March 6, 2016
Nanango Stags made a welcome return to the paddock on Saturday night and their 2016 A Grade line-up looks set to give other teams a run for their money.
A good crowd, hungry for rugby league, turned up at Fred Kassulke Oval in Nanango to see a pre-season trial match between the Stags and Hornets.
Saturday’s clash was the Stags’ first public outing of the season, while the Hornets had a run in the Gyemore Shield in Brisbane last month.
The match turned out to be a nailbiter.
The Stags started strongly, keeping their defensive line intact and making strong runs.
But Cherbourg had the better first half by far, scoring four tries to two.
At half-time – with the score 24-8 in the Hornets’ favour – the outlook for the Stags appeared grim.
But when the teams returned for the second half, the dynamic began to change with a brave Nanango fightback.
The Stags’ Ashley Smallwood was the first to score, crossing the tryline six minutes into the half and then converting it to take the score to 24-14.
It was then tit-for-tat, with tries to Cherbourg, Nanango and Cherbourg again.
At the mid-point of the half, the Hornets were ahead 34-18 when they looked to run out of puff.
The Stags must have sniffed weakness; in quick succession Jordan Wilson, Pat McCallum and Joel Smallwood steamrolled the ball across the line for Nanango.
And when Shannon Smallwood converted the last try with barely 10 minutes remaining, the scoreline was 34-32 with the Stags breathing down the Hornets’ necks.
This rapid reversal in the Stags’ fortunes seemed to stiffen the Hornets resolve, because from that point onwards their energy levels appeared to lift, and neither side was able to gain any advantage over the other.
In the dying seconds of the match, Bernard Hopkins spotted a hole in the Stags’ defence. His try took the final score to 38-32.
Stags’ coach Gavin Jones looked pleased with the outcome of the game; and the result could have been even closer with several Nanango try attempts disallowed.
Goal kicking let down both sides: the Stags converted two tries while the Hornets kicked three.
Nanango’s try scorers were Pat McCallum (2), Joel Smallwood, Jordan Wilson and Ben Brown; Ashley Smallwood scored two tries and kicked one goal; Shannon Smallwood (1 goal).
Cherbourg’s try scorers were Alex Speedy (2), Keith Gadd, Cecil Sullivan, Darryl Sullivan, Carl Aubrey and Bernard Hopkins. Mark Saltner scored one try and kicked three conversions.
