The second-placed Gundagai Tigers hosted the 7th-placed Junee Diesels yesterday at Anzac Park, in a clash that delivered pure Group 9 drama, with the Tigers staging a remarkable comeback to secure a hard-fought victory.
From the first whistle, it was clear this wouldn’t be a gentle affair. Both packs collided with a ferocity that echoed through the stands, each side desperate to gain the ascendancy. The Diesels started incredibly strong, stunning the home crowd. Their forwards made significant inroads, and their early pressure paid dividends when second rower Jack Schubert powered over for Junee’s first try. The Junee faithful erupted, but the conversion drifted wide.
Undaunted, the Diesels continued their relentless assault; shortly after, winger Nick Hogarth sliced through for their second try, a brilliant piece of finishing that further silenced Anzac Park. Still, the conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 8-0. Despite the missed conversions, Junee maintained their composure, calmly slotting two crucial penalty goals, extending their lead. As the halftime siren sounded, the Junee Diesels headed into the sheds with a commanding 12-0 advantage, dominating the opening forty minutes and leaving the Tigers with a fair dinkum mountain to climb.
“Our first half wasn’t our greatest, we came up with 9 errors and couldn’t get into it,” reflected Gundagai coach Aaron Gorrell. He acknowledged the Diesels’ strength, noting, “Their three new blokes are quality players.” Gorrell also highlighted some adjustments to the Tigers’ lineup, stating, “Joe (Tahaafe) and Tevita (Vukicea) started when usually they’d be in the bench with Ed Brooke and Benjy Hannan filling in on the bench. Jack Lyons also moved around, playing in the middle rather than the usual centres spot he has.”
The halftime break invigorated the Gundagai Tigers as they burst out of the blocks in the second half with renewed intensity, determined to erase the deficit. It wasn’t long before the home crowd found their voice again, roaring as centre James Morgan crashed over for Gundagai’s crucial first try of the match. The Tigers were on the board, but the conversion was missed, making it 12-4. The momentum had swung decisively; Gundagai continued to press, their plays clicking into gear.
Next, winger Meli Drau found space out wide and touched down, bringing the Tigers even closer. Still, the conversions proved tricky, and the scoreboard read 12-8. The home team’s surge wasn’t over as the game entered a thrilling phase with five-eighth Will Herring then delivering two crucial tries, showcasing his attacking prowess and leadership. With the scoreboard ticking over rapidly, Herring also managed to convert two of Gundagai’s four tries, narrowing the gap with each successful kick and eventually giving the Tigers a slim lead.
“To the boys’ credit, once we kicked into gear we looked a bit above them,” Gorrell remarked. He emphasised the Tigers’ return to form: “We got back to playing direct and completing, very rarely in the first did we get to 5th [tackle].”
The final minutes were pure Group 9 drama. Despite Gundagai’s incredible comeback, the Junee Diesels refused to surrender; they dug deep, finding one last surge of energy. In a desperate late effort, hooker Quaider Kea plunged over for a try, bringing the Diesels tantalisingly close. The tension was palpable; every eye was on the scoreboard. However, despite Kea’s late heroics, it wasn’t enough. The clock ran out, confirming a remarkable turnaround. When the final siren pierced the Riverina night, the Gundagai Tigers emerged victorious with a hard-fought 20-18 win over the Junee Diesels.
Looking ahead, Gorrell reflected on the team’s performance and future challenges. “We’ve put a few together, now we’re hitting a rough run of games,” he said. “It’s hard when you’re up to stay up, we were always going to have the odd bad game but we’ve done well to still get the result we want in the games where we haven’t been at our standard.” Despite the tough win, Gorrell was complimentary of the opposition. “They’ll beat a lot of sides and push for fifth I believe,” he stated, also noting that the Tigers were “missing a couple of key blokes such as Pat Birch and Hayden Ashcroft.” He concluded by looking ahead to next week’s game: “Temora have got some quality players, they’re a good side. If we play like we did today they might get us.”
Tully Potts SWST Sports Editor
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.