Peter (Parra) Montgomery

South City Bulls secured a hard-fought 32–20 victory over Albury Thunder in a scrappy contest at Harris Park, Wagga, on Saturday afternoon.

The match was evenly poised for much of the 80 minutes but was marred by frequent handling errors and a high turnover rate, which saw momentum swing repeatedly between the two sides.

Both teams struggled to retain possession in key moments, and the lead changed several times during a disjointed first half.

Albury’s task was made more difficult by the loss of captain Lachie Munro and leading try-scorer Lachlan Hampton before halftime. Munro suffered a broken nose and concussion and is in doubt for next weekend’s clash with the Junee Diesels at Greenfield Park. Hampton sustained a leg injury early in the match and took no further part.

The Junee Diesels, who will host Albury next round, recorded the upset of the season on Saturday, defeating reigning premiers Young Cherry Pickers 30–28 in a thriller at Laurie Daley Oval.

Back in Wagga, it took South City just four minutes to open the scoring. Hooker Klayton Waikato intercepted a loose pass from dummy-half Oscar Kaufononga and dived over adjacent to the posts. Josh Siegwalt converted for a 6–0 lead.

Albury responded through Munro, who capitalised on a misjudged kick return by Bulls fullback Travis Smith. Paul Karaitiana’s deft grubber behind the line was fumbled by Smith, allowing Munro to ground the ball and level the scores at 6–6.

South City then regained the lead after more ill-discipline from the Thunder, with powerful winger Jarom Vakarewakobau finishing off a slick pass from centre Cody Hodge to cross in the corner. The Bulls led 10–6.

Albury’s forward pack, spearheaded by props Faone Fakafata and Nathan Darby, pushed deep into Bulls territory soon after.

Fakafata managed to offload in a tackle to Bronson Meehan, whose link-up play with Munro gave replacement winger Bailey Muras a clear path to the try line. The sides were level again at 10–10.

In a chaotic passage of play, both sides exchanged soft tries in quick succession. Bulls forward Rogan Price crossed under the posts following a tap penalty, exposing a lapse in Albury’s goal-line defence.

However, the Thunder hit back almost immediately when Vakarewakobau spilled the restart, allowing Kaufononga to scoop up the ball and score untouched. The teams went into the break locked at 16–16.

Veteran playmaker Kyle McCarthy was instrumental in steering the Bulls around the park in the second half, combining effectively with a hard-working forward pack led by Seb Rodet and Cleve McGhie.

Both teams improved their ball control after the break, resulting in a more structured and competitive second stanza.

Thunder back-rowers Clayton Couley and Hugh Duncan were prominent in defence, with Duncan delivering an especially high work rate in the middle third, helping to blunt South City’s attacking efforts for much of the half.

It was McCarthy who broke the deadlock, brushing off several defenders near the line before finding Rodet with a short ball.

Rodet barged over for a converted try, putting the Bulls ahead 22–16.

Albury, however, continued to threaten. Fullback Vili Cerei, playing in place of the injured Munro, made a series of incisive runs that put his team in attacking position.

A well-worked move involving Kaufononga and Karaitiana ended with centre Sebastian Nelson scoring in the corner. Nelson, hampered by a leg injury, did well to finish.

The Bulls’ lead was cut to 22–20.

With ten minutes remaining, a moment of controversy followed. A towering cross-field kick from Gannon found winger Jesse Fitzpatrick, who was ruled to have grounded the ball just inside the dead-ball line.

The decision, which would likely have drawn extended video review in the NRL, was a marginal call that ultimately went in SouthCity’s favour.

Siegwalt’s conversion pushed the lead to 26–20.

The result was sealed shortly after when Gannon crashed over for a try of his own following sharp lead-up work by McCarthy.

Siegwalt added the extras to complete the 32–20 scoreline.

South City Bulls 32 (Tries: K. Waikato, J. Fitzpatrick, J. Vakarewakobau, S. Rodet, R. Gannon, R. Price; Goals: J. Siegwalt 4) defeated Albury Thunder 20 (Tries: L. Munro, S. Nelson, B. Muras, O. Kaufononga; Goals: V. Cerei, S. Nelson)

Best for Albury Thunder: Clayton Couley, Hugh Duncan, Blake Grounds

Best for South City Bulls: Kyle McCarthy, Seb Rodet, Travis Smith, Tim Hurst