Boggabri Kangaroos put up a brave fight on Saturday in the first round of the new Group 4 Rugby League season but lost 28-10 to the North Tamworth Bears at Gunnedah’s Kitchener Park.
In the first of four first grade contests during the opening-round footy fest, the Kangaroos were forced to play the entire second half with 12 men after halfback Andrew Wallace was sent off late in the first half for punching.
The score was 16-10 at the break, but Boggabri had led 10-6 at one stage after Malakai Kovefalou and Robert Doolan tries and a Doolan goal put them in front to erase a lead that the North Tamworth side had established through a Misaele Vakacegu try and a Mitch Sheridan goal.
Norths regained the lead when they went ahead 12-10 in the 21st minute as Ryley Mackay crossed and Sheridan kicked the goal, and the defending champs would never surrender that lead again.
Liam Ball’s 31st-minute try saw the Bears enter half-time with a six-point lead, and then converted tries to Mark Simon and Lynken Dickson in the second stanza saw them earn a hard-fought 28-10 victory.
Boggabri Kangaroos’ coach Shane Rampling thought that the send-off changed the game, but he was proud of his men for the way they battled for 45 minutes while being a man down against the Group 4 powerhouses.
“We lost our way in attack after that. Andrew’s a big organiser and a big talker,” Rampling said of the send-off.
“But to our credit, we hung in there. The amount of ball Norths had there in the second half; we defended really well considering we only let two tries in. The boys showed a lot of courage to try and compete with 12, especially against Norths.
“We took a lot of positives out of that, but it’s disappointing.”
Rampling said that he was surprised the Bears were also not reduced to 12 players as Wallace was punched three times before he retaliated.
The Boggabri coach added that while there were plenty of positives to take away from the opening-round match, the Kangaroos have a lot of improving to do going forward.
“There’s still quite a lot to work on,” Rampling said.
“We were a bit clunky, but it was pretty much our first hit-out as a unit together because in our trials we had a heap of blokes rotating.
“I think that we’ll improve a hell of a lot, and once the new boys learn our structure and all the boys learn each others’ games, we’ll get a lot better.”
New signing Malakai Kovefalou and Kangaroos stalwart Nick Millar both had big games in the forward pack on Saturday and Rampling said they were his side’s two standouts. Kovefalou was voted as Boggabri’s players’ player on debut and Millar earned two Group 4 best and fairest points.
Bears duo Ethan Collins and Liam Ball polled the three points and the one point, respectively.
Rampling was also pleased with the way centres Epeli Vulaserau and Mitch Fletcher performed in the season opener.
Other first grade results from Group 4 Rugby League’s opening-round footy fest at Kitchener Park on Saturday saw the Narrabri Blues outscored 54-22 by the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters, Moree Boars defeat the Dungowan Cowboys 36-16, and Werris Creek Magpies beat the Gunnedah Bulldogs 38-10.
Boggabri Kangaroos were in action in reserve grade and ladies league tag against North Tamworth on Sunday at Jack Woolaston Oval in North Tamworth.
There was a minute’s silence held to acknowledge the passing of Group 4 and North Tamworth legend, Jack Woolaston, who died last month aged 99.
The Bears got the job done in both grades as they won ladies league tag 52-0 and then converted a 6-4 half-time lead into a 28-10 win in reserve grade.
Boggabri will travel to Kitchener Park in three grades this Saturday when they meet Gunnedah Bulldogs in round two. They will then host their first home games of the season in round three when they welcome Narrabri Blues to Jubilee Oval.
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