Kangaroos kick off reserve grade campaign with a Jubilee Oval win

Ashley Hynch celebrated his first win at his new club on Saturday when Group 4 Rugby League returned to Jubilee Oval as Boggabri Kangaroos hosted the North Tamworth Bears in three grades to kick off a new season.

In what were officially labelled round three matches on the draw, Boggabri took on the Bears in ladies’ league tag and reserve grade before the clubs met in the season opener of the ladies’ tackle competition.

The visitors won the ladies’ games 58-0 and 32-4, respectively, but the Boggabri men kicked off their reserve grade campaign in style with a 24-18.

Hynch took over as the Kangaroos’ reserve grade coach late last year after making the switch from the Narrabri Blues, a club he guided to grand finals as a player-coach in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

He was looking forward to a fresh start and was full of praise for his men and the way they played in their first game of the season.

The Kangaroos led 10-0 at half-time after Kyle Capper and Matt Avendano crossed for tries in the opening 35 minutes and Josh Trindall converted one of them.

The hosts then extended their lead two minutes into the second stanza when Capper went in for his second try of the day, which Jayde Campbell converted to make the score 16-0.

Boggabri’s defence finally cracked in the 45th minute as North Tamworth’s halfback Jarmarley Jerrard crossed for their first try, but a Trindall 70-metre runaway try in the 50th minute made the score 22-6 after Campbell added the extras.

North Tamworth scored two more converted tries to give themselves a chance of stealing the win, but the hosts got the job done as they won a late penalty and Trindall kicked the goal to make the final score 24-18.

Hynch commended the way his men stood up in defence throughout the game, especially on their goal line.

“We put a fair bit of pressure on ourselves there at times with a bit of dropped ball and ill-discipline,” Hynch said.

“I couldn’t have asked for any more in defence but. We spent a lot of time on our own goal line. There was one time there they were attacking our line for six sets and we held them out.

“Our fitness played a big part as well. The boys are pretty fit. They did get flogged in the pre-season and its shown.”

Hynch said he was feeling right at home at Boggabri and commended the culture that the Kangaroos have built.

“I’m very happy to be coaching out there. It’s a good little club to be at,” Hynch said.

“The whole culture of the club is really good. Everyone is involved and it’s like a big family out there.”

The Group 4 campaign will now break for the Easter long weekend and will resume on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27.

Boggabri will travel to Cook Oval on the Sunday to challenge to Wee Waa Panthers in both senior women’s and senior men’s games as the clubs’ first grade sides line up for the first time this season.

Those matches are officially round one matches on the Group 4 draw, and the games on Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4 are round two games.

The first grade teams will then line up for their round three matches at the NSWRL Magic Round event at Tamworth’s Scully Park from Friday to Sunday, May 9 to 11.

All teams across all divisions will then play as normal from round four onwards.