The Moree Boomerangs have locked in second position on the ladder with a big win over an under strength Armidale Rams on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With the Rams playing a lot of their regular first graders in reserve grade to ensure they qualify for their finals campaign, their first grade side were missing a large number of key starters.
The result was never in doubt, with the Boomerangs racing to a 32-0 lead at half time before continuing their dominance to finish with a 58-10 win.
Boomerangs coach Chris Binge wasn't able to make it to the game, but he said while it was good to get the two points he won't say it was a "good win".
"It was a win," Binge said.
"It was more of a hitout going into this weekend (against Glen Innes).
"The boys, they came through unscathed which probably is the most positive thing in those circumstances.
"We had an opportunity to get some combinations together and have a look at where we need to be in the next few weeks."
READ ALSO:
After two weeks off and now just one game left before finals, Binge said it was just about blowing off some cobwebs.
"Very rarely in a competition do you have two weeks off," he said.
"You need at least one of those games to just get back on the board again. That's probably what we got out of it the most."
With the top four set in place, the Boomerangs will face ladder leaders Glen Innes Magpies two weeks in a row,
They will face off this week in the final regular season game before the major semi final where they will battle it out for the right to host the grand final.
Binge doesn't see the chance to play the Magpies the week before finals as a particular advantage or disadvantage, but says it's important from a psychological point of view.
"If you win you can actually come away with a false sense of where you're at, and if you lose you come away and think 'I know what we need to work on the following week'," Binge said.
"You can also come away with the win and know what you need to continue and maybe a couple of areas of improvement."
While this weekend's result won't have any impact on ladder positions, Binge still expects both teams to be at full strength.
The Boomerangs also got a rare reserve grade game, but weren't able to get the job done against a strong Armidale side, going down 24-16.
Their next game will be the first week of finals against Narwan Eels, with the winner to advance straight to the grand final.
In league tag, the Boomerangs suffered a heavy 52-0 loss against the second-placed Rams.
If the Boomerangs manage to beat the Magpies this weekend, they will leapfrog them into third spot before they face off again in an elimination final the following week.