RUGBY LEAGUE
THE Western Rams under-16s trailed Bidgee Bulls 12-0 in their opening game of the AAMI Country Championship three weeks ago - they haven’t looked back since.
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Turning that 12-point deficit into a 22-18 victory, Jamie Szczerbanik’s Rams then went about beating the Greater Southern Redbacks 30-0 and then, last Saturday, the Greater Southern Stingrays 34-10 in two-and-a-half games of near-faultless rugby league to top the championship’s southern pool undefeated.
Rams manager Andrew Pull said Forbes prop Matt Nicholson was a stand-out for Western at Batemans Bay on Saturday, leading the charge with two great tries, while fullback Charlie Staines hit his straps as well.
“(Nicholson is) a big strong brute,” Pull said.
“He charges the ball forward, has a great off-load and he’s extremely fit, he doesn’t need a spell. He’s a really great asset for the team.
“There’s plenty of confidence in the group. We probably though if we’re going to win (the pool games), it’d be by four or six points. It was tough against Bidgee but we’ve put the cleaners through the two Southern sides.
“To play the way they have has been really positive.”
On a tough surface at Batemans Bay, Pull said the Rams played with plenty of intent through the middle third of the field, which allowed them to spread the ball wide and use the side’s speed, with Orange CYMS winger Lincoln Monk, Narromine Jet Zarrin Galea, Blayney Bears’ young-gun Joe Hobby and green and golds backrower Hudson Spicer all scoring tries in the final-round victory.
“It wasn’t our best game but the boys played very well,” Pull added.
“I think there was probably a five-minute period there where the boys didn’t complete a set, but they were able to regroup and get back on track.
“It was an important win to lock-up that number one spot in our group.”
Western now takes on the northern pool’s second-placed side, the East Coast Dolphins, in Saturday’s semi-final clash at Dubbo’s Caltex Park. The Greater Northern Tigers finished on top of the northern pool and will play Bidgee in the other semi-final.
“Knowing (head coach) Jamie, he will have looked at the video and seen the Dolphins play each game,” Pull said.
“The biggest thing is getting the boys to run hard. I’m sure they will.”
WESTERN RAMS 34 (M Nicholson 2, Z Galea, L Monk, J Hobby, H Spicer tries; M Burton 5 goals) def GREATER SOUTHERN STINGRAYS 10 (V Worthley, B Killmore tries; B Killmore goal)