Oakey battles hard in trial loss
RUGBY LEAGUE: Oakey is taking plenty of positives from its first hitout of the season at the weekend.
The Bears made the sixhour round-trip to Caloundra to take on the Sharks in blistering heat at the coast on Saturday, where they were more than able to give a good account of themselves.
Oakey showed plenty of defensive starch on their way to a narrow 12-6 defeat at the hands of the home side.
Coach Brendan Dolan said he was pleased with how the Bears were able to handle the conditions, particularly with a hiccup along the way.
“The team bus blew a tyre on the way there, so it was a bit of group bonding for the boys to stack the bus up and change the tyre which was a good start to the day,” Dolan said.
“We had a fair few players unavailable due to it being this time of year and came up against a pretty slick side.
“The game was played in very tough and stifling conditions, it was like playing in
I WAS PRETTY HAPPY WITH THAT FOR OUR FIRST HITOUT, PARTICULARLY WITH HOW WELL WE DEFENDED. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST DEFENSIVE EFFORTS I’VE SEEN FROM AN OAKEY SIDE FOR A LONG TIME.
BRENDAN DOLAN
Townsville.”
Dolan said that he was most proud with how his side was able to hold out their opponents, conceding just two tries in the outing, with front rower Eddie Dean getting the solitary try for the Bears.
“It was very defence oriented. They were a fast team and had a pretty crisp backline,” he said.
“I was pretty happy with that for our first hitout, particularly with how well we defended. It was one of the best defensive efforts I’ve seen from an Oakey side for a long time.
“We really wanted to play for one another. We were a bit clunky with the ball at times, but we’ve only been together for ballwork for a few sessions because of wet weather not allowing us to get on the fields.
“We were able to get a few combinations together, get a better chance to know who we’ve got at the club and what positions they can play.
“The boys have come away from the game feeling really positive. We’re playing a different style of play and they can see the signs that it can be successful.”
Earlier in the day, an Oakey side comprising of U18s and reserve grade players went down 38-10 to the Caloundra Sharks.
Oakey is next looking to host a trial at Trevor Mickleborough Oval against St George in early March as a final tune-up for the start of the TRL Premiership season.
# THE Oakey Bears club will also be hosting a reunion for their 1998/1999 TRL premiership winning sides.
It marks 21 years since the Bears last lifted the silverware, with the event to be held at the Oakey Bears Clubhouse.
For more information, contact Brendan Dolan on 0402 519 108.