It was a mixed day for the Moree Boomerangs as they hosted the Glen Innes Magpies, with league-tag coming away with the win before A-grade went down in a thrilling grand final rematch.
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In A-grade, the Magpies proved too good in an "ugly" game, walking away with a 42-38 win.
Neither side could get on top for long periods, with the Boomerangs taking a slim 26-18 lead into the break, but it was the Magpies who came out firing in the second half.
They ran in three unanswered tries, and while the Boomerangs fought back with two late tries of their own to reduce the deficit to four points, it was too little too late.
A-grade coach Chris Binge said his side didn't execute when they needed to and lamented his side's poor ball control.
"It was definitely a game of two halves," Binge said.
"The first half we toughed it out, the second half we couldn't control possession. Credit to Glen Innes, they played a pretty simple game plan through the middle."
Magpies star hooker Guy Mepham went off injured after 15 minutes and Binge said his side probably "got too comfortable" and eased off.
Still, Binge credited players like Anthony Williams and Pete Duncan in the front row who both stood out, as well as young five-eighth Keenan Duncan who "toiled all day".
"In saying that, we've got to be better. This week is one of those weeks where we review the first five weeks, and particularly yesterday's result, and work really hard over the next two weeks," Binge said.
"The bye has probably come at a good time for us. I don't think it's panic buttons but I know we need to be better and the team knows they need to be better."
In the ladies league tag, the Boomerangs managed to walk off the field with a tough 22-14 win, which takes them to outright second on the ladder behind Armidale.
"It was a good win by the girls. We always knew they were going to come down here and put their best up against us," coach Jason Munro said.
He said his side got themselves into the grind of the match, and fought particularly hard as the Magpies worked their way back into the match after a slow start.
"We knew they weren't going to lie down. We just went out and basically got back to what worked in the first half," he said.
"Our backs were against the wall. I think we defended three or four sets on our line. We just grinded it out, really."
Munro said Rebecca Sampson, Jalika Leslie and Kiah Picker were among his team's best on the day.
He is now focusing on finding consistency, particularly in their away games.
