THE Oberon Tigers’ Group 10 premier league season ended at Carrington Park on Saturday night when they were defeated 24-16 by the Bathurst Panthers.
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The sin-binning of Oberon captain-coach Luke Branighan allowed the Panthers to get themselves level with the Tigers at 16-all on the hour mark, but even when he came back on the field the visitors never quite found their rhythm.
A Panthers penalty followed by Nick Loader’s third try of the game gave the home side a win to savour.
“We had no respect for the ball and we had our chances to put them away,” Branighan said.
“It’s very disappointing, but congrats to Panthers. We were all over them for that first 20 minutes, but they fought back and that’s the sign of a good side.”
Though the Tigers were the stronger side in the opening minutes, they somehow didn’t come away with any points.
The visitors had several chances to break through close to the Panthers line in that time, but errors let the Panthers off the hook.
The Tigers found their breakthrough in the 16th minute when Ben McAlpine barged his way through the Panthers’ left side defence. His try was converted by Luke Branighan.
The advantage should have been extended a few sets later, but Tui Oloapu’s offload floated into touch.
The Panthers swiftly punished the Tigers and it was a scorching solo effort from Nick Loader that helped level the scores.
Loader made it a double when he dived over in the right corner and it gave Panthers the lead for the first time.
The Tigers got back level when an Abel Lefaoseu line break helped put Oloapu over the hosts’ try line.
Branighan’s missed conversion and a missed post-siren penalty attempt from the Panthers kept proceedings at 10-all for half-time.
Seven minutes into the new half, Dave Sellers wrestled momentum back in Oberon’s favour with his converted try next to the uprights.
Just before the hour mark, discipline began to wane inside the Tigers’ ranks after suffering through a barrage of Panthers attack.
Branighan’s sin-bin handed control back to the Panthers, and just two minutes after his departure, Panthers scored through Jack Siejka.
An Oberon high tackle allowed Wright to give Panthers an 18-16 lead through a penalty goal, before a Hewitt grubber under the posts set up Loader for his hat-trick try inside the last four minutes.
“We copped a huge amount of pressure at the start, but we kept rallying, and that’s what we’ve built our game on this season,” Panthers captain-coach Doug Hewitt said.
“We just held the ball and got them frustrated. It was always going to be a mental game and I feel our boys came out on top in that area.
“A lot of the boys stood up today and I can’t credit them enough.”
In the other finals game on the weekend, Orange Hawks moved one step closer to a home grand final after holding off CYMS 22-12 in blizzard-like conditions at Wade Park.
Led by a big show from their middles, Hawks utilised the strong wind perfectly in the opening 40 minutes and raced to an 18-nil lead by the break, digging in once the breeze was against them and fighting off the desperate CYMS to edge home.
Hawks will now face Cowra at Sid Kallas Oval in the major semi-final this weekend.
“One step away,” Hawks captain-coach Willie Heta said.
CYMS, meanwhile, will host Bathurst Panthers in the minor semi-final.
Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
