Tallon Smith
The Griffith Waratah Tigers held off a second half surge from cross-town rivals Black and Whites to seal the Group 20 minor premiership with a 36-28 win at the Exies Oval on Sunday.
After opening up a 24-0 half time advantage through tries to James Girdler, John Lolohea, Moses Lolohea and Pou Uhi, the Tigers were challenged by a fast-finishing Black and Whites side, but managed to maintain their lead all the way to the finish to earn a week off to begin the finals.
Waratahs coach Brett Goldspink said the ability to rest key players is a good reward for his side heading into what shapes as a close finals series, after surpassing its original goal of simply earning a double chance.
“It’s a massive advantage, for us it was always about finishing in the top three, and obviously once the finals comes around it’s a whole new competition,” he said.
“There’s some quality sides below us, any side can win it, but the beauty about it [is] at least we get to rest and watch every side go to battle for a week before us.
“Coming from last year where we had some injuries, injuries can play a massive role in where you are going to finish for the year, so for us to sit back for one week, we will take full advantage of that.”
After the Tigers took a 24-point advantage into the intermission, the Black and Whites forced a dropout off the first set of the second half, which led to a try to Junior Charles.
Waratahs responded through Sima Tau, but the visitors soon had another through Mekhi Simpson following a break down the left side by centre Judd Stevenson.
A brilliant cut-out ball from Girdler found Fili Mahe to cancel out that try and establish a 34-12 advantage for the hosts, but the Black and Whites’ fightback only kicked up a gear from there, with Isaiah Buerckner-Little getting to the bounce of a Matty Adams kick first to dive over, before Dillon Bartter found the line out wide.
With the Waratahs’ lead reduced to 34-24, a penalty handed Girdler the opportunity to extend the margin to two converted tries with four minutes to play, which the fullback made the most of.
The Black and Whites continued to do their best to set up a grandstand finish, and a late attacking raid did produce a try to Stevenson off a kick, but in the end the clock was the enemy of the comeback as the Tigers held on for an 8-point victory.
Despite being challenged late, Goldspink said the match was won in the first half, though he did give credit to the opposition for its never-say-die attitude.
“We won it in the first half, we went in at 24-0 at half time, and to Black and Whites’ credit, they kept fighting the whole way to the end, they got a couple of injuries in the first half, but I think the damage was done,” he said.
“[In the] second half it was more about trying to rotate the bench as best as we can, and to be fair to Black and Whites, a lot of good players stood up.
“Will Charles, he’s a quality player, and I thought Isaiah Buerckner, he tried to lead them around the park.
“To their credit, they are a young side, and they fought all the way to the end, and they will trouble any side they meet in the finals.”
As for Waratahs’ performance, while they were nowhere near clinical, Goldspink said he believes the side has plenty of improvement left in it as finals approach.
“I don’t think we have played our best football yet, at times where I thought we would play really well we’ve actually played probably worse,” he said.
“I’m yet to see our best football, I know what they potentially can do at training, whether that will actually come out on a game day I’m not too sure, and maybe that comes down to what the opposition put us [under as] far as pressure.
“Our best football is still ahead of us, and I know the opposition will probably bring that out in us, because I know there’s some quality sides there.
“Who we play, I’m not too sure, whether it’s Yanco, Yanco’s a great side, Lakes they will fight until the end, and Leeton always [gives] us trouble, and whether it’s Black and Whites or West Wyalong, they will beat any side on their day, so whoever we play, we’ve just got to step up and make sure that we put our best foot forward.”
Meanwhile, the Black and Whites’ finals hopes now depend on more than just their own results, after West Wyalong jumped the side into fifth spot with two points from its bye over the weekend.
The Griffith club now not only must beat Darlington Point-Coleambally in their final round match at Solar Mad Stadium on Saturday, but also needs Leeton to defeat the Mallee Men the following day in order to qualify for the finals.
Should that occur, the Black and Whites’ superior for-and-against (-20) compared to West Wyalong’s (-62) will see the side finish fifth.
Waratahs will close their regular season at home against Yenda on Sunday.
GRIFFITH WARATAHS 36 (James Girdler, John Lolohea, Moses Lolohea, Pou Uhi, Sima Tau, Fili Mahe tries; Girdler 6 goals) DEFEATED GRIFFITH BLACK & WHITES 28 (Junior Charles, Mekhi Simpson, Isaiah Buerckner-Little, Dillon Bartter, Judd Stevenson tries; Buerckner-Little 4 goals) at Exies Oval, Sunday August 16.
