The Oberon Tigers returned to the winners’ list on Sunday with a decisive 40-0 victory over the Blayney Bears.
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The Mother’s Day match ended early due to inclement weather but the Tigers had already done the damage.
Oberon hit the go button early in the game with Blake Miller scoring a try in the first minute off a bust by tear-away front rower Abel Lefaoseu.
Despite resting captain/coach Luke Branighan and prop Ryan Verlinden due to niggling injuries, the Tigers’ reshuffled side continued to apply the pressure.
Lefaoseu continued to terrorise Blayney with metre-eating charges and on the back of early momentum, Trent Rose slipped a deft pass to Jackson Brien who sliced through the defence to score Oberon’s second try. Josh Rivett converted with his second goal.
The going was torrid in the middle with Dave Sellers and Mike Ingwersen copping early heavy knocks, but they soon shrugged off the effects to return to the fray.
Jackson Brien, who was clearly in the mood to play, scored his second try with an incisive 25-metre run and Rivett converted again to give the Tigers a lead of 18-0 at the 20-minute mark.
The return of prop Jake Dawe ensured that the Oberon engine room continued to tick over without missing a beat. When Blayney did get a chance to threaten it was fullback Matt Ballinger who was left to pull off a beautiful try saver and keep the Bears scoreless.
The Tigers then lost strike centre Brien to the blood bin due to some “friendly fire” from Lefaoseu, who was in a destructive mood.
With five minutes left in the first half, winger Daniel Qoriniasi showed blinding speed to score an 80-metre runaway try before Abel and Luke Carpenter combined nicely to bring the play back to halfway from the kick-off.
Blake Miller was immediately on the scene to capitalise with his second try of the day. Rivett once again converted.
With only seconds left before the break, Josh Rivett scored and converted his own try to give Oberon a half time lead of 36-0.
With the sky darkening and a downpour threatening, both teams took to the field for the second half. Within five minutes the thunder and lightning rolled in. There was even more thunder and lightning on the field with Blake Miller and a Blayney player receiving their marching orders after a fracas.
As the crowd headed for shelter from the driving rain and hail, Trent Rose scored a well-deserved try that for the first time in the match Rivett couldn’t convert. At the twenty minute mark the referee rightly called the game to a halt in the interest of player safety with Oberon running out victors 40-0.
Man of the Match and Player’s Player award went to Abel Lefaoseu with Blake Fitzpatrick and Dave Sellers picking up the remaining points.
FIRST DIVISION
THE First Division boys played terrific footy to comfortably see off Blayney 40-6, after leading 24-0 at half time.
It was a really solid effort from the third-placed Tigers with Senio (Bob) Lefaoseu bagging a hat-trick of tries and Jayden Fagg and Bailey Rogers both scoring a double. The other try scorer was Tyler Hughes and “golden boots” Brian Maher even pitched in with a conversion.
This week Oberon travel to Wade Park, Orange on Sunday to face heavyweights CYMS.
LEAGUE TAG U12s
THE Oberon Tigers under 12s league tag girls finished as runners up on Sunday at the Bathurst league tag gala day. The girls played seven games, winning four and losing three. Great skill was displayed in both attack and defence. The girls finished second on points for and against placing them into the final.
The final was played against the Bloomfield Tigers. The score was locked at 4-4 at full-time. After five minutes of extra time Bloomfield scored to win the game. It was a great day for the 12s.