NORTH Wagga captain-coach Kirk Hamblin believes last Saturday’s costly slip up at Coleambally has cost the Saints their minor premiership chances.
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Coleambally caused arguably the biggest upset of the Farrer League season when they upstaged the second-placed Saints by four points.
The loss has serious consequences for North Wagga, as they now find themselves a game, plus considerable percentage, behind top-placed Marrar with four rounds remaining.
Before Saturday, Marrar and North Wagga were expected to lock horns for the Farrer League minor premiership at Langtry Oval on August 5.
“I’m 90 per cent sure we’ll finish second or third now,” Hamblin said.
“I suppose now we know where we’re at. I always thought, even though we take it a week at a time, that top spot would be up for grabs when we played Marrar but we didn’t show up against Coly and that’s where it’s cost us.”
Hamblin said poor kicking for goal cost the Saints the four points against Coleambally.
“Obviously we had an off day and they beat us in centre clearances and had more inside 50s than us,” Hamblin said.
“We were pretty effective in converting entries to shots on goal, we just didn’t make the most of them and that’s what cost us.
“Poor kicking is poor footy. It could have been a 20-point win if we had of kicked straighter and we would have been happy enough.”
North Wagga return home to McPherson Oval on Saturday to face the sixth-placed Northern Jets.
The Saints are unbeaten at home, with all three losses coming on the road.
Hamblin expects a much better effort at home against the Jets this week.
“Definitely effort, that’s a huge part of getting beaten in the inside 50s and centre clearances,” Hamblin said.
“This year we haven’t travelled and that’s been evident at training during the week and game days when blokes haven’t been switched on.
“I’m very confident we’ll bounce back this week.”
North Wagga hope to welcome back Cayden Winter and Ryan Dean for Saturday’s clash against the Jets.
Key defender Brayden Skeers not expected back from a knee injury until a week before finals.
It is also an important fixture for the Jets, as they look to spring an upset and stay in the hunt for finals.
