Marrar will head into this year’s finals with the satisfaction of having beaten everyone else in the league after finishing over the top of North Wagga in a torrid encounter at Langtry Oval on Saturday.
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For three quarters, the scoreboard looked more like a rugby league game but then, so did the tackling throughout a bruising battle.
The Bombers stuck fat through the physicality and took their reward in the last quarter, kicking five goals to one to run out winners 10.13 (72) to 4.8 (32).
“I just thought our pressure and our ability to defend and get the ball back when we didn’t have it was outstanding,” Marrar coach Shane Lenon said after their fifth straight win.
“The pressure that we applied for four quarters, it was very impressive, it was very good. To me that was the most pleasing part and it was all over the ground.”
Ominously, they did it with Clint Taylor, Rhys Mooney, Jason Reid and Cal Gardner all sidelined.
Brad Turner kicked three goals in his 100th game for the club. Brad Moye also bagged three, continuing his strong run of form while brother Jackson helped set the tone early in a very willing encounter.
However, it was a day for the backmen, with the defence of both teams under the pump all day. And that’s where Marrar’s Mitch Taylor was outstanding and Geoff Spriggs also important.
“I thought down back, they were both really good. But it was a good even spread, that was the key,” Lenon said.
It was the North Wagga defence under pressure early and the Saints could thank their lucky stars Marrar only kicked four behinds in the first eight minutes. After weathering the storm, North Wagga recovered to kick two points of their own, before Turner had the only goal of the quarter.
An icy wind and a spicy contest ensured mongrel punts and turnovers were among the day’s highest stats.
North Wagga threatened in the middle of the second quarter but Marrar held a 14-point lead (29-15) at half-time after an inspirational goal from Jackson Moye.
Corey Watt lifted the Saints with one of his own in the third to bring them back to within a goal for the first time since late in the first quarter.
But it was as close as they would get as Marrar took control, getting back to 15 points in front at the last change (39-24) before kicking as many goals in the last quarter as they’d found in the first three with Turner and Brad Moye heavily involved.
It was a win to boost their confidence ahead of finals.
“I suppose it is, knowing that you’ve beaten everyone, it’d have to be,” Lenon said.
“But today’s done now, so we move on to next week… we’ll prepare for the Jets which will be tough at Ariah Park with their season on the line.”
North Wagga will look forward to the bye, having dropped four of their last five games. But it means they’re likely to have to win against CSU in the last round to hold onto third spot.
While their ball-use let them down, they could also take confidence out of an improved effort. They were well-served again by Tariku Fitzgerald-Holmes and Chad Hamblin while Sam Longmore was involved early and Lachie Highfield was tireless.
“Don’t worry, North Wagga are a good side and we knew that they’d come here today fired up coming off a couple of weeks where they probably would’ve been disappointed,” Lenon said. “They come here today and they were up for the fight. It was very willing.”
He was also pleased to pay tribute to Turner who kicked three goals, pulled in seven marks – including a couple of crackers – and also found fellow forwards with clever kicks on at least a handful of occasions.
“I’m impressed with his ability to play the team game,” Lenon said.
“A lot of full-forwards just worry about kicking goals but he’ll crunch a pack, lay tackles… he’s very team-orientated. I just love the way he keeps his eye on the ball and when it’s in the air he just goes for it.”
