The Boggabri Kangaroos crept into outright second place on the Group 4 rugby league ladder after defeating fellow finals contender the North Tamworth Bears 22-14 at Jack Woolaston Oval last Saturday.

Having won their four previous fixtures – all on home soil – the Kangaroos scored four tries to three while the vanquished team slipped to equal-fourth position while falling behind Gunnedah on for-and-against.

The victors did it the hard way after having a player sin-binned in the first half, and having another player sent off in the final 10 minutes.

The competition’s leading try-scorer Josefa Goneduadua posted the first try in the seventh minute, with Ash White converting it before the Bears replied 10 minutes later with an unconverted try to Ethan Collins.

Norths jumped to an 8-6 lead when Brayden Jerrard scored, and then Boggabri was set back as Pita Rogosau was sent to the sin bin.

The Kangaroos overcame this hiccup as they scored twice during his 10-minute absence, starting with a converted try to Isaiah Adams to make the score 12-8 Boggabri’s way with half-time looming.

With Rogosau still missing in the early stages of the second half, the Kangaroos extended their lead to eight points when Goneduadua bagged his second four-pointer of the day.

After the Kangaroos were back to having 13 players on the field, Esava Nadalo scored a converted try to give Boggabri a 14-point advantage with 30 minutes left.

Another 20 minutes passed before there was any change to the scoreline, with a converted try to James Cooper giving Norths a glimmer of hope.

Boggabri was a player short for the final seven minutes as Ilaisa Kalokalodrau was sent off for a high tackle, but the visitors kept their tryline intact despite pressure from the home side.

In reserve grade, the fourth-placed Boggabri went down 32-24 to the seventh-placed Norths which scored six tries to five.

The equal-first Bears were also too good in the leaguetag fixture, winning 30-0 against the bottom-placed Kangaroos.

Boggabri’s three teams head to David Taylor Oval this Saturday to contest Werris Creek.

To order photos from this page click here