North Tamworth Bears have found a new weapon in centre Senirusi Raque after the Fijian crossed for four tries in the weekend’s 52-4 win over Narrabri Blues at Jack Woolaston Oval, North Tamworth.
Raque scored two tries in each half, crossing for his first in the 11th minute after Josh Schmiedel created a hole for him.
His second came in the final 30 seconds of the first half when he finished off a Bears raid to make it 30-nil at the break.
Seven minutes into the second half he scored a sensational 90m try, fending off four or five Blues defenders.
He completed his quadrella in the 63rd minute with another sensational long range try to make it 46-4. Ethan Collins and fullback Lynken Dickson then scored in the 70th and 74th minutes to complete the 11-try performance.
North Tamworth coach Paul Boyce was delighted with the win and warned other sides his side is building well.
“I was happy with the defence in the first half but not the second,” he said.
“We let them for that try after we had three or four errors and gave them plenty of ball to play with.”
He thought Raque was one of his best along with Tom Woolaston and Misaele Vakacegu.
“They were all solid though. Tried to push through the middle. We’ve still got plenty of improvement in us.”
Narrabri coach Glenn Collins said his young and inexperienced side played “like it does every week”.
“We do 60 percent of the little things right. We’re working on it but not working hard enough.”
Prop Jeff Harvey had a huge game for the Blues making inroads into the Bears defence and taking two and three defenders to stop his progress. Lock Sam Sadler was energetic as usual in attack and defence and young fullback Jacob Price also impressed.
“We might have found a a home for him,” Collins said of the teenaged back.
“He’s only 19, only a kid.
“But we’re just rebuilding, taking baby steps at a time. They are all trying hard.”
Dungowan defeat Wee Waa
Dungowan Cowboys had to work hard for their 38-4 Round 6 Whitehaven Coal Group 4 first grade win at Wee Waa’s Cook Oval on Sunday.
The Cowboys led 14-nil at halftime against a fired-up Panthers and found their task even harder when the home side scored straight after the break.
Dungowan hit back though and finished up with a well-earned win, said coach Jack Cameron.
“It was pretty close in the first half,” Jack Cameron said.
“And then they scored just after half-time but we blew it out in the end.”
He said fullback Trent Taylor and backrower Lochie Collins were best for the Cowboys.
“I couldn’t fault them,” he said of the pair, who have also just become fathers.
He believes the added maturity of being new dads has helped take them to higher levels on the field.
The Cowboys remain in sixth position on the ladder at the completion of the sixth round and a huge match against Kootingal at Dungowan this Saturday.
“They’ll be tough,” Cameron said of the Roosters who fell to unbeaten competition leaders Moree at Kootingal on Saturday.
In Group 4’s other First Grade games: Moree defeated Kootingal 38 to 22 and Werris Creek beat Boggabari 22 to 20.
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