Round Nine
Willagee Bears 30 – Fremantle Roosters 4
By PETER ROWE
A late kick-off didn’t deter the Willagee Bears on Saturday evening as they secured a vital five tries to one victory over local rivals Fremantle to further cement their playoff spot after nine rounds of the NRLWA Fuel to Go and Play Premiership.
Led superbly by captain and fullback Kainoa Gudgeon, and with Ryan Mills converting all five scores, the Bears never looked troubled against a Roosters outfit in rebuild mode, as further tries from Derek Chizuni, Finn McDermott and Jackson Bond sealed the points.
“It was a solid display and we had to adjust at the interval as the rain came,” coach Nelson Davis said.
Photo – Carmel Potter-Green
“The first half was brutal, but we worked hard and stayed the course. We had to break them down slowly as the game could have swung either way at one point.
“But finally we played 80 minutes, which was very pleasing. A physical and gutsy win.
Davis singled out his forwards for laying the platform but said it was an allround team performance that got them over the line.
“Jackson Hansen was superb and helped win the middle ground and Kainoa was a leader.”
Fremantle’s lone score came from hooker Jaydon Solomon, and even with coach Duane Butler back in the lineup after two months on the sidelines, they simply could not match their opponents.
Photo – Total Sports Photography
Butler played a full 80 minutes and admitted he was a “bit sore” on Sunday morning.
“It was good to get back, but we lost a couple of players hours before the game, so I had to shuffle the lineup again,” he said.
Austin Cameron and Richie Hicks pulled out late and Bjorn Crotty played with a sore back. Blake Hignett was not expecting to play and was at the game as a spectator before getting a late call from Butler.
“He had to borrow some boots, I think they were two sizes bigger, but he played and helped out,” Butler said.
“But we didn’t take our opportunities and errors crept in.
“Confidence dropped a bit in the second half and we lacked intent with the football. Energy is high and we have some good youngsters, it’s just not working at the moment.”
Photo – Carmel Potter-Green