MOREE captain-coach Michael Watton had some tough decisions to make this week as he planned his club’s match plan for the Whitehaven Coal Group 4 First Grade major semi-final against Werris Creek at Boughton Oval on Saturday.
Trying to fit 19 into 17 doesn’t work as he had some tough talks with some disappointed players.
In the end, it wasn’t about who was best but rather who fitted the match plan better and the key rotations his side will need to tackle the Magpies.
“It was tough,” Watton said.
“A lot of different things went into it.”
One clear positive was the return of prop Chris Vidler.
“Great to have Chris back,” he said.
“He leads our forward pack with Jack (Durheim) and Brenton (Cochrane) on the edges as well. We do have a potent pack.”
Cochrane starts in the second row with the hard-working Brent McDonald, and the pair offer different facets of attack and defence.
The Boars also have high potency in the backs with Mark Pegus and Alex Barker Junior in the centres, try-scoring stars in Dereik Newman and Jake Tighe on the wings and the flamboyant Lachlan McGrady at fullback.
The Boar backliners all possess attacking brilliance in their own right.
And off the bench the Boars also offer plenty with Joe Wade able to play as a centre or edge backrower, with versatile and experienced Cameron Rodgers.
Marshall Barker and Jack Mitchell also rotate with starting props Vidler and Jobson giving the home side plenty of power and push in addition to the strength and yardage up the middle from Vidler and Daniel Jobson.
Halves Watton and Jamie Sampson will control the game, Watton with his pinpoint kicking game and ball-playing expertise aided and abetted by Sampson’s stepping, creation and running.
Watton thinks Mark Pegus and Alex Barker have been outstanding additions to the side this season.
“Mark has been solid in basically his first year of first grade for us,” Watton said.
“Alex has come from rugby union and keeps getting better and better each week.”
He also knows Werris Creek offer a dangerous threat.
He knows they have been able to field the name side for the past month and have become a settled and talented side.
“We’ve just been focusing on what we do,” Watton said.
“Improving the stuff we need to be better at.”
Kooty missing two key players
KOOTINGAL Roosters will be missing two key benchmen for their Whitehaven Coal Group 4 minor semi-final against Boggabri at Jubilee Oval, Boggabri on Sunday.
Leroy Livermore and Brendon Austin will miss the knockout semi due to injury after playing big parts in the Rooster season in the back row.
“They are both out injured,” Rooster coach Mark Sheppard said.
“They are big losses.”
Livermore has been in outstanding form for the Roosters playing starring roles in some of their good wins of late.
While they are out the Roosters have named a strong 17-man squad with Ben Williams, Kyle Cochrane, Rhys Davis and Dylan Clarke on the bench.
Skipper Logan Howard was one of the side’s best against Gunnedah last week until re-injuring a hand injury and being replaced.
That he has been named and will take his place in the starting side is a testimony of his resolve, courage and determination for his team.
A true captains knock.
It will be a monster game with the home side Roos sharing the spoils with the Roosters this season.
“They beat us out there and then we beat them in a close one (golden point) at home,” Sheppard said.
“It’s going to be a tough game. They are going to be determined and we can’t afford to give away any start like we did last week (16-nil against Gunnedah).
“They are going to be switched on with their big boys coming at us.
“Nic Millar and Matt Gillham are big-match players and they have speed and power all over the park but we are fit and determined.”
He believes young prop Archie Thistle will be one of the Rooster stars.
While he is one of the smallest props in the competition Sheppard said he “gives away size but has great heart”.
Kootingal also has an array of attacking stars starting at fullback with lanky number one Jack Rumsby. The long-string fullback has pace and a dangerous runner from the back. Centres Billy Nean and Liam Hatch are also potent attacking weapons while the halves, Brayden Jerrard and Jordan Sharpe add control as well as lightning sharp attack. Both can create a try for themselves or a teammate with ad lib plays.
Wingers McKye Davis-Tucknott and Esava Nadalo are dynamic out wide while Davis-Tucknott has shown he is also dangerous up the middle with some powerful thrusts through the middle forwards.
Hooker Anders Glew is also lightning quick out of dummy half and Boggabri’s big forwards need to be aware of his danger otherwise he might make them look like statues.
The backrowers, skipper Logan Howard, Jasper Thistle and Johnny Seabrook also have mobility but also stinging defensive power.
“The boys have trained well this week and have a good job ahead of them,” Sheppard said.
Words: Geoff Newling
Image: Bill Poulos
THE TEAMS
MAJOR SEMI-FINAL
Saturday, August 24 – Boughton Oval, Moree.
MOREE: 1 Lachlan McGrady, 2 Dereik Newman, 3 Alex Barker junior, 4 Mark Pegus, 5 Jake Tighe, 6 Jamie Sampson, 7 Michael Watton (c/c), 8 Chris Vidler, 9 Zac Sampson, 10 Daniel Jobson, 11 Brent McDonald, 12 Brenton Cochrane, 13 Jack Durheim, 14 Cameron Rodgers, 15 Joe Wade, 16 Jack Mitchell, 17 Marshall Barker.
WERRIS CREEK: 1 Ronin Hadden, 2 Josh Boney, 3 Kaidyn Saunders, 4 Harlee Millgate, 5 Nathanael Slater, 6 Nash Porter, 7 Mitch Doring, 8 Thomas Brown, 9 Dylan Porter, 10 Beau Parry, 11 Riley Leonard, 12 Cody Tickle, 13 Nate Follington, 14 Wes Riley, 15 Mitchell Cox, 16 Nathan Vaisey, 17 Charlie Parsons. Coach – Dave Stewart.
First Grade: Moree v Werris Creek (3pm kick-off). Second Grade: Moree v Dungowan (1.25pm kick-off). Under 18 – Dungowan v Werris Creek (12 Noon kick-off). Ladies League Tag – North Tamworth v Kootingal (10.45am kick-off).
MINOR SEMI-FINAL
Sunday, August 25 – Jubilee Oval, Boggabri.
FIRST GRADE TEAMS
BOGGABRI: 1 Ash White, 2 Josefa Goneduadua, 3 Pita Rogasau, 4 Robert Doolan, 5 Tommy Bruce, 6 Isaiah Adams, 7 Andrew Wallace, 8 Nic Millar, 9 Matt Gillham (capt), 10 Jake Byrnes, 11 Aaron Hobden, 12 Aliasa Kalokalodrau, 13 jack Gillham, 14 Jack Hayes, 15 Josefa Biu, 16 Jay Urquhart, 17 Apeli Vulaserau. Coach – Shane Rampling.
KOOTINGAL: 1 Jack Rumsby, 2 Esava Nadalo, 3 Liam Hatch, 4 Billy Nean, 5 McKye Davis-Tucknott, 6 Brayden Jerrard, 7 Jordan Sharpe, 8 Archie Thistle, 9 Anders Glew, 10 Adam Murphy, 11 Jasper Thistle, 12 Logan Howard (capt), 13 Johnny Seabrook, 14 Ben Williams, 15 Kyle Cochrane, 16 Rhys Davis, 17 Dylan Clarke. Coach – Mark Sheppard.
First Grade: Boggabri v Kootingal (3pm kick-off). Second Grade: Werris Creek v Gunnedah (1.25pm kick-off). Under 18- Kootingal v North Tamworth (12 Noon kick-off). Ladies League Tag – Werris Creek v Dungowan (10,45am kick-off).
