RUGBY LEAGUE
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Closing in on the end of the regular season, Kandos Waratahs ran up their biggest score in recent memory beating second-placed CSU Yellow 98-6.
CSU were expected to provide stiffer opposition but ended as another road-kill victim of the rampaging Waratahs who have confirmed their spot in the semi-finals for the ninth consecutive season.
Prop-forward Cody Strickland scored three tries and kicked 13 goals for a 38-point contribution, and a season tally of 164.
The Kandos side came tantalisingly close to scoring their first century but, with CSU on the ropes, were unable to deliver the final blow in the last couple of minutes.
Centre Cody Cafe returned to the side for the first time in five weeks and unselfishly presented teammates with a number of try-scoring opportunities, still managing to score a 55-metre try himself in the 60th minute.
Ben Thompson scored his season’s 23rd try in the first minute of play, followed three minutes later by McKay’s first of two, with both converted by Strickland for a 12-0 lead.
Strickland kicked every goal until Matt Hayward’s second-half touchdown, but then his radar-like aim returned for conversions of the last three tries.
Bryan Jenkins went across in the cement works corner before Thompson’s second try, to give the Waratahs a 24-0 lead in the 10th minute of play.
Strickland’s first of three tries was quickly followed by Jason Reddish’s good individual effort dashing from dummy-half and running 35 metres to touch down between the posts.
CSU’s Brad Dewar’s try and Steve Gibbs’ conversion after a 50-metre kick-and-chase gave the university side their only points before the Waratahs resumed their scoring spree.
At 40-6 the ball was swung wide to Cafe 20 metres out, with one player to beat but, with Blake Lobley looming in support at his shoulder, he presented Lobley with a nicely-timed pass and a clear run to the line.
After an interchange of passes down the left side McKay went in for try number two, and Adam Perini’s try four minutes later gave Kandos a 52-6 lead going to the half-time break.
Strickland’s try two minutes into the second half was ominous for CSU.
Adam Perini, backing up Trent Anderson’s blockbusting run, was across close to the posts for his second four-pointer which pushed the score to 64-6.
Dane Martin’s exuberant running rewarded him with two good tries and, at 76-6 Matt Hayward who was heavily involved in the back-line play all day, was across for his try.
Cafe split the defence down the middle from 55 metres and, with no one to pass the ball to was forced to score himself.
With the score at 86-6, the hulking Strickland scored the most spectacular try of the day, bumping off defenders on the grandstand side and setting off on a 50-metre sprint to the line for his third try.
Replacement Kurt Thompson picked up the last try in the final minutes to register the Waratahs’ 17th try and 92-point win.
It is increasingly apparent that the Waratahs have virtually run out of opposition capable of extending them and are still yet to field their best combination.
Coach Glenn Sargent is also wary of complacency at this stage of the season with pressure to maintain his side’s winning run with just three games remaining.