The sun beat down on the Gundagai Tigers, baking their black and gold jerseys as they took the field. The air was thick with the scent of freshly cut grass and the low hum of anticipation from the crowd. Across the pitch, the Young Cherrypickers, in their determined red and white, looked every bit the formidable opponent. This wasn’t just a game; it was a statement. A chance for the Tigers to prove they were more than just contenders—they were champions in the making.
From the first whistle, the Tigers played with a ferocity that seemed to rattle the very foundations of the stadium. It was a blur of motion, a symphony of coordinated chaos. Their star fullback, Tyron Gorman, known for his calm under pressure, was the first to strike. He weaved through the Cherrypickers’ defence with the grace of a gazelle and the power of a bull, planting the ball over the line for the opening try.
The roar from the Gundagai faithful was deafening. It was a clear declaration: the Tigers were here to win. But the Cherrypickers were a proud team, and they refused to roll over. They dug in, their defence holding firm for a few tense minutes. Yet, the Tigers were relentless. Toby Dasey, a livewire on the wing, found a gap and sprinted down the sideline, a crimson blur in pursuit. He dove for the try line, the ball held triumphantly aloft, extending the Tigers’ lead.
Just minutes later, Gabriel Gul, the Tigers’ explosive forward, showed his incredible strength, crashing through a wall of red jerseys to score a try of his own.
The scoreboard began to tell a story of complete domination. The first half was a masterclass in attacking rugby. The Tigers’ offence was a machine, each part moving in perfect sync. James Morgan and Meli Drau each added to the try count, their efforts a testament to the team’s depth and skill. The Cherrypickers, for all their heart and grit, looked stunned, their usual rhythm disrupted by the sheer pace of the Tigers’ attack.
By halftime, the scoreboard looked more like a running tally than a competitive score. The second half began with the Cherrypickers determined to regain some pride. They came out with renewed intensity, their forwards driving with more purpose, their backs looking for any crack in the Tigers’ line. But the Tigers were like a coiled spring, ready to snap back at a moment’s notice. Even with a significant lead, they didn’t ease up. Wilson Hamblin and Pat Birch crossed the line, adding more points and twisting the knife in the Cherrypickers’ already wounded hopes.
Young Cherrypickers President Andrew Smith was clear about the team’s initial plan. “We started extremely strong, which was always the plan against Gundagai. Started strong right from the get-go, forced an error, had a great set and scored within the first five minutes,” Smith said.
“After that, a couple of mistakes crept into our game. Gundagai got a couple of lucky bounces and scored a try off that. From there, we had a couple of moments that could have turned the game a bit and put us ahead, but it just didn’t go for us, and they just skipped away.”
The Cherrypickers, to their credit, refused to be shut out completely. In the final quarter, their efforts finally paid off. Jake Walker broke through the Tigers’ defence to score a much-needed try, giving the Young fans something to cheer about.
“Jake Walker was excellent,” Smith noted. It was a brief flicker of hope, but the Tigers’ lead was insurmountable. Still, the Cherrypickers pressed on, with Jesse Corcoran adding a late double. He was a force to be reckoned with, and his determination was a stark contrast to the despair on his teammates’ faces. Young’s kicker, Tom Demeio, was perfect with his conversions, but it was a small consolation in a game that had already slipped away.
When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 42-18. It was a victory for the Gundagai Tigers, a powerful win that reverberated throughout the league. The players embraced on the field, their faces streaked with sweat and mud, a mix of exhaustion and elation in their eyes. For Tyron Gorman, who also handled the goal-kicking duties, it was a day of mixed results, with a 3/9 conversion rate, but it mattered little in the grand scheme of things. For Tom Demeio, a perfect 3/3 conversion rate was a point of pride despite the loss.
Smith was honest about the team’s performance. “Gundagai are a very good side, it is just unfortunate that we probably saved our worst game for that first final that we’ve played since, probably all year, to be honest. I can’t even really put my finger on it,” he said.
He added that the team will be working on “Just doing the little things right, hanging on to the ball, not pushing passes, getting our shape a lot better. It was just one of those games where we just pushed a little bit too hard instead of going back to what we do well. A few stages of that game where we were nearly trying to score off every play, I think it just needs to go back to basics, to what we do best.”
The Cherrypickers, to their credit, refused to be shut out completely. In the final quarter, their efforts finally paid off. Jake Walker broke through the Tigers’ defence to score a much-needed try, giving the Young fans something to cheer about. “Jake Walker was excellent,” Smith noted.
It was a brief flicker of hope, but the Tigers’ lead was insurmountable. Still, the Cherrypickers pressed on, with Jesse Corcoran adding a late double. He was a force to be reckoned with, and his determination was a stark contrast to the despair on his teammates’ faces.
Smith was pleased with the performance of his centres. “Both our centres were good. Kai Parker had some really tough carries. Jake Kambos was good as always. He was pretty damaging and hitting hard in defence,” he said. He also provided an update on a few players who suffered injuries.
“Dev Makoare-Boyce came off with a knee injury, so we’re just going to monitor him. Big Isaac Matalevea-Booth sort of re-aggravated his hamstrings, the same again, so we will monitor him, and then Che Hyslop had to come off too with a bit of a shoulder/peck issue; it’s just the story of us. We are used to these sorts of things, so I’m certain that if any of them, one or all of them, aren’t able to play, we’ve got guys there that they’ll fill the spots and do a job for us.”
The win gives the Gundagai Tigers a ticket to the major semi-final, a clash against their biggest rival, the Wagga Kangaroos. The Tigers are the only team to have defeated the Kangaroos this season, a fact that will undoubtedly be on both teams’ minds. The Kangaroos, coming off a bye and the minor premiership title, will be well-rested and eager to prove their dominance.
This upcoming match is more than just a game; it’s a battle for a direct spot in the Grand Final. The winner will book their place, while the loser will face another week of finals football.
For the Young Cherrypickers, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow, but their season isn’t over. “That’s why it was important in the finish and that top three, because you get the opportunity to write your wrongs,” Smith said.
They will have a chance to regroup and host the minor semi-final against the Temora Dragons, who are riding high after beating the Tumut Blues in the elimination quarter-final. The Cherrypickers’ dream of a Grand Final appearance is still alive, but they will have to fight their way through a hun-gry Dragons side to keep it going. Smith is confident.
“Temora is going to be different again from when we saw them a couple of weeks ago, it’s finals footy, Josh McCrone, he’s still playing for his career, he’s retiring at the end of the year, so they are certainly going to be up for him. Even though we are at home, it’s going to be a very tough game this week.”
Smith also shared some good news for the club. “Our three teams are playing at home, so it’s going to be a big day. We’ve got the 18s, first grade and women’s tackle,” he said.
“The women’s tackle won 20-0. They actually called the game off with about 23, 24 minutes to go, as a few of the Gundagai girls got injured and they depleted their bench. The last girl had to have an ambulance called as she broke both her collar bones, unfortunately. Gundagai decided to call the game, just in the duty of care.”
This decisive victory by the women’s team will undoubtedly boost the club’s morale heading into their upcoming matches. As the Gundagai Tigers celebrated their victory, they knew their work was far from over. The win against the Cherrypickers was a powerful declaration, but the true test lay ahead. They had ripped apart the competition, and now they had their sights set on the biggest prize of all: a chance at a Grand Final victory.
– Tully Potts
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