Roos experience highs and lows

Boggabri Kangaroos suffered the highs and lows of their Group 4 participation within a week when thumped and pumped 56-4 Werris Creek Magpies at David Taylor Park on Saturday.

Just the week before the Roos had enjoyed their first ever first grade win over reigning premiers North Tamworth when 36-28 winners over the Bears in the opening round of the Wests Entertainment Group Tooheys Group 4 competition on their home Jubilee Oval field at Boggabri.

The euphoria of that massive day didn’t roll over into another “first ever” performance at Werris Creek.

The Roos have never beaten the Magpies at Werris Creek but unlike the previous Saturday’s history-making win the visitors “didn’t turn up”.

The game was over before the halftime break as the Magpies rolled through the Roo defences to lead 32-nil at the halftime break.

The Roos did have excuses with some of their successful first grade side from the Bears bashing missing three or four of them attending weddings.

Coach Shane Rampling was also away at a wedding and the wedding-itis struck the Roos early as they leaked a try-procession.

Jeremy Kemp was in charge of the Roos and dreading his phone call to Rampling to advise of the debacle.

“Yeah, tough day,” he half smiled as he talked to Group 4 Media.

“Last week has come back to haunt us. I think we thought it was going to come easy after beating Norths. But we have no excuses. We didn’t fire from the whistle and I thought Werris Creek controlled our play the ball well. Got us on our backs and we didn’t execute well. They shut down our marker defence too.”

While the Roos struggled they also lost star prop Nic Millar to a calf strain in the first half. Like he said though, the Roos had no excuses.

“Any team can on its day. You only have to be off that 10 per cent and it will come back and bite you.”

He thought skipper Matt Gillham “tried his guts out”, the hooker winning the Roos’ players player award.

He said this Saturday’s home game against Kootingal will be another big challenge.

WERRIS CREEK 56 (Isaah Millgate 2, Wes Riley 2, Beau Parry, Dylan Porter, Zac Leonard, Riley Leonard, Thomas Brown, Nash Porter, Nathaniel Slater tries, Nash Porter 6gls) d BOGGABRI 4 (Rob Doolan try). G4 B&F: 3 Riley Leonard (WC), 2 Thomas Brown (WC), 1 Matt Gillham (B).