Forbes Magpies gun Campbell Woolnough admits it was tough to come back from a torn meniscus he suffered in the lead-up to Western’s Laurie Daley Cup campaign in March, but that pain was replaced by euphoria on Sunday.
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The black and white under 18s rake was tremendous throughout a 34-18 NAB Western Premiers Challenge triumph over Bathurst Panthers at Carrington Park.
Woolnough scored a try and set up two others in a man of the match outing for the representative star, his work around the ruck crucial in helping the Group 11 champions down Group 10 rivals Bathurst Panthers.
The 16-point win caps an undefeated 2018 for the Magpies juniors, a gun team that took out the club’s first under 18s Group 11 crown in four seasons.
“Loving it,” Woolnough said after the victory in Bathurst.
“At the start of the year we battled a bit for numbers but we’ve got such a good bond together, we’re always having fun.”
The former NSW Country under 16s dummy-half said he worked hard to come back from injury in the pre-season to help his Forbes teammates.
“I was a bit shocked to miss a couple of games but did the exercises every day to try and strengthen my leg again to get back on the field,” he added.
Forbes shot out to a 12-0 lead on the back of tries from Tom Maguire and a run-away effort from fullback Charlie Staines.
Panthers, though, down on troops, managed to fight back and scored twice to lock things up at 12-all and then, after the visitors again skipped away, battled hard to tie it up again at 18-all.
That, though, is when Forbes hit the after burners.
The boys make me look good and they’re always pushing up with me.
- Forbes under 18s hooker Campbell Woolnough.
Dennis Spathis scored, while Woolnough crashed over and then produced the pass for the last try of the game, to Luke Evans, to lift Forbes to the 2018 crown.
“I played alright, the boys make me look good and they’re always pushing up with me when we get those quick play-the-balls and try and get a bit of a roll on,” Woolnough added.
“You’ve got to be looking up and just waiting for that perfect time to run. If not, the boys make it happen.
“They’re the ones that make me look good.”
Stand-in Panthers coach Stuart Ward praised his side’s heart, but said the Forbes boys were just too good.
“They’re a good side, a big side across the board. We lacked a few troops and with a full side I think we’d go close,” he said.
“We hung in as good as we could but ran out of steam.”
- FORBES MAGPIES 34 (Charlie Staines, Dennis Spathis, Tom Maguire, Campbell Woolnough, Kyle McClenahan, Luke Evans tries; Tom Toohey 4, Jack Hartwig goals) def BATHURST PANTHERS 18 (Zac Hunt, Ty-Lee Simmonds, Matt Ellsmore tries; Dylan Miles 3 goals)