The much anticipated final round George Tooke Shield clash between Yass and Binalong last Saturday lived up to expectations in every respect.

With the Girlpies and Jersey Girls locked on 22 points a piece (in the ladder) and the inaugural Minor Premiership in the balance, both teams went to work on each other with great vigour. These two very athletic teams had each lost but one game during the 2014 season and only Harden’s Hawkettes were able to match it with either of them. Both sides are very experienced senior women’s teams who work the rules to the absolute limit. Spectators witnessed the absolute best of their respective efforts in this must win game. Under current rules, both these teams will have to face-off against each other next week in the semi-finals.

The Jersey Girls wasted no time in scoring early in the game and followed up minutes later to make the score 2-0. The Girlpies then responded with a try of their own, but as half time approached the Jersey Girls started to assert their authority to bring up the half time score of 4-3.

As the second half dragged on, the girls from Binalong continued to pile on the points, Bron Pollack and Jenna Cooke pressed home the advantage and Liana Wylie and Girlpies coach Marnie Pack could not stem the flow of tries.

The final score finished at 7-3 to the Jersey Girls who now have the distinction of being the inaugural Minor Premiers in George Tooke Shield Touch. This competition has been a very successful innovation to regional winter sport for women.

GEORGE TOOKE SHIELD

The Rugby League game was also a first versus second affair and was equal in quality to the girls match. The game opened in bright sunny conditions at Walker Park in front of a very large crowd of spectators. Both sides went straight to work and ball handling was very proficient by both clubs. However, the Brahmans maintained the better of possession and field position.

There were some very courageous hit-ups by the Magpies back row in Josh Hall, Josh Newling and Anthony Broers against a very resolute Brahman’s defence. The trademark kicking game of Binalong’s Captain Rawlinson came to fore with a chip which was grounded by Craig Irwin in the 11th minute. Irwin converted to make the score 6-0.

Starved of possession, the Magpies fought on through the half with some handy field kicks by half back McDonough which gained ground for Yass but resulted in no points. There was some controversy over the 10 metre rule held by the referee, but some poor ball handling undid the Magpies efforts. A second chip-grubber kick into the Magpies in-goal resulted in another try to Craig Irwin, the try was unconverted to make the score 10-0. The Magpies managed to keep a lid on Scott Naughton and Matt Cooke, but you can only contain these men for just so long. Eventually Cooke broke through, dummied, shimmied and scored in a handy position.

The referee allowed a free flowing game with few penalties in the first half, but a penalty to the Magpies broke down with a dropped ball with less than 7 minutes to go and Binalong’s Dave Brown scored to bring up the half time score of 20-0. When the second half opened, the tables turned and it was the Brahmans who were starved of field position and possession.

Binalong were forced to defend raid after raid by Yass and in Binalong’s red-zone. The stalwarts in Blair, Potts and Worthy took the hit-ups when they could get their hands on the ball for the Brahmans.

Eventually the defence line broke with a very clever cut-out pass by Scott Waters to his brother Brett, who scored against the Binalong left defence. Tim Reagan missed the conversion to set the score at 20-4. A minor scuffle late in the game saw Binalong’s Guy Sherrett sent to the bin for ten.

The arm-wrestle continued for most of the game, and the penalty score against the Brahmans continued to mount in the second half. However, the Magpies were unable to capitalise and at full time the 20-4 score gave the Brahmans the victory. The Magpies probably deserved more points but full credit to the Waldren Construction Brahmans for an undefeated season.

This was a game of very heavy body contact and savage tackles, no doubt the Magpies will be disappointed with the result but at least they should be proud of the sheer effort put in by their forwards against a now famous defence line.

The Magpies will now have to take on the Bungendore Tigers at 1:30pm in Binalong next week to progress to the major semi-final. Binalong’s Brahmans will meet rivals Harden at 3:00pm on Saturday for the right to host the Grand Final in two weeks. The first of the women’s games will commence at 11:30am next Saturday. The second women’s game is set down for 12:30PM.

Brahmans 20: Tries; Irwin (2), Cooke and Brown, Goals: Irwin (2) def Magpies 4: Tries: B.Waters.

Bos indicus.