Last weekend, the Crookwell Dogs travelled to Jindabyne to take on the Bushpigs in the final round of the regular season.
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Despite the dominance of the Dogs throughout the season, injuries, a three-hour drive, and the match being delayed by an emergency helicopter landing took their toll on the players, who eventually succumbed to a 26-21 loss.
Coach Ian McIntosh was blunt in his assessment of the side’s performance.
“We didn’t turn up, was the main thing,” he said.
“It was wet, and sloppy, and then having a helicopter on the field and the game put off by half an hour … unsettled us.”
The helicopter was forced to use the field as an impromptu pad in order to assist an injured skier, and McIntosh believes that the team let themselves get distracted by the spectacle, and were simply unable to match Jindabyne in some areas.
“We were below par,” McIntosh said.
“We had ‘em in the forwards, but their backs just kept turning us round with kicks over the top.
“It started to rain, and the ball was slippery, and they had two good centres who put it to us.”
The wet conditions added another level of difficulty for the Dogs, as McIntosh said they have not had to play in the wet often this season.
However, the coach did add that “they give their all.
“But the big test will be this weekend, against Taralga.”
The loss does not impact Crookwell’s standing; they remain second on the ladder.
The Tigers, since their first loss of the year to Crookwell in round nine, have been the dominant side in the competition. They subsequently claimed victory their rematch against the Dogs in round 14, and have won their last nine matches on the trot.
Taralga currently stands atop the ladder with 17 wins and a single loss to its name, and McIntosh knows that his side will be hard pressed to add another defeat to the Tigers’ record.
“We’re one apiece … whoever wins out that game has the rights to the grand final,” McIntosh said.
“You’ve just gotta suck [the pressure] up. After this weekend [just passed], we’ll come back bigger and better.”
Should the Dogs win over the Tigers, their season will not get any easier. Jindabyne and Bungendore will also meet this weekend, to decide the other half of the grand final, and McIntosh is wary of both sides.
“Bungendore’ll be a big threat, I think,” McIntosh said.
“They’ve got players back, so they’ll be a very big threat. In saying that too, we’re carrying a lot of injuries.”
Injuries have consistently dogged Crookwell this year, and at one point the Dogs had nine of their regular starters out.
It has been a season of mixed fortune for the Dogs. While they have remained one of the favourites for the premiership, the gulf between them and the rest of the competition has diminished in 2018, following a 2017 campaign in which they seemed invincible.
It remains to be seen if the Dogs can repeat their heroics from last season. Their next step will be against Taralga in Taralga this Saturday, starting from 2:30pm.