Temora v Gundagai The Temora Dragons have slipped down into fourth place on the premiership ladder after their poor display against the competition leaders, the Gundagai Tigers, at Nixon Park on Saturday. Played in front of the biggest crowd of the season to date, boosted by a reunion of premiership-winning teams from 2006 in First Grade and Weissel Cup, and it being a gala day in combination with the Dragons Junior Club, the senior Dragons picked the wrong day for such a disappointing display against the Tigers, who are fast becoming the favourites to take out the 2026 premiership. The Dragons had a good build-up to this game but unfortunately left that form in the sheds and from the kick-off never really looked to be in it. The visitors scored seven tries to the Dragons' four but had the game well and truly won by halftime when they led 26-6 and although the Dragons fought back to get within eight points with 15 minutes to play, Gundagai hit back with an easy try to hooker Wilson Hamblin with five minutes remaining to wrap up the game 38-24. The Tigers were just too good on the day, especially in the backs where they scored six of their seven tries, with winger Sailusi Temaka scoring three of these, one an easy intercept early in the second half that stretched their lead to 32-12. Another player the Dragons had problems handling was centre Gabriel Gul, who is a real speedster and has been a consistent scorer for the Tigers in recent seasons. Throughout the game Temora's football was hot and cold, with one of their strike players, centre Brandon Nima, seeing little of the ball and at one stage in the second half Nima was called into the scrum, with the Temora feed, well in the Tigers half. Penalties played a big part in the game with the game official blowing 15, 10 to Temora and five to the opposition. Both teams had a player sent to the sin bin, Temora's Hamish Starr in the 28th minute “for holding down”, then Gundagai's winger Meli Drau just prior to halftime. In the games that caused the big change in the Group's top five, Junee, who play Temora next Sunday at Nixon Park, thumped the Wagga Brothers 48-4, Cootamundra moved into second place behind Gundagai with a tight 34-30 win over the South City Bulls, Young and the Kangaroos played a 16-all draw at Alfred Oval, while Tumut upset the Albury Thunder 16-8 at Tumut. The game got away with runs by Brandon Nima and Grant Hughes to midfield and from an early Temora kick the ball went dead for a Tigers 20 tap. Tackles by the Dragons Billy Reardon, Jake McGovern, Brodie Mirtchin and Hughes deep in the opposition half saw a handover gave Hayden Philp and Khalieb Cameron-Pani ran to the Tigers' 40 before a kick took play to the tryline. Play went back and forth after kicks by both teams, with Jimmy Stewart and Hayden Philp finishing with runs, with Temora then caught offside on the Tigers' 40. Gundagai kicked on the last tackle, with their winger Temaka regathering to score in the corner and with the conversion, after only eight minutes, the Tigers led 6-0. The restart saw the visitors back in midfield and only minutes later, after a Temora knock-on on their 10, Gundagai were in again with centre Gabriel Gul outpacing the defence to score under the posts and with Temaka's conversion the Tigers were out to a 12-0 lead. Jimmy Stewart was hit high in a tackle on halfway and from the penalty Temora worked play to the opposition 10 after runs by Philp, Billy Reardon and Tyler Madden. A long kick to Stewart on his 30, from where a Nima break in midfield led to Hamish Starr on hand to score in the corner and with Jake McGovern converting, Temora were trailing the Tigers 12-6 after 18 minutes. The restart saw runs by Madden, Philp, Hughes and Bailey Wallace take them to midfield before a long kick caught the visitors on the 10 line. Gundagai were caught offside after a 40/20 kick by Temora, but they lost the ball in the first tackle. At the 24-minute mark Sam Burley replaced Hughes and shortly after Temora were penalised for passing off the ground. Shortly after the Tigers "bombed" a try in the corner, knocking on. Runs by Cameron-Pani and Mirtchin saw the second rower hit hard and from a kick the Tigers had a 20 tap but knocked on at the restart. Gundagai were penalised for a high tackle on their 10 and with a Starr run to the tryline it was a penalty to the home team in the corner. A Nima run to the line but from this stage on Temora were suffering from "white line fever" as various ball carriers all wanted to score. At the 30-minute mark Starr was sin-binned for holding down on Temora's 30 and after an opposition break, minutes later the Tigers were in again after a great backline move with Temaka scoring his second try, but with him failing to convert the scoreline read Gundagai 16, Temora 6. Jimmy Stewart was forced off after a head knock and replaced by Yoan Veve, who went to five-eighth with Lachie Cole moving to centre. Shortly after, the Tigers went further ahead after they regathered a kick to the corner, with fullback Tom Gorman touching down. Temaka was successful with his kick and with five minutes to halftime Gundagai had extended their lead to 22-6. Prior to the break David White replaced Madden in the front row and from a penalty close to the line the Tigers sent the ball wide, finishing with Meli Drau going over. With no conversion, the visitors took a handy 26-6 lead into halftime. The second half started with strong runs by Brodie Foster, Nima and White to halfway, followed by a Temora penalty with the Tigers caught offside on Temora’s 30. Runs by Philp, Reardon and Madden with Temora tackled in the corner after a Nima break. Another Temora penalty in midfield set the scene for Temora’s next try, which came after nine minutes with Reardon scoring in the corner after some quick ball movement and with the conversion Temora had cut the lead to 26-12. Runs by White, Philp, Zac Starr and Reardon took play deep into the Tigers’ half and from a Tigers kick to the sideline Temora attacked on their 30 line but a soft intercept saw Gundagai’s Temaka go in for his third try and with him adding the extras at the 13-minute mark, the Tigers now led 32-12. A knock-on by the Tigers, then runs by Philp and Nima backed by a pair of Temora penalties out from the Tigers line, Temora cut the Tigers lead to 32-18 following a try to Bailey Wallace beside the posts and a successful conversion. Hughes replaced Veve at this stage. The restart saw runs by Foster, Philp and Hughes wide out to the line and from a McGovern break Zac Starr scored off the dummy half and after 25 minutes Temora were back in touch at 32-24 with the conversion. Runs by White, Zac Starr and Hughes led to a long break by Philp, but Temora knocked on in the play-the-ball close to the tryline. Runs by Foster and Hughes ended with him penalised in the play-the-ball on the Tigers 40. From here on it was all Gundagai as they went close with Temora defending desperately on their line before a kick led to a Temora tap on the 20. Nima made a strong break and from a bargain ruling Temora worked play deep into the opposition half after runs by Reardon, Hughes, Mirtchin and Wallace. Knock-ons by both teams deep in the Dragons’ half before the home team again lost the ball on the Tigers 20 and after a break on halfway Gundagai put in a chip kick with Hooker Hamslyn regathering to score and with the conversion at the 36-minute mark the Tigers were out to a 38-24 lead. A desperate Temora regathered the ball from the kick-off and with carries by Hughes, Madden and Philp and a kick was knocked on by the visitors on their 30. But the Dragons’ final hope of scoring in the final minutes saw a knock-on in the corner and with time up the Tigers were able to wrap up the game with a 38-24 win which extended their lead at the top of the Group Nine premiership ladder on the competition ladder. In what was a disappointing finish to the game after a great build-up prior to the start, Temora had a number of good players with second-rower Billy Reardon a standout in the forwards with Hayden Philp, Grant Hughes, Tyler Madden, Brodie Mirtchin, Zac Starr and David White having busy games, while in the backs Brandon Nima was the standout although given limited chances. Jimmy Stewart was busy until injured, while Jake McGovern and Hamish Starr also stood out. Points in the game came from: Gundagai 38 Tries: S. Tameka 3, G. Gul, T. Gorman, M. Drau, H. Hamslyn Goals: S. Tameka 4 Temora 24 Tries: B. Reardon, H. Starr, B. Wallace, Z. Starr Goals: J. McGovern 4 In the earlier grades at Nixon Park, the Dragons Reserve Grade pulled off their biggest and best win of the season, thumping the defending premiers, the Tigers, 48-4 to remain in second place. The Weissel Cup team showed great improvement before eventually going down 20-14 to Gundagai, while the League Tag team showed no mercy to the Tigers, winning easily 62-0 for their great for and against of 280-20. Minor Grade Results: Reserve Grade Temora 44 Tries: C. Sciascia 2, L. Embars, D. Robinson, R. Cain, N. Bett, S. Carlin Goals: J. McKinnon 7 Gundagai 10 Tries: K. McDonald, T. Rolfe Goal: C. Wilson Weissel Cup Gundagai 20 Tries: C. Russell, T. Misi, J. Howell, C. Bell Goals: A. Wheaton 2 Temora 14 Tries: J. Rayner, B. Purcell Goals: J. Durham 2 League Tag Temora 62 Tries: M. McCrone 2, A. Haisell 2, M. Reardon 2, R. Wilesmith, Lilli Block, L. Cooper, E. Perrot, M. Morton Goals: E. Perrot 7 Gundagai 0 Group 9 Round 7 Premiership Ladders: First Grade 1. Gundagai – 11 2. Cootamundra – 10 3. Young – 9 4. Temora – 8 5. Junee – 8 6. South City – 8 7. Kangaroos – 7 8. Albury – 4 9. Tumut – 4 10. Brothers – 1 Reserve Grade 1. Albury – 14 2. Temora – 12 3. South City – 11 4. Kangaroos – 9 5. Gundagai – 6 6. Brothers – 6 7. Young – 6 8. Junee – 4 9. Cootamundra – 2 10. Tumut – 0 Women's Tackle 1. Brothers – 14 2. Junee – 12 3. Young – 8 4. South City – 8 5. Temora – 6 6. Tumut – 6 Weissel Cup 1. South City – 14 2. Brothers – 12 3. Young – 11 4. Kangaroos – 9 5. Gundagai – 8 6. Tumut – 6 7. Temora – 4 8. Albury – 4 9. Cootamundra – 1 10. Junee – 1 League Tag 1. Temora – 14 2. Brothers – 12 3. Cootamundra – 9 4. Tumut – 8 5. Junee – 7 6. Albury – 6 7. Young – 4 8. Gundagai – 2 9. Kangaroos – 2 10. South City – 0
