Tallon Smith, Peter “Parra” Montgomery

Despite a mounting injury toll reaching 15 players, the Young Cherrypickers are looking to capitalise on the momentum from their bounce-back win over Brothers in their must-win clash with Albury on Sunday.

Young’s attacking power was on full display last Sunday at Alfred Oval, where the Cherrypickers ran in fifteen tries in an 86-6 demolition of winless Wagga Brothers for a much needed victory.

The star of the match was halfback Robert Roberts, who not only scored two tries but also slotted 13 of 15 goals for a personal tally of 34 points.

Cherrypickers President Andrew Smith said that Roberts’ man of the match performance was exactly what the under-fire side needed to reboot their premiership defence.

“He had his hand in a few tries, he scored two tries and kicked 13 goals,” he said. 

“The guys didn’t help his cause for goal kicking because a lot of them were out wide, but his boot was definitely on fire on Sunday.” 

After a tough run saw the club lose four straight games to sit at a 4-5 record after nine rounds, Smith said the win was equally as important from a confidence perspective as it was for the two competition points.

“We sort of went into the game lacking a lot of confidence from those four losses in a row,” he said.

“We really needed, whether it was against Brothers or anyone, just to get two points on the board, just to try and get that confidence back again.

“Now we’ve sort of got a bit of a winning feeling back around the side again.”

Much like Penrith in the NRL, the feeling is that if Young are around the five when they get their troops back from injury, they will take some stopping once again.

Key to their finals ambitions however is this Sunday’s Challenge Cup showdown with Albury at Greenfield Park, which doubles in importance given the four-point swing in play for the two sides deadlocked for fifth position.

Premiership centre Nayah Freeman is a big in for the injury-hit Pickers for the must-win clash, with an opponent Smith is always wary of.

“Nayah is supposed to be retired, but he is doing what the club needs,” he said.

“I’ve always had a lot of respect for Albury, we’re at either end of the competition.

“I usually try and stay the night before we play down there, when we play them, but I can’t this year.”

In the halves, the clash between Roberts and Albury livewire Oscar Kaufononga promises to be a highlight. 

Kaufononga has been a fantastic addition to Thunder’s line-up this season, with his punishing defence and attacking skills making him a key asset for the side, and alongside co-captain Paul Karaitiana in the halves, he has been central to many of Thunder’s scoring opportunities.

Young will look to its powerful forward pack to control the game, with coach Tom Giles particularly dangerous close to the line, boasting an impressive try-scoring rate in those situations.

The Thunder will be without big prop Reece Clegg, who remains sidelined under concussion protocols following a heavy knock in the Round 8 draw with Temora. 

Isaac Carpenter will step into the front row, with Jack Harris and Braeden Stephens named as replacement edge forwards.

Carpenter had his best game of the season last week against Tumut, while front-row partner Nathan Darby provided strong go-forward with his powerful leg drive.

Round 10 recap

The Wagga Kangaroos dominated their clash with the Cootamundra Bulldogs running in 10 tries to one in a 56-6 victory at Geohex Stadium on Saturday.

Zac Graham and Dakota Ruta each scored doubles in the victory, which sees Kangaroos kick two and a half games clear at the top of the competition table with six rounds to play.

Temora remain the closest side to Kangaroos after they recorded a 22-12 win over Gundagai at Nixon Park on Saturday.

Winger Jock Ward bagged a double for the Dragons in the victory, which elevated Temora above the Tigers into second on the table by half a game.

The third Saturday game saw Albury secure a 44-26 win over the Tumut Blues at Greenfield Park.

After Tumut opened the scoring, the Thunder dominated through the middle part of the encounter to set up the 18-point win and draw level with Young in fifth.

Finally, the South City Bulls escaped from Laurie Daley Oval with a 19-12 victory over the Diesels on Sunday.

A try and a field goal to veteran Kyle McCarthy helped to set up the 7 point win, which brings the Bulls back within striking distance of the top five.