Manildra set up a mouth-watering major semi-final clash with Trundle by dismantling Molong in Sunday afternoon's Woodbridge Cup qualifying final, running rampant at a gusty, dusty Jack Huxley Oval to thrash the Bulls 38-12.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
A slow start and severe lack of execution cost the Bulls dearly and Manildra took full advantage to run in seven-tries-to-two and give themselves a chance to earn the first spot in the grand final next weekend, in a rematch of last year's decider.
Mitch Gibson's kicking game proved the main catalyst for a plethora of Molong errors. He kicked astutely for the entire clash but with the Bulls' line-speed virtually non-existent the Rhinos' five-eighth had an age to weigh it up when he elected to go high, and made the most of it.
There's not much to nitpick from that one we were pretty dominant from the word go.
- Manildra captain-coach Simon Osborne
He launched countless swirling bombs and gave Molong's back three a torrid time - although fullback Michael Mann was still his side's best in a busy performance - and a handful of the Rhinos' tries came from Bulls' errors under the high ball.
"Mitch's kicking game's been good for us all year and before that too, he was very good again and I thought our chase was really good [on Sunday] too. You get any side down there 10 out from their own line consistently and it's tough," Manildra captain-coach Simon Osborne said.
"Our defensive was good as well to hold them to two tries although I'd obviously have preferred that be none, but there's not much to nitpick from that one we were pretty dominant from the word go.
"There had been a few negative things creeping into our game and we've addressed that in the last few weeks, [on Sunday] it was all positive and that's a really pleasing thing."
Manildra now move on to face the minor premiers at Condobolin - the Woodbridge Cup's finals are allocated to teams, rather than being decided by the table - while Molong are resigned to the hard road, they'll face elimination final winners Grenfell next weekend.
- Are you a Central Western Daily subscriber? Then why not CLICK HERE and join our new Central West Sports Subscribers Facebook group?
Making it even tougher for the Bulls is the fact they have to go to Grenfell for that game, ahead of which Molong captain-coach Todd Barrow didn't mince his words.
"We've beaten Grenfell twice this year but if we do what we did [on Sunday], well, we just have to be a lot better than that," he said, cutting a frustrated figure.
"I'm not really even sure what happened, right from the start we were just really flat. The boys didn't stop trying which was pleasing but we can't take much from what we dished out [on Sunday], it's disappointing so we'll just have to regroup and try to get better.
"I hate using it as an excuse but we do have a number of guys out hurt, they've come at the wrong time of year and it does make a difference but a few should be back next week which will help."
Manildra shot to a 12-nil lead inside the opening 10 minutes through Brock Campbell and Dylan Dean's tries, both of which Mitch Hutchings converted, and they were never troubled from then on.
Molong probably did have the better of the middle period of that opening half, territory wise anyway, but couldn't capitalise, before Manildra rolled in two more four-pointers in the shadows of half-time to lead 22-nil at the break.
The Bulls' execution worsened as they fatigued, although it was early in the second half Manildra drew blood again, from a Gibson bomb in the 43rd minute.
He went aerial and Mann had a miscommunication with winger Damian Doherty, they ran into each other as looked to diffuse it and the ball fell into Zac Reimer's waiting arms, he dived over to extend the Rhinos' lead.
The Bull did hit back through Scotty Nicholls but then after a Molong kick from a penalty failed to find touch - which happened twice more as well - the Rhinos went 80 metres in two movements for Harrison Gersbach to score.
Kade Barrow grabbed another consolation try for the Bulls 20 out from full-time before Gersbach scored his second, with Mitch Hutchings' fifth conversion of the afternoon capping the 26-point win.
The clash did finish on a slightly sour note for the Bulls, with Jye Barrow sin-binned after a small scuffle in the 77th minute.
"That's a pretty good way to go into that major semi-final," Osborne said.
"Trundle will definitely start as favourites but who knows, maybe it's our year to get through to the grand final first."
- MANILDRA RHINOS 38 (Harrison Gersbach 2, Jayden Fahy, Brock Campbell, Dylan Dean, Zac Reimer, Mitch Hutchings tries; Hutchings 5 goals) def MOLONG BULLS 12 (Scott Nicholls, Kade Barrow tries; Barrow 2 goals)
WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS AND SPORT?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...