The Harden Hawks played their toughest game to date over the weekend, travelling to Bungendore to play the reigning premier Tigers. Despite coach Nick Hall keeping his usual cool head last week about the Hawks leaving last season in the past, the team naturally would’ve had it in the forefront of their minds that their opposition was the one who kept them from bringing the George Tooke Shield back to Harden.
The game had the intensity of a Grand Final rematch, with the teams in a seesawing, physical brawl that would go down to the wire.
Ultimately the Tigers pulled away, keeping the bragging rights for now with a 28-16 scoreline. The home side was aided on the scoreboard with a late try when Harden was playing loose with the football in search of an equaliser.
Hall saw positives in the Hawks game despite the defeat, “It is a hard trip and they are a good side. They’re the premiers for a reason, it’s because they’ve got a good bond, a good team and great players, it shows on and off the field. We came up against that on the weekend and that just got us. All of that quality.”
“They came out of the blocks pretty well in the first half. We competed, and we always do compete hard, but just they got us on some little details and we just got away from our game a little bit early, which can happen against a good side like that.
“We regrouped a bit at halftime and came out and won the second half. We were coming for them and in the last eight minutes, we scored a try to tie the game. We had the better of it; they defended well Bungendore to keep us out.
“We took the loss on the weekend, but it’s not a bad loss. At this time of year, it humbles us a little bit and gets us refocused, it was a good one, in the second half, they scored with 40 seconds to go from a kick.
You don’t want to concede those, but it was a nothing sort of try and the game was done at that point.
“It blew the score out by another try, but, right up until the last minute, we were playing for a draw.
“I’m pretty happy with how we played our second half and we’ll lick our wounds and come back and be better.”
Hall had plenty of praise for his players after the hard-fought battle, “Jayden Cutting was the player’s player. Drew Arabin, our captain, had some big moments. I thought that Corey Lucas, and Chris Campbell, were both pretty good. They wrestled and fought. Steve Anderson had a pretty good second half. Everyone had some good moments and it was just doing it for extended periods, which is really what we’re looking for and sticking it together.
“We’re also rotating a big squad right now. Getting 20 guys footy in a 70-minute game is not easy. So we’re probably lacking a little bit of cohesiveness because the coach is making changes and giving everyone some footy. I’m not doing that just to be kind. I’m doing that because I’m trying to give people a little bit of match fitness and then make sure everyone, when the whips are cracking at the end of the year, has some footy to build on.
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll start working out what our best combinations are and what our best side looks like and as we run into the semis, we’ll start playing combinations a little bit more, less rotation, fewer changes and we will start winding up.
“I thought it was a team effort. There were things we did badly, we did as a team and the things we did well, we did it as a team, we’re just going to have to do it for a longer period.
“The byes are a bit frustrating, there’s not much footy, we’ve had a few. We had a bye for the Rep round, and then we had a washout and then we got a game of footy, then another bye, it’s not conducive, to combinations, to player rhythm, to player fitness, it’s a little bit frustrating right now, but that’s just what it is.”
Elsewhere in the George Tooke Shield, Boorowa continued their ruthlessness, smashing the Snowy River Bears, Crookwell got their season rolling with their first win coming against North Canberra in fine style, and Binalong continued a run of misery for the UC Starts.
Googong Goannas had the bye.
George Tooke Shield Ladder.
1. Bungendore Tigers, 7pts, 70.
2. Boorowa Rovers, 6pts, 144.
3. Harden Hawks, 6pts, 96.
4. Binalong Brahmans, 5pts, 24.
5. Snowy River Bears, 4pts, 0.
6. Crookwell Green Devils, 2pts, 14.
7. North Canberra Bears, 2pts, -36.
8. Googong Goannas, 0pts, -132.
9. UC Stars, 0pts, -180.
-Tully Potts
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