THEY say history never repeats, but the Moree Bulls second grade side proved otherwise on Saturday with a heart stopping 13-9 grand final win over Pirates.
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The Bulls were camped on their own line during a frantic final 10 minutes, but co-coach Paul King said their defence refused to buckle under the pressure.
“The boys just dug in,” he said.
“It was the fifth time we’ve played them this year so both sides knew each other very well.
“We expected a close game.”
The win wasn’t without a little bit of luck when the Pirates were ruled to have knocked on over the line in the far corner with just four minutes remaining and King admitted to some tense moments on the sideline.
“It was giving us nightmares by that stage,” he said.
In a see-sawing contest, both sides exchanged early penalty goals before settling in to a high-quality contest which yielded just the one try.
Forward Ben Jackman was awarded as the best player of the grand final after a standout performance.
King said the players would now have a well-earned break.
“It’s been a damn long season,” he said.
“They have been training since we came back from the Darwin sevens in January and it’s a credit to them to stick with it amongst the two-tier competitions.”
For co-coach Josh Connell, it’s the end of his time with the club after 15 years.
“Josh’s people management skills are just outstanding and it’s been a pleasure to coach alongside him,” King said.
Connell said he had enjoyed his time in Moree and had little doubt he would return.
“You won’t come across a more generous place,” he said.
“I wouldn’t have stayed for as long as I did if I didn’t like the place. They’re set up well for the future and I’ll be back at some stage to catch a few of their games.”
