Tamworth and Gunnedah have staged an entertaining first-grade trial at Rugby Park.
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Gunnedah jumped to a 21-5 lead before the home side crossed for back-to-back converted tries.
However, the Red Devils surged again with two unanswered tries before the Magpies crossed late.
Unofficially, the Leader had Gunnedah winning 33-31 in a clash played over four 20-minute quarters.
Magpies captain Blake Clout said the home side were "pretty scrappy" in the first quarter.
"But we lifted our intensity in the last three [quarters], so pretty happy with that," he said, adding that he was most pleased with his side's offensive effort.
After Gunnedah raced to a comfortable early lead, Clout thought it was "gonna be a long day in the office".
"But we picked it up a bit," he said.
Tamworth had been getting "a strong 30-40" players at pre-season training, Clout said, adding that he expected the side to make the finals this year.
The earlier women's trial between Tamworth and Gunnedah ended early due to an injury to a Red Devils player.
Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
