Kobe Bone and his Bears to face Cowboys in major semi-final

The 20-year-old concreter will lock the scrum for the Bears against the Dungowan Cowboys in a game to decide who gains entry to the September 17 grand final.

Bone believes his Bears will be the first side into the grand final if "we play better than we did against Boggabri last Sunday".

The Bears won that game 46-36 but Bone said "they shouldn't have been that close".

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"If we play like that again we won't make the grand final," he said.

He's certain the Bears can rekindle their best form.

"It's going to be a good test for us," he said. "We can find our best form."

It's been a good year for Bone since he returned to the Bears den at Jack Woolaston Oval.

Born in Wyong, his family moved to Tamworth when he was a teenager.

"Five or six years ago," he said. "Love it up here. Played for the Bears juniors in under-14s, 15s and 16s and then two years in the 18s.

"Won four premierships in a row."

Last year he played SG Ball for the North Sydney Bears and also first grade for the Wyong Roos.

"That was good. Still got family there (Wyong) and was able to play with a few of my mates.

"Then I came home to play with the Bears. They've been good to me.

"Just wanted to have a year with them. Scotty (Blanch) helped me out before and I just wanted to repay him and the club, help them out and have a good year.

"They've all been good to me - Macca (Jake McManus), Coops (James Cooper) and Schmiedo (Josh Schmiedel). Just wanted to pay a bit back."

Bone can do that by playing his normal up-tempo game, a lightly weighted but aggressive young lock.

NORTH TAMWORTH: 1 Yirripi Jaffer-Williams, 2 Ashton Constable, 3 Misaele Vakacegu, 4 Jared Edwards, 5 Jeremy York, 6 Ethan Collins, 7 Mitch Sheridan, 8 Jake McManus, 9 Scott Blanch (capt), 10 Ben Jarvis, 11 Josh Schmiedel (vc), 12 Jake Vost, 13 Kobe Bone, 14 Liam Ball, 15 Jake Bennett, 17 James Cooper, 18 Tevita Cegunaivalu. Coach - Paul Boyce.

DUNGOWAN: 1 Trent Taylor, 2 Brock Morgan, 3 Tevita Peceli, 4 Brandon Parry, 5 Liam Mack, 6 Ethan Antzakles, 7 Matt Wilson, 8 Brett Jarrett, 9 Ryan Ingram, 10 Jason Allwood, 11 Josh McLachlan, 12 Pat Lange, 13 Cody Byrne, 14 Clay Frendin, 15 Zac Parker, 16 Lochie Collins, 17 Shaun Ferguson (co-coach), 18 Toby Taggart, 19 John Marau, 20 Clint Ridley. Co-coach - Luke Taylor.

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