The Harden Hawks put on a dominant display at the weekend, dismantling Googong 70-4 in what coach Nick Hall described as a disciplined and focused performance once his side shook off a sluggish start.
Googong stunned the Hawks by scoring in the first 30 seconds, capitalising on a sharp kick-and-chase play that caught Harden off guard.
“They jumped out of the blocks with energy,” Hall said. “It was a bit of a shock, to be honest. I would’ve liked to think we had enough players there to stop it, but we just started a little bit slow.”
But that was as good as it got for the visitors. From that moment on, it was all Harden, with the home side rattling off an unanswered 70 points. Hall was pleased with how his players responded to the early set-back.
“To score that many points in 70 minutes, you’ve got to be pretty disciplined,” he said.
“We didn’t let them back in. If we drop our focus, maybe it’s 40-20 instead, but we stayed locked in.”
The return of club stalwart Luke Brown also gave the squad a lift. After battling injuries and juggling business commitments, he’s eased back into training and is expected to be a key contributor later in the season.
“He’s a great fella, a great player, and he’s always welcome at the Club,” Hall said. Two players celebrated personal milestones during the game, with Steele Rudd and Joie Whybrow both reaching the 50-game mark.
As tradition dictates, they were each handed the ball for a conversion attempt. “They were donations,” Hall laughed. “Ruddy’s was an ugly old thing, and Joie wasn’t much prettier but they both went over.”
With so many tries scored, standout performances were plenty. But Hall highlighted the composure and leadership shown by his halves, Jayden Cutting and Ethan Newham as well as utility Chris Campbell.
“In a game like that, when things can get a bit loose, those guys had to take charge. They all did a great job managing the tempo.”
Among the forwards, big Alex Slavin was a fan favourite, crashing over for a try from close range, a moment that drew loud cheers from both the crowd and his teammates.
“Probably the most supported try of the day,” Hall said. “He’s worked hard for years and deserved that one.”
The two Joshs, Joshua Fogg and Josh Coade also made an impression with four tries between them. “They brought some rough, tough footy and a bit of noise as well. They were great.”
Now, after a bye this weekend, the Hawks will shift their attention to a much-anticipated clash with rivals Boorowa. While the rest is welcome, Hall knows momentum is vital, especially with the team’s stop-start schedule so far.
“There’s trained and untrained, battle-hardened or not,” he said.
“Boorowa are coming off some hard games and will be at their best. They’re tough they like tough footy and we need to be ready.”
The Harden-Boorowa rivalry is one of the fiercest in the region, with both teams known for their physicality and pride.
“They fight like cats and dogs, like brothers and sisters,” Hall said. “There’s a lot of respect, but it doesn’t matter who plays Boorowa they run hard, tackle hard, and compete hard.”
With momentum on their side and depth across the park, the Hawks will head into the game in a fortnight with confidence but under no illusions. “We know what they’re about,” Hall finished. “It’s just about being able to stop them.”
The showdown between Harden and Boorowa is shaping up to be a cracker.
-Liam Stuart
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.