Even the day’s temperamental weather cooperated, ensuring a high-class, absorbing and multi-faceted clash between the Bulldogs and the Blues at Kitchener Oval was played under a cobalt sky before a good crowd.
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In what was surely the match of the season, the momentum swung between the sides like a pendulum as tries received quick replies, until Gunnedah gained the decisive ascendancy late in the match to run in two converted tries and record a 42-22 win over the previously undefeated competition leaders.
To do that, the Bulldogs had to blunt a big Blues pack that tried to blast them into submission with continual waves of explosive hit-ups.
They also had to elevate their game from where it had been the previous four rounds.
By achieving that, they have joined reigning premiers North Tamworth and Narrabri as premiership contenders.
The improvement from their 34-14 loss to North Tamworth at Jack Woolaston Oval two weeks ago was palpable.
First-year Bulldogs coach Sean Hayne, a former veteran player with the club, said it was a result a season could be built on.
“We let them dominate the ruck a little bit and let them get a roll on there, which made it a bit tougher on ourselves,” he said. “But our scrambling defence was pretty good and we managed to shut them down up the middle.
“We had a good kick chase (game) which turned them around a lot, which got us on the front foot at the start of the sets, which was pleasing.
“Few things to work on for the next couple of weeks but overall it was a pleasing result.”
Gunnedah raced to a 10-0 lead with early close-range tries to centres Boyde Campbell and Aaron Donnelly.
One of the most effective elements of the match resulted in Narrabri hitting back quickly when prop Lachlan Cameron charged on to an inside ball from danger man Brenton Cochrane and crash over from close range.
Cochrane started at fullback but moved to the halves and repeatedly had Blues big men running off his hip close to the tryline.
But it was Bulldogs winger Nic Attmann who scored next after fullback Dylan Lake did well to keep the play alive and offload to him close to the tryline.
Blues hooker Jacob Nichols scored a soft try to make it 16-12, before young Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Brady, back at the club after a two-year break, scooped up a loose ball and raced 90 metres to score.
Gunnedah led 22-12 at halftime, with Narrabri quickly making their intentions known at the break as they moved at pace in attack, using their big men as battering rams.
But it was the smallest player on the field, live-wire winger Isaiah Adams, who provided the deadly sting when he came off the right wing to be put through a gaping hole and score next to the uprights.
The Blues drew level for the first time in the match when centre Daniel Howe crossed, before Gunnedah replied four minutes later with a four-pointer to winger Lachlan Kine that came after the Bulldogs got a one-man overlap close to the tryline.
Donnelly’s conversion made it 28-22.
He added a penalty goal soon after that to make it 30-22.