They might have got the points but Narrabri's 29-10 win over Quirindi on Saturday might have come at a cost with two of the Blue Boars key players in danger of missing their final round blockbuster against arch rivals Moree that will decide their finals fate.
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Currently sitting second the Blue Boars are assured of playing finals but could, depending on what happens against the Bulls and other results, finish anywhere from second to fourth.
They look like being without second rower Sam Kahl and breakaway and skipper Matt McDonnell for the crucial clash after Kahl was red-carded with around 30 minutes remaining in the second half for dissent, and McDonnell picked up his third yellow card of the season.
The Blue Boars illdiscipline overshadowed what was tough win in trying circumstances, with winger Clayton Purshe also spending 10 minutes in the bin.
"Saturday was horrible conditions for playing football," Narrabri coach Dylan Duncan said.
"The wind was that strong that even when you ran with the wind it was blowing the ball away from your grasp."
He thought their effort was fantastic, "even though the scoreline probably doesn't show it".
As a consequence of the cards they played at least half the game one man down, and at one stage were down to 13.
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Duncan said it did take them a long time to get going, attributing that to a combination of the conditions, and a bit of a mental hangover from the win over Pirates the previous week.
But they managed to get the job done, a double to fullback Michael Cain helping them secure the bonus point and maintain their two point gap on the Bulls.
Cain was one of their best, Duncan also singling out centres Jake Packer and Jacob Nichols.
"They were both excellent. They controlled the game well," he said.
Jack Maunder also had a "big game" at six.
"He tackled everything that moved," he said.
Lions fullback Lachie Barton was meanwhile awarded the annual Nick Tooth Memorial Trophy as the player deemed to have played the way that the the man they call Toothy, who tragically suffered a head knock in a game between the two sides in 2015, would have - tough and uncompromising.
It was a big day at Quirindi with the Lions juniors celebrating their 50th anniversary.
