Moree Bulls defeated in Central North grand final qualifier

In a disappointing day for the club, despite being the best side in the under 18 competition, the Bulls were defeated 29-24 in their grand final.

But it was the first grade match which went right to the wire, with coach Damien Kelly saying they had a penalty goal attempt after the siren to level the scores which hit the upright and bounced away.

“It should never have gotten to that point,” he said.

“We didn’t start well and Pirates punished us out wide, but I was proud of the character the boys showed.”

The Bulls trailed by 17 points at the break before they clicked into gear, but they had given the Tamworth side too much of a lead to chase down.

The defeat means the end of the career for Kelly who looked back on the last couple of years with mixed emotions.

“Winning all three grades was unreal last year, but it’s disappointing we had a side that could have won the competition this year too,” he said.

“It’s gutting we won’t get a chance to play Narrabri.”

Kelly said it was disappointing for the under 18 side to be beaten on grand final day.

“They’ve been the best side for several years and they must have been a bit like us and didn’t turn up for whatever reason and came up with a few silly decisions,” he said.

“They would have been warm favourites but it wasn’t to be.”

The Bulls, however, will still have a side playing on grand final day with reserve grade to tackle Pirates at Narrabri at 11.30am on Saturday.