The Greater Northern Tigers’ under-18 side have narrowly failed to make the final of the inaugural Laurie Daley Cup, losing 38-32 to the Riverina Bulls in a semi-final clash at Apex Oval, Dubbo.
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Farrer student Max Altus, who trained with a Newcastle Knights development squad in the off-season, crossed for three tries.
Riverina will play the Newcastle Knights Development Squad in the final at Mudgee’s Glen Willow Regional Sports Complex on Saturday.
Against a Riverina outfit who had scored twice as many points as the Tigers ahead of the match, the underdogs produced their best performance of the tournament.
Tigers coach Peter Stevens said his side were gutted to lose in the dying stages of the clash.
“They played out of their skin. [I’m] real proud of them,” he said, adding that his charges were undersized but kept “turning up” and putting their bodies on the line.
He added: “Attack wise, they played their best footy in the whole campaign. They’re [Riverina] a quality team … In the end it was very disappointing for them [his players] because they tried so hard.”
Stevens said Tigers fullback Trent Taylor, of Dungowan, played with “bravery”.
The under-16 Andrew Johns Cup final at Mudgee on Saturday will be contested by the Western Rams and the Illawarra South Coast Dragons. The Tigers did not make the finals.
Riverina Bulls 38 (Z Vincent 2, S Heffernan 2, J Newling, A McDougall, E Ravu tries; L Siegwaldt 5 goals) def Greater Northern Tigers 32 (M Altus 3, C Harris 2, A Hall tries; B Ellis 4 goals)
