Bulls bring it home

By The Nyngan Observer

The grass of Larkin Oval is a little greener this week from the tears of Warren Pumas’ supporters after the Bogan Bulls clinched a 22-15 victory in the nail-biting grand final of the Western Plains Rugby Competition.

The Warren Pumas have had a stellar season in 2014. 

Celebrating their 60th anniversary, the club made it their goal to bring home a premiership in 2014. 

At the beginning of the year club management sent the call far and wide for the best and the brightest to return home for this outstanding season of footy. 

This year’s five-eighth Tom Azar is one such player - from Warren schoolboy to Shute Shield star and Waratah squad member - Azar put his international career on hold to return to the Warren Pumas for the 2014 season.

It was against this level of commitment that the Bogan Bulls ran onto the field on Saturday. 

The Bulls had a one-win, one-loss record against the Pumas during the regular season so betting on the game was even money. 

Bus loads of supporters from the Warren Shire were matched equally by the home crowd. Gate officials report they lost count of spectator entries once they passed 1000 - and the fans kept coming.

The game started with the Pumas launching a blitzkrieg assault, spreading the ball wide to their talented backs and running the Bulls’ defence ragged.

Tom Azar directed wave after wave of attack from all areas leading to the first penalty of the game in favour of Warren. The Pumas opted to kick and put first points on the board for a 3-0 lead.

The Bulls needed to play the game their way - forwards-dominated and tightly controlled. 

They regained possession and got down to some classic rugby, fighting for every inch up the field until they were rewarded with a try, converted for a lead of 7-3. 

The Pumas knew there was plenty of game time left and hit back hard. A Warren player was yellow carded but this didn’t slow the Pumas who soon crossed for a converted try to take back the lead 10-7. 

Moments before half-time the Pumas struck again, extending their lead to 15-7.

Warren supporters were elated. They smelled blood in the water and were certain they would be going home victorious. 

Nyngan coaches Rob Kennedy and Mark Beetson had other ideas though. 

No one knows what was said at half-time but the Bulls came out firing in the second half. 

The big forward pack put on a display of pick-and-drive to slowly grind metre after metre towards the Warren try line. 

Every now and then there would be a turnover followed by a Warren sprint down the sideline, only to have the Bulls run them down to regain possession and grind their way back up the field. 

The Bulls’ battering rams were camped five metres from the line, throwing attack after attack until the defence was finally breached and the Bulls crossed for a try. 

The gap narrowed to 15-12. 

Jeremy Thurston lined up for the conversion attempt as the crowd went silent. The ball sailed wide leaving the Bulls trailing by three.

Play resumed similar to the first hour as Warren used their back line for long sprints while Nyngan relied on dogged forward drives a metre at a time.

A penalty against Warren 30 metres out saw Nyngan elect to take the kick. The crowd hushed as Jeremy Thurston lined the ball up. 

The spectators knew it was a long shot, and as the ball sailed between the posts the home crowd erupted - scores were level 15-15.

Five minutes remained in a game that could go either way. Sweat and tears were dripping into the soil from both sides as the Bulls again drove deep into Warren territory. 

A knock-on gave the scrum feed to the Pumas but the Bulls’ forward pack lifted and drove over the ball, regaining possession and setting up camp inches from the Warren try line. 

A substitution was made and man-mountain Ryan Sambath ran onto the field. 

Ryan is the most polite man you will ever meet, but there was nothing in heaven and earth that was going to stop him from crashing through the Warren defence, let alone the five Pumas wrapped around his massive chest as he crossed the line and scored a try to put the Bulls ahead 20-15. 

The conversion was successful to increase the Bulls lead to 22-15. A final frantic 30 seconds kept the Pumas at bay until the whistle blew with the Bogan Bulls as winners of the 2014 grand final.

It has been a great year for Nyngan rugby so it is worth remembering that just six years ago the club could not field a team. 

Rebuilding the club has been a labour of love for so many people. 

Family names including Cleaver, Kennedy, Sheather, Moody, Ward, Holmes, Ticehurst, and so many more have all been working behind the scenes since the wooden spoon days and all deserve credit for this win. 

On the player side - Brett Moody and Bubba Perry came home to Hermidale four years ago and set about building the squad of champions that raised the silverware on Saturday. 

These two are the heart and soul of the team, surrounded by a group of great mates and tough competitors.

More than anything the club relies on supporters - the people who come through the gate, attend the functions, and cheer on the team. 

The supporters make the club what it is - a whole day of entertainment with a little bit of footy. 

The club’s presentation night is on Friday October 17, and all are invited. 

Training will soon start for the 2015 title defence.

Source: The Nyngan Observer, Wednesday 17 September 2014
Link: http://www.nynganobserver.com.au/story/2560595/bulls-bring-it-home/