GREATER Northern Tigers Under 16's might have lost its final round game of the Andrew Johns Cup to Northern Rivers Titans in Armidale on Saturday, but it has still qualified for the CRL's Country Championship semi finals.
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I wanted the boys to give it a good crack today and to be honest they did.
- Steve Haylen
While beaten 40-10 by the outstanding Titans, who also qualified (unbeaten) for the semi finals, the Tigers are still alive and play the top side from the southern pool in two weeks in their semi final.
"It's a bit of a mixed emotion," Tigers coach Steve Haylen said following Saturday's 30-point loss.
"We got beat but still qualified."
That was by virtue of the Tigers winning their first three games.
"I wanted the boys to give it a good crack today and to be honest they did. Everyone put their hand up we just made a few fundamental errors and had a few defensive issues.
"We had a try disallowed as well.
"We now have two weeks to prepare."
He will be hoping prop Mark Simon will be right after injuring his right knee.
Simon was strong while lock Jock Brazel, the captain, was outstanding.
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"He was amazing," Steve Haylen said of the hard-hitting, high work rated number 13.
He also though Mark Simon played strongly along with Campbell Watchirs and halfback Pichai Dixon, who scored a brilliant second half try.
"Campbell was great," he said.
"We threw him into the second row this week and he handled it very well," Haylen said of the Inverell Hawk centre.
NORTHERN RIVERS TITANS 40 (Oskar Bryant 2, Jack Cullen, Rowan Mansfield, Riley Lack, Noah Johannssen, Ryan Foran tries, Thomas Weaver 5, Lack gls) def GREATER NORTHERN TIGERS 10 (Riley Reid, Pichai Dixon tries, Dylan McCartney gl).
