Recap

Dirty Reds bushwhacked at Hall

It was déjà vu all over again and not the start they wanted when the Goulburn Dirty Reds opened their 2018 account with two away losses against the Hall Bushrangers on Saturday.

A recent trial against Taralga seemed to suggest the club had improved its numbers in the off season and looked likely to start the season with two full sides, but sadly that wasn’t the case.

Numerous players had to back up for second matches which did the club no favours, but irrespective of that, arch-rivals Hall had the edge in both games.

First grade went down 33-21, while the reggies fell just short to Hall with a nail-biting 15-14 finish.

Goulburn had its fair share of chances in first grade and tired legs weren’t completely to blame.

The Bushrangers were fired up and hungrier at the breakdown, and while that resulted in a few yellow cards going their way, their defence stepped up a notch when they were a player down.

But fatigue did play a role. The Reds were just five points behind with ten minutes to go in the first half before Hall extended their lead to 19-7.

In almost a carbon copy, Goulburn was again five points behind with ten minutes remaining in the second half, but Hall put the result to rest with eight minutes remaining and retained that lead until the final whistle.

Hall 33 bt Goulburn 21 (M Webber, M Spratley, B Courts tries, M Webber 3 conversions).

In an otherwise disappointing day for the Reds, the club’s leading point scorer Mik Webber set another club record, being the first clubman to achieve 2000 points for the club, 1931 of those points in first grade.