Narrabri finally got a win over Gunnedah, and it was a big one.
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The Blues overcame a series of near try misses in the first half to beat Gunnedah 42-28 in the preliminary final on a warm spring day at Kitchener Park on Sunday.
They will now attempt to end North Tamworth’s three-year premiership reign when the sides meet in the grand final at Jack Woolaston Oval next Sunday.
The match sealer against Gunnedah was delivered in the 70th minute by the game’s most electrifying player, Brenton Cochrane, his burst of speed from 18 metres out from the Bulldogs’ tryline predictable but unstoppable – a blur of blue that took the fight out of the home side like a punch to the solar plexus.
A final converted try to No.16 Sam Sadler was the exclamation mark, with the Blues securing their first win over the Bulldogs in the fourth clash between the sides this season.
Narrabri will be the underdogs against Norths, but they won’t lack confidence – having beaten the Bears twice this season, including their last encounter.
“We play a different style of footy to them [Norths],” Cochrane said post-match. “And I think we can contain them quite well like we did in the past. And I think we’re full of confidence leading into this game [the grand final]. We done our job here and I think we can really turn up and do it next week.”
A Bears-Blues grand final will probably be a closer affair than a Bears-Bulldogs grand final would have been, given Norths beat Gunnedah in all four matches they played this year, including a 40-4 triumph in the major semi-final last week.
The preliminary final was not a great game, although its tit-for-tat nature for most of the match added drama.
Bulldogs coach Sean Hayne said his players “let themselves down”.
He said: “We missed tackles and made poor options when we had the ball .. and didn’t take our chances, and they made us pay. Every time we handed the ball over they scored. It’s a pretty ordinary way to finish the year.”
After Narrabri came close to scoring on several occasions and Gunnedah had a try disallowed, Blues second-rower Brendan Davey crashed over to post the first try of the match in the 15th minute after Cochrane fed him the ball.
Cochrane, who had scored a competition-best 35 tries before the match, wore No.3 but played with a menacing, roving intent that made him a constant threat.
Gunnedah posted their first try in the 21st minute when second-rower Danny Reid barged over.
Reid scored another close-range first-half try, which followed a routine four-pointer by Blues halfback Justin Knight when he took the ball at first receiver 10m out from the Bulldogs’ tryline and scooted over.
Narrabri replacement forward Mitch Denning then showed good strength – and Gunnedah showed poor defence – to score and give the Blues a 16-12 lead at the break.
It was 20-12 early in the second half when replacement winger Isaiah Adams finished off a slick backline movement to cross in the corner.
Hayne beseeched his charges to show more urgency, and his sons, Marcus and elder brother Callum, responded with a pair of four-pointers that made it 22-20 in favour of the hosts.
Cochrane scored the first of his two for the day in the 56th minute, with him way too slippery four metres out from Gunnedah’s tryline.
Blues No.9 Jacob Nicols burrowed over the tryline from dummy half in 66st minute to make it 30-22 to the visitors.
Replacement forward Iliesa Navato scored two tries in the Bulldogs’ 30-26 defeat of North Tamworth in the reserve grade preliminary final at Kitchener Park on Sunday, and he then worked tirelessly in first grade, especially in attack.
He was rewarded for his effort with a bulldozing try in the 66st minute that narrowed the Blues’ lead to two points after Matt Brady's conversion.
But then Cochrane struck again.
Narrabri 42 (B Cochrane 2, J Knight, J Nichols, B Davey, I Adams, M Denning, S Sadler tries; J Knight 5 goals) d Gunnedah 28 (D Reid 2, M Hayne, C Hayne, I Navatu tries; M Brady 4 goals)
