
O’Leary had scored his side first two tries and then put Jackson Finlay into a yawning gap for the 28-20 lead.
However he could do nothing as his side’s season disintegrated as first Ervine and then Bateman went, leaving the Bears with just 11 men and a rampant Smith steering the Robins home.
“We had to work for that,” a delighted Robins captain-coach Shane Howarth said after the game.
“It’s been a tough year, a rebuilding season … but now we’ve won our way into a grand final.”
NORTH Tamworth Bears had to dig deep to end Boggabri’s season in the under-18 preliminary final.
The Bears won 24-16 after leading 12-nil early in the match but then slipped behind 16-12 early in the second half.
The Kangaroos had scored two late first half tries to Michael Long and Jared Heinrich to go into the halftime break down 12-10.
When Bailey Lennox charged over four minutes into the second half, the Roos were on top.
However Bears five-eighth Tom Sharman then engineered a brilliantly simple try for Kobe Bone for the Bears to retake the lead. And then just a few minutes later Lachlan Bone dashed over from dummy half to make it 24-16.
Boggabri fought it out to the end. The gallant Roos thought they were over a few minutes from fulltime but five-eighth Lennox was penalised for a double movement.
“The halves were back. Tom [Sharman] had a great game,” said North coach Ken Allan.
CASEY Hatch kicked a penalty goal after the fulltime siren for Werris Creek to beat South West Robins 12-11 in league tag tier-two final.
The one-point win earned Werris Creek a berth in next Sunday’s grand final against a Boggabri side that had beaten the Creek in the final 10 seconds of their major preliminary final the week before.
“That’s the fortunes of footy,” Werris Creek coach Jason Smith mused after Saturday’s last-gasp win.
“We had the luck go against us last week and South West Robins did play well today [Saturday] too. We just had the luck go with us today.”
South West Robins scored first through Montanna Esley – a five-point try – but Montanna Allan hit back for the Creek to trail 7-6 at halftime.
A Jane Hill try claimed the lead for Werris Creek but then Jodi Howarth scored under the posts for the Robins.
Enter Casey Hatch, who stepped up to boot the match-winning penalty goal.
“It’s exciting for the girls,” Smith said.
