Both sides went at each other with tremendous pace, heavy body hits were the order of the day. It was almost 17 minutes before the Roosters scored a converted try. But Marty Smith responded with a try for the home side. Corey Leggott crossed with minutes remaining to bring up the half time score of 8-6 to Binalong.

Dylan Downey and Harry Morris took the ball up strongly and defended well. But after two minutes, the Calves made a mistake near their line and the Roosters made them pay. Not two minutes later, the hosts were penalised for an obstruction and the visitors were in again.

The Binalong team were starved of possession and it wasn't long before the Calves were down 22-8. However, they regathered their composure and excellent tries to Ryan Hughston and Brodie Tyson found full time with a disappointing 22-20 loss for Binalong. The boys now slip back to third behind Eugowra. 

A minute’s silence was observed before the main game for the late Garry Smith.

The first grade team had the opportunity to square the ledger against the only team who has beaten them in nearly three years of football. The Brahmans did just that and in emphatic style. A high bomb near the visitor’s line allowed Andrew Swaffield to grab the lost ball and he pounced over the line. Craig Irwin converted for the 6-0 score after five minutes.

Irwin starred in the previous week’s game and repeated the performance, absolutely shredding the Rooster’s defence and scoring the next two tries within three minutes of each other. Phil Sparnon took over kicking duties and managed five conversions for the match.

Without good forwards going up strongly through the centre, the backs don’t get much opportunity to score points. Tony Worthy, Ben Potts and Reuben Olah provided the go forward and Henry Paton along with Pottsy scored the last two tries for the half time result of 30-10.

The moderate breeze and greasy conditions should have restricted ball movement but both sides tried wide expansive play and made good metres when they did. Far from perfect, Binalong left their scrappy play off the ground for this game and some sets of play were absolutely electric. Andrew Swaffield under the high ball was faultless. By contrast, the Roosters standards started to drop as the game progressed and sheer frustration led them into a running verbal battle with the referee.

Guy Sherrett had scored in the 56th minute, followed by Dave Brown just three minutes later. Then an ugly incident occurred when the Peak Hill centre dropped a ball in front of Swaffield, he then struck the defender five times and the Referee sent the number four off. The Roosters supporters reacted badly to the decision. The game was now at boiling point, but to their credit the Brahmans players didn’t react to the situation.

All through the game Phil Sparnon kept putting conversions through the sticks and some from very wide out. The Roosters had managed a pair of tries in each half, but in the light of the points piling up against them, these tries were of little consequence. Craig Irwin scored the final try in the 69th minute after several of Binalong’s tries had been disallowed.

Then, with degenerating crowd behaviour and the alleged throwing of bottles, the Referee had had enough and called the game off with some seven minutes remaining. Had the game been allowed to flow its natural course, the Brahmans could well have scored 70 points in the match. Discipline and defence won the day with the score at 46-18; the Brahmans are conceding just 14 points per game.

The result now sees Binalong at the top of the Woodbridge Ladder, all be it on a technicality as the Roosters have a game in hand. In other results: Trundle defeated Canowindra 13-12 in a tight fought battle at Trundle, Cargo 66 def Burrangong 6, Gooloogong 70 def Condobolin 12 and Grenfell 30 def Eugowra 26.

Next week, Binalong travel to Canowindra to take on the Tigers in all three grades. Saturday August 8 is the last home game of the year against Eugowra, this will be the Sponsors “Pink Jersey Day”, kick-off at 12.40pm.

(Binalong 46 tries; C.Irwin (3), A.Swaffield, H.Paton, B.Potts, G.Sherrett and D.Brown. Goals: P.Sparnon (5), C.Irwin (2), defeated Peak Hill 18.)

Referee: Mr.W.Prosser.

ITALICS: bos Indicus.