Although it won’t affect the line-up for the final series, the Tenterfield Tigers were at the receiving end of another crushing blow as they lost to the Killarney Cutters at Killarney on Saturday.
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The final score was 30-26 in the Cutters’ favour, despite the Tigers being ahead with just 10 minutes to go, and then scoring on the buzzer.
“If there was another set of six we much have got it, but it wasn’t to be,” captain/coach Brendan Minns said.
The Tigers didn’t play well and a number of injures just added to their woes.
“It was around 16-10 in Killarney’s favour at half-time, after we let in a couple of soft tries. It was our defence, yet again, and more silly mistakes and ball handling errors. We just gave Killarney too many opportunities.”
The Tigers arrived with 16 players, and several playing out of position due to earlier injuries. Three more quite serious injuries during the game meant the team was down to 13 players for part of the second half.
Andrew Gormley sustained an injury to his ribs, and Adam Clothier’s shoulder again gave him grief after he hurt it at training on Tuesday night. Just 10 minutes into the Killarney game the shoulder was gone again, which was unfortunate not only for him for the team, Minns said.
“He’s been playing some outstanding footy.”
Minns himself injured a hamstring and finished the game with it taped up. He feared it was a season-ending injury but he can now see some chance of playing in the finals.
He won’t be training this week and intends to sit out this Saturday’s match against Stanthorpe (at the Inglewood doubleheader), but it depends on numbers.
“If the numbers aren’t good, I won’t be able to just sit on the sideline,” he said.
The team suffered a few more knocks and bruises during the close match.
The outcomes of this Saturday’s games won’t affect the standings, with Inglewood securing the position of minor premiers and a home grand final.
To meet them in that grand final, Tigers will again face Killarney in the semi-final on August 19, but this time on home ground at Rugby League Park.
“We’re now at the sharp end of the season,” Minns said. “After the Killarney game we set ourselves a goal in the change rooms to work on our defence. If we can get our defence in order, we’ll be going well.”
In last Saturday’s Inglewood/Stanthorpe game, Inglewood won 90-0.
