NSW Country has come out on top at the NSW Rugby League Country City representative weekend following eight hard-fought games, played across three different venues over two days in Sydney and the Central Coast.
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Country claimed four straight victories in Physical Disabilities, NSW Police Women's, NSW Police Men's, and the CABE Open Age Men's matches on the final day of the Country v City Representative weekend at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday - and two Forbes players were in the thick of the action.
Mitchell Andrews lined up in the open men's country side, and Maggie Townsend in the country police women's team.
The CABE Men's Open Age match was the last game of a huge weekend of rugby league - and the Country men won 36-34 in a tug-of-war that went down to the wire.
"It was up and down there, we were expecting the City boys to be pretty tough, pretty physical, they're a big team," Country Captain Keiran Rankmore told NSWRL.
"It just came down to us grinding it out and completing our sets and showing a bit of Country spirit."
Country was trailing 22-14 at half time but came out firing and began to close the gap.
They hit the lead after some beautiful ball playing from backrower Ron Leapai put Mitchell Andrews straight through a gaping hole, around the fullback and over the tryline, NSWRL reported.
The game certainly wasn't over: City fought back and it was only in the last three minutes of the game that Country's Man of the Match Jake Brisbane charged down a kick, got a perfect bounce and raced downfield to put the ball down under the posts. The conversion saw Country winners.
Country took convincing honours 14-0 in the NSW Police Women's clash after an incredible defence from the Country's forward pack.
Forbes' Maggie Townsend scored a try and set up another as country women's police forwards dominated city with a 14-0 win.
The game started with some incredibly physical defence, NSW NRL reported, before the Country forwards got the upper hand.
After rolling through the middle, Country backrower Maggie Townsend got the ball close to the line, shrugging off would-be defenders and offloading the ball to see Nicole Holmes cross for a try, NSW RL reported.
Townsend crossed for Country's third to give them a 14-0 lead at half time, which they held through to full time.
