Bulls charge to title

Beaten in the major semi-final, the Bulls over-turned a 15-10 half-time deficit to stampede their way to a 29-15 win and their third premiership in four years. They went back to back in 2013 and 2014 before being toppled by Inverell last year.

This year they had to take the hard route to the decider but it probably paid off in the end. That extra game made a big difference, Bulls coach Peter Copeman felt. 

The home side started the better, with Michael Rixon putting them 3-nil up before prop Nick McCrohan crashed over to make it 10-nil midway through the first half.

The Bulls hit back with just under eight remaining in the half, with player of the grand final Jordan Cosh crossing for the first of his hat-trick. Pirates hit straight back, with Tom Wilson emerging from a swarm of bodies to put them up 15-7 at the break.

Cosh's second closed the gap to one. Pirates had a couple of opportunities to clear out again, and at one point were camped on the Bulls line for about five minutes.There looked an eventuality that they would score but the Bulls forced a penalty for holding on.

Three minutes later they hit the front in spectacular fashion, number eight James Kanaley finishing off a sweeping 55m raid from a Pirates’ turnover. When Pirates then committed the cardinal sin of the kick-off not going 10, the Bulls turned the screws further, with Cosh bagging his third to push them out to 26-15.

From there they took control of the game.

“That last 20 we really had it under control, which is the way you want it in a grand final,” Copeman said.

That said he was never confident “until it was over”.

“They are a good side Pirates. They kept coming at us,” he said.

The groundwork was laid in the first half, and Copeman was quick to point to their defence as crucial.

“Defence won it for us. We defended really well when Pirates had ball in the first half,” he said.

“We knew if we could stay with them in the first half into the wind we'd be a chance.”

Coming off the bench, Cosh was dynamic in the centres. Ben Williams, James Kanaley and Luther Williams also had big games.