A short-handed Canberra Region representative team has pulled off a remarkable one-point victory to book its place in the Country Rugby League championship grand final.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With just one player on the bench for the majority of the second half, the Canberra side coached by former Raiders captain Simon Woolford secured a 21-20 victory against Newcastle at Camden on Saturday.
Canberra will now face Illawarra in the tier one senior country championship grand final in Mudgee next weekend.
Woolford lauded the determination of his side after losing second-rowers Joe Picker (concussion) and Sione Taka (dislocated finger), and Tyler Stevens (quad), to injury with plenty of time left on the clock.
Codie Medway also suffered a broken nose, but was forced to go back on the field.
"We were down on troops and we did well to hang on, it was unbelievable," Woolford said.
"You could see it unfolding that they would have the legs to run over the top of us, but our boys didn't give in.
"Illawarra has been in the final for years and years, so it's going to be another tough assignment, but winning today will be a massive confidence boost, especially with the players we had go off during the game."
Canberra was ahead 20-8 when halfback Marc Herbert showed all of his experience to kick a field goal.
That one point would prove crucial in the final wash-up as Newcastle ran in two late tries to pile on the pressure.
"It was a last-minute decision to pot the field goal and it never looked like missing," Woolford said.
"I came under a bit of flak for the team being made up of the majority of Goulburn and (Queanbeyan) Blues boys and Gungahlin boys, but at the end of the day, they are combinations that are working at club level.
"You don't have a lot of time to work on it as far as the rep team is concerned."
Picker copped a knee to the face when he came across in cover defence in attempting to save a try just before half-time.
"Joey will be OK, he'll need a few days of doing nothing," Woolford said.
"We'll just have to wait and see with him during the week."
Medway came off the field after breaking his nose and also copping an elbow to the sternum, but went back on when Taka injured his knee five minutes into the second half.
