Kangaroos show no mercy during a 60-minute win against Wee Waa

Boggabri Kangaroos can climb back into the top four this Saturday after scoring a dominant 68-6 mercy rule victory over Wee Waa on home soil at Jubilee Oval on Sunday.

The hosts outscored the Panthers 13 tries to one in round 13 of the Group 4 Rugby League first grade campaign, with the last of those tries bringing the match to a close on the hour-mark as the mercy rule finishes games when one team leads by 60 points.

The day before, Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters had been beaten 48-12 away from home at David Taylor Oval by Werris Creek Magpies, which saw the Werris Creek men finish the weekend in second place with 20 points and the Roosters remain on 19 points as they dropped to third.

North Tamworth also finished the weekend on 19 points following their bye, and Boggabri’s win on Sunday saw them climb to 18 following eight wins and four losses so far this year.

Shane Rampling’s men are off to Kootingal to challenge the Roosters in round 14 on Saturday and they will finish the weekend in the top four if they get bring home two points from that road trip. They can go as high as third if they win and Norths lose at home against Gunnedah.

The other round 13 winners last weekend were Gunnedah and Moree. The Bulldogs hosted Dungowan at Kitchener Park on Saturday and got up 38-24, and then Moree registered their 12th straight win of the year the following day as they beat Narrabri 78-22 on home soil at Boughton Oval.

Moree’s win saw them go six points clear at the top of the table as they moved to a maximum 26 points, while the bottom four are still Dungowan (10), Gunnedah (9), Wee Waa (5) and Narrabri (4).

At Jubilee Oval on Sunday, Boggabri ran out wearing specially-designed jerseys donated by Craig Summers at Sign Print Stitch to celebrate the club’s ladies’ day. The event included a fundraiser to support Kami Herring, the sister in law of one of the club’s players Nick Herring. Kami is battling stage three ovarian cancer and the jerseys were teal-coloured, the colour that represents ovarian cancer. They were then auctioned off at the Commercial Hotel during the club’s post-match function, and the day as a whole raised $7550 to support Kami and her partner Tim in the upcoming costs of treatment.

The Kangaroos produced a solid performance in those jerseys as they dominated the Panthers from start to finish. They had scored three tries and led 14-0 by the eighth minute before they had even made a tackle, and they went into half-time with a 34-6 lead. They then scored their next 34 points within 20 minutes of play restarting in the second half.

Thomas Bruce registered a hat-trick in the 62-point victory, Isaiah Adams and Rodney Lamb bagged doubles, and Josefa Gonduadua, Pita Rogasau, Epeli Vulaserau, Nick Millar, Andrew Wallace and Jack Gillham all scored a try each. Millar was on kicking duties and slotted seven conversions, and Adams also kicked one goal.

Rampling thought his men were dominant in the second stanza after being guilty of making several silly mistakes in the first half.

“We were a bit clunky in the first half but led 34-6 at half-time,” Boggabri’s coach told Group 4 Media.

“Made some simple mistakes and kept turning the ball over.

“The second half was more clinical and we were able to exert a lot more pressure. It was much better for those 18 minutes in the second half; a good step into next week.

“We play Kooty (at Kootingal) and that’s going to be a massive game for both sides. There’s one point between us both now.”

Rampling thought that Rogasau was his side’s standout on the day.

“He was real good,” Rampling told Group 4 Media, adding that “Rodney Lamb came off the bench and had a big game. He also got our players player award. Jake Byrne was solid and Jack Gillham was pretty good too.”

The Panthers were chasing their first win of the season in that match but got off to a forgettable start when they dropped the ball in the in-goal after Rob Doolan kicked off to get the game underway.

Boggabri made the most of their first use of the football as they scored on the third play when halfback Wallace threw a short ball to his left centre Rogosau, who was too strong for the Wee Waa defence as he crossed in the corner. Doolan lined up for the conversion and struck the post with his kick from the sideline as the score remained 4-0.

Wee Waa’s kick-off flew out on the full and Boggabri went straight back on the attack. They made Wee Waa pay again when right winger Bruce crossed in the corner to put his side ahead 8-0.

The hosts won a penalty during the next set and marched straight back up the field, and Bruce went over again in the right corner before Adams nailed the conversion from the sideline to make the score 14-0 before Boggabri had even made a tackle.

Boggabri dropped the ball off the ensuing kick-off but won it back early in their first defensive set when Bruce and Adams tackled Logan Chown into touch as the five-eight attempted to score in the left corner.

Wee Waa won possession of the ball deep in Boggabri territory in the 15th minute when Lane Rees produced a one-on-one steal, and they went on to complete their first set of the match, which also resulted in their first points. Fullback Braydyn Finlay was tackled close to the line down the left edge and Wee Waa decided to run the ball on the next play, which was the last of the set. Hooker Hayden Endicott passed to Chown out of dummy half and the five-eighth fired off a bullet pass to winger Kaidan Winsor, who went over in the left corner. Halfback Ray Stahn missed the kick from the sideline but eventually made the score 14-6 off the boot when he slotted a penalty goal in the 20th minute.

Just as the Panthers were starting to build some momentum, it came crashing down as they dropped the ball in the in-goal off the kick-off again and conceded a try during the following set as a super Adams cutout pass close to the line put Bruce over for his third of the day.

Adams missed the conversion as the score remained 18-6, but he added four to the home side’s score in the 29th minute when he ran onto a short ball from his halves partner Wallace close to the line and went through the Wee Waa defence to score. Millar added the extras to make the score 24-6, which became 28-6 five minutes later when Wallace made a line break 20 metres out after fooling the Wee Waa defenders with a cheeky dummy before charging into the left corner to score.

Millar missed the conversion from the sideline but the prop then scored between the sticks just three minutes later and added the extras from right in front as Boggabri went into half-time ahead 34-6.

Wee Waa were hopeful of striking first in the second stanza and getting themselves back in the contest, but it was Boggabri who went over for the eighth try of the game two minutes after play restarted when their centre Epeli Vulaserau dived over out of dummy half seconds after Doolan had been tackled just short of the tryline.

Millar added the extras to make the score 40-6, and the Kangaroos then went on a barrage as they piled on five more tries in 17 minutes to bring the game to a close.

Boggabri’s players’ player, Lamb, scored two of those as he crossed in the 44th minute and again in the 47th before Gonduadua chipped in with a 60-metre runaway try in the 53rd minute, Gillham powered his way over from close range in the 56th minute and Adams raced over for his second of the day on the hour mark.

Millar kicked four of the final five conversions to make the final score 68-6.

The Kangaroos are pumped to battle for a spot in the top four this Saturday when they travel to Kootingal. They have already beaten the Roosters this year, back in round five at Jubilee Oval when they prevailed 28-22.

Other round 14 fixtures will see North Tamworth host Gunnedah at Jack Woolaston Oval on Saturday, Wee Waa welcome Moree to Cook Oval on Sunday, and Narrabri travel to Dungowan Recreation Reserve to face the Cowboys on Sunday.