The Pambula-Merimbula Bulldogs got the better of their canine rivals in first grade rugby league on Saturday.
Taking on the Bombala Blue Heelers, the Bulldogs fired to a comfortable 22-10 win, while the Hot Doggies suffered a 38-0 loss at the hands of the High Heelers.
Under the threat of a lightning storm and with a smattering of rain players took the field after an injury delay in greasy conditions on Saturday.
Handling errors were frequent in the opening stages of play as both sides adapted to the wet Colombo Park ground.
The Bulldogs had Bombala under pressure regularly, but couldn’t capitalise on early sets.
A handful of dropped balls proved costly as Bombala put the first points on the board, but the Bulldogs were quick to reply.
Down the left side, Blake Schafer made a clean run to the line with a quick step around two defenders putting the Bulldogs back level.
Haywood Fraser and James McMillan joined the scoring and a try to Kyle Burns sealed any hope of a comeback from the Blue Heelers.
Accurate kicking from Tom Taylor saw three of the conversions sail through the posts with just one fading off the edge in the clash.
The Heelers struck first, but couldn’t falter the Bulldogs defence on the day as Joe Bobbin and Andrew Guthrie were the only pair to find the line.
It wasn’t quite as clear cut in the earlier women’s game, with the High Heelers excerpting their dominance over the Hot Doggies and Pink Panthers 38-0 in both games.
Captain for the Hot Doggies, Lauren Kidd, said the High Heelers showed plenty speed off the line to earn the points on the day, but she was still pleased with her team’s effort on the day.
“We knew it would be a tough and fast game, but my girls stuck to our game plan and completed our sets like we practiced,” Kidd said.
“I'm really happy with the effort from each of the Hot Doggies and we will go back to training this week knowing where we need to improve.”
Kidd backed the outfit’s kicking game, while the forward lines continue to improve and she had no doubt the team could compete in the final four later this season.
“If we focus on the little things there will be nothing stopping us,” she said. “Everyone is slotting into their positions well and we have a lot of players that can fill multiple roles.
“Our solid win against the Cooma Fillies last week has shown Group 16 what we’re capable of, how much we have improved and that there is only more good things to come from the Hot Doggies.”
The captain said she was loving her role with the team and enjoyed leading the squad on the park.
There will be no games this weekend with a representative round in Batemans Bay, but play will return on April 30 with the Bulldogs in Narooma to face the Devils.
