WALGETT secured consecutive Barwon-Darling Water Cup premierships and again showed their ability to handle big match situations after winning a low-scoring senior grand final against Bourke in terrible conditions at No 1 Oval, Walgett on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Dragons held out Bourke 10-6 in one of the lowest scoring Barwon-Darling matches ever.
Poor weather played a huge part in that low score-line.
The setting was horrible for attacking rugby league after more than 12mm of constant rain fell on match day after 8mm the night before kick-off.
Saturday's four-point success means Walgett have won back-to-back BDRL grand finals against Bourke in Walgett after the Warriors beat the Dragons in the 2012 grand final at the same ground.
The Dragons led 10-0 at half-time of Saturday's grand final thanks to tries from Jeffrey Sharpley and Thomas Sullivan and one conversion from Willie Wright.
Bourke hit back in the second half via an Edward Elwood try and Stevie Elwood goal, but the Dragons held on for a four-point win.
Walgett centre Neville Suey was named as the 2014 Ronny Gibbs Medal winner as the grand final best and fairest while Bourke hooker Bruce Morris was again relentless for the Warriors.
Dragons coach Kevin Kennedy felt his other centre Robert Peters and back-rowers Jared Hunt, Charley Kennedy and Richard Dennis were excellent in a great all-round Dragons team effort.
"Winning premierships are about how you finish off a year ... I think we have proven we can do that," Kevin Kennedy said.
"The boys all played for one another. Scoring points first was going to be crucial and we able to do that in the first half.
"After that our defence was great to help get us home. Bourke had a lot of repeat sets on our line in the second half. I'm proud of our boys."
Bourke president James Simmons said the conditions made it extremely difficult for both teams.
"It was just horrible ... it was a day where ball handling was always going to be difficult," he said.
"The boys tried really hard. Walgett got away to a good start and had a lot of ball and that hurt us.
"We came back in the second half but couldn't hang on to the ball when we needed too."
o WALGETT 10 (Jeffrey Sharpley, Thomas Sullivan tries; Willie Wright goal) def BOURKE 6 (Edward Elwood try; Stevie Elwood goal)
