Boggabri Kangaroos’ coach Shane Rampling was impressed after his side booked a spot in the Group 4 Rugby League first grade finals with a 60-point thrashing of the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters in round 14 on Saturday.
The Kangaroos kept the home team scoreless at Kootingal Sportsground, which Rampling said was the perfect way to bounce back from a poor showing against Moree Boars in round 12 last month ahead of their round 13 washout against the Gunnedah Bulldogs.
The Boggabri men ran in 12 tries and converted six of them against the Roosters, and they led from the second minute until the mercy rule was required in the 65th when the margin reached 60 points.
It was a win that saw the Roos hop above North Tamworth Bears on the live ladder, who then lost 36-24 against the Bulldogs at Kitchener Park on Sunday to bow out of finals contention.
Rampling was thrilled to have locked in a trip to the finals for the second year running as his men look to go one better in 2025 after being beaten by Moree in the 2024 decider.
“It’s a really good achievement for us to make the finals again for the second year in a row,” Rampling told The Courier.
“We obviously had to wait for the Gunnedah and Norths game on Sunday, but we got the job done with the win on Saturday, and then Gunnedah did us a favour.
“I think the highest we can finish is third. I don’t think we can get second because I imagine Werris Creek will win and win comfortably (this Saturday in Kootingal), but you never know.
“We just have to worry about ourselves. If we can win, we’ll at least have a home semi the following week, and if we can end up finishing second, even better.
“I went and watched the Gunnedah and Norths game, and it was the team who could sustain the most pressure, hold the ball and build on their opportunities that were going to come out on top of that one, and Gunnedah did that.
“I think that will be the same this weekend and in the finals.”
Rampling thought his men played a mature match on Saturday and deserved the two points.
“I think the boys did really well. I was quite impressed,” Rampling said.
“Not letting Kooti score was 100 per cent the most pleasing aspect of it.
“We had a few home truths after the Moree game, about what we wanted to get out of the season and how we could do that, and defence came up as something that had to be better.
“It was pleasing to see how we responded.
“We had to defend our line a few times and they threw a bit at us, but we held them out, which was the best part.
“The boys were keen to go hard from the word go. We’d talked about how starting hard and fast was paramount, and the boys did that on the back of our go forward from our forwards. They really laid the platform again.
“Our go-forward, finding our front and getting quick play-the-balls away were really good all game.
“In attack, we were focused and we didn’t rush things or go to score on the second or third tackle. We let our forwards lay the platform and build the pressure, and when the opportunities came to hit the edges, we did.
“The one per centers we keep talking about were all there. Things like numbers in tackles, keeping good shape in attack and being there for each other. Everyone played their part, which was good.
“It sets us up for a huge clash against Gunnedah now. It’s a really big game for us over there on Saturday.”
Skipper Matt Gillham crossed first on Saturday and Ash White added the extras off the tee to make the score 6-0 after just two minutes, before Ilaisa
Kalokalodrau bagged a double with tries in the fifth and 13th minutes as it became 14-0 in Boggabri’s favour.
It was 20-0 by the 20-minute mark as White converted a Nick Millar try, and Matt Avendano then crossed in the 21st to put Boggabri ahead of the clock at 24-0.
Kangaroos winger and the Group 4 Rugby League first grade competition’s top try-scorer Josefa Goneduadua crossed for his 22nd try of the year in the 31st minute before White slotted his third conversion of the day to put Boggabri in front by 30.
It had then become 40 by the half-time break after Tevita Peceli went over in the 35th minute before White converted his own try in the 38th.
Rampling demanded a clean sheet from his men at the break and they delivered that as they ran in four tries in the first 25 minutes of the second stanza, two of which White converted, which brought the contest to a premature end.
Goneduadua completed his third hat-trick of the season to take his tally at the top to 24 tries as he crossed in the 44th minute and then again five minutes later, and Millar and Peceli both ended the day with doubles as they went over in the 61st and 65th minutes, respectively.
While it is now guaranteed that Moree, Werris Creek, Gunnedah and Boggabri will make up the top four this season, it is far from determined in which spots they will finish as they all have one game remaining.
Moree’s away trip to Wee Waa in round 14 was postponed due to flooding in Wee Waa, but they remained on top of the table with 20 points.
Werris Creek, Gunnedah and Boggabri are all on 19 points and are ranked second to fourth, respectively, following their round 14 victories.
Gunnedah and Werris Creek can both finish anywhere from first to fourth, while Boggabri can finish as high as second due to their for and against difference.
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