In a top-of-the-table under 18 clash, Glen Innes proved their mettle and stature in the competition with a hard-fought victory against Tingha.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a defensive effort which please coach Gavin Peterson, the Magpies juniors ground out a 16-12 win.
“Their forward pack is pretty strong and they certainly challenged us,” he said.
“When we held on to the ball we looked good but our ball control was very poor. We made up for it with our defence.
“Everyone held their own and had trust in each other and made the tackles when they had to. If we hold the ball, we score points but defence is going to win you the harder games.
SEE MORE:
“Points don't seem to be too much of an issue with the 18s but defence is certainly something we want to make sure we are improving all the time, that is for sure.”
The Magpies face another tough task this week in facing the third-placed Boomerangs. When the two teams met in round one, Glen Innes fended off Moree 28-20 with the Boomerangs short on numbers but Peterson is expecting a tougher encounter this Saturday.
“They were a bit short on numbers when they came and played us but they really challenged us with the players they had so we have to make sure we are on our game again Saturday otherwise we will end up losing which we don't want.
“If we can just work on our ball control and just really keep working hard on our defence, that is what we are looking for at this stage.”