There's a four-way tie on top of the Austbrokers Canberra Raiders Cup ladder after a thrilling round of action in Round Seven that saw the Queanbeyan Blues suffer their first loss of the season.
West Belconnen Warriors 23 Defeated Queanbeyan Blues 16
West Belconnen Warriors pulled off a massive upset in defeating the Queanbeyan Blues 23-16 on Saturday. The top of the table clash was a thriller, with the Warriors coming back from a 16-0 deficit to claim the win.
A late try in the first half was the impetus for the Warriors comeback, with injuries to key players not helping the Blues cause.
Warriors coach Troy Thompson admitted it was not a complete performance from his team.
“It was a pretty scrappy game, I think for both the Blues and us, but the boys dug in deep which was good, but we still haven’t played the full 80 minutes yet,” Thompson said.
"Even the second half, I think we dropped five balls on the first tackle. I think the highlight was our defense, but our attack has been very, very scratchy. We sort of go well in patches but we still haven't put 80 minutes together yet, which is a good sign."
Blues coach Simon Woolford was resolute despite the defeat.
"It was just one of those days, we started well but things didn't go our way," Woolford said.
The Warriors have now moved up to equal first on the ladder, behind the Blues only on their superior points difference.
Gungahlin Bulls 32 Defeated Yass Magpies 28
Gungahlin Bulls continued their winning run with a four point win over a tenacious Yass Magpies outfit.
The Bulls have not lost a game since Round One and are showing they could be genuine premiership contenders.
Drury Low starred for the home team, crossing for a double for the second week in a row.
It was an encouraging performance by the Magpies, who went close to securing their second win of the season. While the Bulls are in a four-way tie for first, the Magpies now find themselves in a four-way tie for last.
Queanbeyan Kangaroos 38 Defeated Woden Valley Rams 24
Queanbeyan Kangaroos collected their fifth straight win with the weekend's largest winning margin, a strong 38-24 victory over the Woden Valley Rams.
The Kangaroos had six individual try scorers including fullback Tre Williams and forward Adam Pearce who have crossed for tries in consecutive weeks.
Having not won a game since Round Two, the Rams need to find a spark to get their season back on track.
Belconnen Sharks 28 Defeated Goulburn Workers Bulldogs 24
Belconnen Sharks completed the weekend of upsets with a spirited 28-24 victory over the Goulburn Workers Bulldogs. The close win was the Sharks first for 2016.
Both teams are now tied at the bottom of the ladder on four points.
| POS | TEAM | P | W | L | D | B | F | A | PD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queanbeyan United Firsts | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 268 | 99 | 169 | 12 |
| 2 | West Belconnen Firsts | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 191 | 112 | 79 | 12 |
| 3 | Gungahlin Bulls Firsts | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 174 | 114 | 60 | 12 |
| 4 | Queanbeyan Kangaroos Firsts | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 184 | 130 | 54 | 12 |
| 5 | Tuggeranong Bushrangers Firsts | 7 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 148 | 170 | -22 | 6 |
| 6 | Goulburn Workers Bulldogs Firsts | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 100 | 146 | -46 | 4 |
| 7 | Woden Valley Rams Firsts | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 140 | 190 | -50 | 4 |
| 8 | Yass Magpies Firsts | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 100 | 220 | -120 | 4 |
| 9 | Belconnen United Sharks Firsts | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 110 | 234 | -124 | 4 |
