The Goulburn Dirty Reds first grade side continued their promising start to season 2022 with a 47-14 win over the Queanbeyan Whites.
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In their second match of the season, and their first home match, the Reds were strong across the paddock, with solid set pieces, strong work at the breakdown and a very slick backline after taking a short period to find their feet.
It was a turn-around from last week's match against Wests in which guest referee Justin Benn rarely used the whistle, and it took both teams a few minutes to adjust to strongly regulated interpretation.
Goulburn was first to score, and as it turned out the only team to score in the first half, with both the first and second tries to Ben Todkill in the ninth and 18th minutes, notching up his 250th first-grade point and 50th first grade try in the process.
Anthony Yeo, after a lengthy absence from the club, marked his Poidevin Oval return with a try and Josh Condylios finished the section with his own, putting Goulburn up 28-0 at the break.
The second half began much the same as the first with a 10-minute sorting out period followed by a Goulburn try, this time to Brad Clements. Eric Brown scored next but then, with 10n minutes remaining, Queanbeyan crossed the line.
Matt Spratley, looking very comfortable back in the backline, crossed for a Goulburn try five minutes later but Queanbeyan got the honour of sealing the match with a try on fulltime, just as their second grade side had done.
It was a strong but not entirely focused performance by the Reds, with Queanbeyan scoring all of their points in the final 10 minutes and the Reds dominating more in the first half than the second.
It was also the first win for co-coaches Jackson Reardon and Mikael Webber and will have given them some points to concentrate on at training this week.
Webber, who converted five of six attempts with Reardon kicking the other, picked up the Players' Player award for the second week in a row. Three best and fairest points went to Tim Moule, two to Brad Clements and one to Alec Palmer.
Next weekend Goulburn plays Uni-Norths at ANU North Oval in all grades starting with reserve grade at 10.55am.
Meanwhile, the Goulburn Dirty Reds Women had a 36-5 win over a plucky ADFA outfit. Playing their first game on the new Klem Oval, the Goulburn side ran in six tries to one in a scrappy game.
That sets up a top-of-the-table clash with competition heavyweights Uni Norths.