Dubbo Rams coach Bart Sykes confessed it could be time to start planning for the 2019 Waratah League season after another hard-fought loss all but ended finals hopes for this year.
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The Rams suffered an 83-80 loss to the Shoalhaven Tigers and while Sykes was pleased to see his side match a team which is regularly playing finals, at the end of the day it was another match his side could have won.
“It went down to the final play,” Sykes said.
“They scored with about 10 seconds to go and we had a shot but it didn’t drop.
“It was frustrating again, we’re matching every team in the competition but we’re not just getting across the line.”
The Rams led for the bulk of the first half at the Woolshed but the Tigers began to claw their way back into the contest in the third quarter.
It was in the fourth quarter when the Tigers edged their way in front and while the shot which turned out to be the match-winner was slightly fortuitous, the experienced Shoalhaven side knew what to do in the high pressure situation.
“The lapses we’ve been having, there were a less lot of those,” Sykes said, focusing on the things his side did well.
“There was real positives. Sometimes we’ve been down and other sides have gone on 10-0 or 15-5 runs but there was only a couple of small runs. We controlled them a lot, that was a positive.”
Steve Hall found his range from outside and his 18 points was the best among the Rams players, while Will Howell (16), Adam Ward (14), Martin Iti (13) and Shaybe Brown (11) also chipped in.
Sykes praised Iti for his efforts inside as well, the big man proving to a “tower of strength” when dragging in rebound after rebound.
However, the truth of the matter now for the Rams is they sit second-from-bottom and three wins off the top four.
With just three games left and only one of those at home, the Rams have a “very, very, very slim” chance of playing in the post-season.
“Now we probably need to look into putting on a good show for the home crowd and start thinking about next year,” Sykes admitted.
“But we’ve still got 12 blokes who are turning up to training and are being enthusiastic. There’s been no drop off.
“We won’t be going out there to lose and we still want to win as many games as possible and we might disrupt a few other teams’ campaigns.”
The Rams hit the road to take on Canberra next weekend.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
