WINGHAM’S perfect start to the Group Three Rugby League season continued, with the Tigers scoring a 30-14 win over premiers Port Macquarie in front of a huge crowd at Wingham.
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This was Wingham’s eighth win on the trot. However, before the Tiger faithful start chilling the champagne in anticipation of the club’s first premiership since 2003, a couple of things need to be taken into account.
Port Macquarie suffered two major injury blows in the first half. Captain-coach and hooker Joe Cudmore was heavily concussed in the 21st minute and assisted from the field. Cudmore is the most influential player in the Sharks squad and his loss was massive.
Port’s woes continued just before the break when representative fullback Harley Gore was carried off after injuring his Achilles. Port were down to just one reserve going into the second half. Still, the Tigers could only beat what was in front of them and they kept knocking over their far bigger opponents in a great defensive effort that was appreciated by the big crowd.
Prop Michael Rees was the standout for Wingham. Slightly built and with long hair, Rees doesn’t really look like a member of the front row club. But he makes up for this with a motor that keeps going for the 80 minutes, hitting the ball forward with enthusiasm. For good measure Rees landed three conversions from the sideline. Hooker Mitch Collins was typically busy for Wingham while second rower Joel Kliendienst was a willing worker. The Tigers weren’t going to get caught in the grind up the centre against far bigger opponent. Instead Collins and co made quick darts from dummy half and then Wingham sent the ball wide to their speed machines, with centres Tim and Matt Bridge getting plenty of opportunities. Five-eighth Kurt Lewis was well contained in the first half but in the second section he was starting to find holes in Port’s defence. Second rowers Matt Shipway and Scott Grant were comfortably the pick for the Sharks.
The game started ominously for the Sharks when there was a mistake from the kickoff. Wingham had three successive sets and finally winger winger Tyler Atkins was give space out wide. Rees was on target with the conversion. Port responded when Cudmore used his strength to race over from dummy half for Murphy to convert but the Tigers responded when Rees and Matt Bridge combined to sent winger Brodie Myer over in the corner. Rees added the extras and it was 12-6. But the Sharks had the last say when Murphy sent a smart pass for Grant to cross and it was 12-10 at oranges.
Wingham enjoyed a great start to the second half when a kick on the fifth was fumbled by Port. The Tigers regathered and Matt Bridge was over. Soon after Myer notched his second and Rees again converted from the touchline and Wingham had a commanding 24-10 lead.
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