Tallon Smith
It may not have been the most pretty performance, but some individual brilliance from Daniel Foley helped Junee to secure a 20-14 victory over the Albury Thunder at Greenfield Park on Saturday.
The fullback scored two of the Diesels’ four tries, including the match sealer on full time, to cap off a strong personal performance and seal the club’s fourth straight win.
Junee co-coach Damian Willis said he was pleased to pick up the two competition points in Albury, a place where wins were hard to come by in his playing days with Gundagai, and a ground Junee hadn’t won at since returning to the first grade competition in 2023.
“You always come down to Greenfield Park and it’s a tough day at the office,” he said.
“The errors were thick and fast from both sides, from first half to second half, it was a bludger of a game to be brutally honest.
“We were just very fortunate that we have got some quality in our side.
“Dan Foley was really good, he scored two tries today and he was instrumental in that last try.
“We’re slowly getting there but definitely there is a lot of stuff to work on, and it was good to come down to Albury to get two points.”
After a bruising opening, Albury took a 2-0 lead through a penalty goal to Nate Broekman, only for the Diesels to hit back with two quick tries, the first to Cooper Wright off a shift, before Foley sighted a gap to slice through and score.
Albury’s reply was just as swift, with five-eighth Lachy Munro taking a Jacob Tobok kick next to the uprights to hit back, before Jordan Ercegovic competed on another bomb and came down with the ball, linking with Christian Sifakula to give the Thunder a 14-10 advantage at the break.
A 17-minute stalemate ensued to open a scrappy second half, until Neti Latu powered his way over from short range to give Junee the lead again 16-14 after Stu Dunbar’s conversion.
The away side clung to that lead until the final minute, withstanding plenty of Albury chances, before Foley crossed late to complete his double and seal the deal for the Diesels.
After returning from injury against Cootamundra, Foley has been instrumental in Junee’s four-game winning streak since, helping to put the club in the frame for a top three finish and a double-chance in its first finals series since 2018.
Aside from a pair of uncharacteristic errors at the back that proved no one was immune from dropping the ball on the day, Willis said it was good to see the representative star continue his strong form as the postseason approaches.
“He is a superstar of this competition and he has been for a long time,” he said.
“Whether you are playing against him or with him, you’re just in awe of what he can do.
“He can step on a 10 cent piece and make some of the best defenders in the competition look really silly.
“It’s good that he is back fit, he is the heart and soul of our football side [and] one of our spiritual leaders.
“He has been there through the tough times and now it’s good to see him get some just rewards for that longevity and that commitment to our football club.”
Another shining light for the Diesels was 17-year-old winger Jack Walker, who stepped up from the side’s under 18s team to perform strongly in his first top grade game.
The debut had been in the works for quite some time, with Willis happy to give Walker the opportunity after some impressive performances so far this year.
“On Wednesday I rang him before he went to work and worded him up, and told his family to come down and present him his jumper,” he said.
“He’s only a kid, and he has been playing some really good footy down in his under 18s team, he is the captain of that side.
“The stuff that he did in the pre-season really [gave] him an opportunity.
“He has been there and thereabouts as our concussion sub for the last probably month and a half, so it was good to give him an opportunity today.”
Meanwhile, despite the tough result Albury coach Etu Uaisele found some positives in another spirited late-season showing from his side.
“The thing I took out of it from the boys is their effort, they never went away, we could have won the game all the way to the end,” he said.
“The biggest thing for me is the attitude, the last month and a half it has been really good.”
Junee’s place in the top three will go on the line when Young faces Cootamundra on Sunday.
JUNEE 20 (Daniel Foley 2, Cooper Wright, Neti Latu tries; Stu Dunbar 2 goals) DEFEATED ALBURY 14 (Lachy Munro, Christian Sifakula tries; Nate Broekman 3 goals) at Greenfield Park, Saturday August 8.
