The Spacemen are off to the grand final!
Parkes’ first grade side secured their slot in the 2024 Peter McDonald Premiership decider with a 54-18 triumph over Bathurst St Pat’s at Jock Colley Field on Sunday afternoon.
The grand final is to be played at Mudgee next Sunday, September 8, against the minor premiership-winning Dragons and the atmosphere within the Parkes rugby league club is charged.
Captain coach Chad Porter could hardly have been happier or prouder of his side as they celebrated the win in the qualifier at their home ground.
“We knew (St Pat’s) they’d come out hard in the first 10-15 minutes and we just wanted to match them in (defence),” he said.
Latest Stories
“We did that.
“I knew we’d score points once we got down there, we just wanted to work on our D and all the boys stood up today.”
St Pat’s did come out strong and Parkes had their measure, but those who saw the opening minutes of the match might not have predicted that full time score.
Parkes was first to score – through Porter at halfback – 10 minutes in and St Pat’s levelled the scores at 6-6 nearly half way through the first half.
It was only a few minutes later that Riley Scott ran a beautiful line to score under the posts, for Parkes to extend their lead to 12-6, and the home crowd’s excitement began to build.
Jacob Smede, the competition’s top point-scorer, went over in the corner, William Pompey followed within minutes and Porter’s boot seemed golden as Parkes extended the lead to 26-6 with 10 minutes to go in the first half.
Malakai Folau crossed for his own before half time, the kick astray for the first time on the day to see Parkes lead 28-6 at half time.
Sometimes the momentum changes at half time, but the Spacemen weren’t about to allow that to happen: Smede burst out of the sheds to score his second.
St Pat’s Jackson Brien did respond to narrow the gap to 32-12, but Sam Dwyer crossed in the corner and Pompey made his second for the hosts to hold a 42-12 lead.
Parkes broke – with Emmanuel Cerei finding space to get away down the right side of the field to score.
St Pat’s were far from done, and Zac Merritt got the ball to Ray Towney who crossed to bring St Pat’s in to 48-18.
But Folau iced the win for the Spacies when he ran away down the side and around to score behind the posts.
Porter paid tribute to the team for stepping up for each other on the day.
“Our middles were massive, getting us going forward, and the backs polished off those tries for them,” he said.
It’s the first grand final for the Spacemen since the formation of the Peter McDonald Premiership, bringing together Group 10 and Group 11, and Porter acknowledged it’s been a solid season.
“You’ve got to be on on the day, that’s the thing with this comp, anyone can win whoever is on so you’ve got to make sure you prepare well,” he said.
They certainly did that on Sunday.
“All the boys stood up today,” Porter said.
“It was one of those games, everything came off, and to do it in front of that massive crowd felt good.”
Spacemen fans are being urged to make the road trip to Mudgee and fill Glen Willow Stadium for the Spacemen this weekend.
“We haven’t been in the grand final for a while and I feel like we’ve got the group of boys to go all the way – I’ve been telling them that for a couple of weeks,” Porter said.
“We’ve just got to believe in ourselves.”
