Zac Woolford set to lead Bulldogs charge in State Championships decider with Redcliffe Dolphins
“THAT was magic, absolute magic.” Canterbury hooker Zac Woolford pulled off one of the great grand final plays against the Newtown Jets last weekend, a moment so brilliant it left Phil Gould in awe.
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“THAT was magic, absolute magic.”
Canterbury hooker Zac Woolford pulled off one of the great grand final plays against the Newtown Jets last weekend, a moment so brilliant it left Phil Gould in awe.
As the Bulldogs face off against the Redcliffe Dolphins in the NRL State Championships decider on Sunday, Woolford won’t hesitate to roll the dice again should he find himself in another high-pressure situation.
Playing for a new NRL contract, the son of Canberra legend Simon Woolford gambled on a play he’s practiced all season on the training paddock, but never had the confidence to attempt in a match situation.
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Ten minutes into the second half with his side trailing 10-6, Woolford was at dummy-half on the Newtown try-line, 15 metres in from touch.
The Bulldogs had numbers on the left, but the crafty number nine opted to throw a four-man cut out ball to his open winger Josh Bergamin to score in the corner.
“We practiced it all year, and every time we run it the winger always comes back and says it’s on over the top if you want to throw it,” Woolford told the Daily Telegraph.
“Obviously it’s ballsy, if the winger gets hold of it he’s going 100m. So as it worked out I had a little look up and saw their winger come in, so I thought why not?
“I’ve spoken to dad about it a hundred times, he said mate, you might only get one chance a game so when it comes you’ve got to throw it. It just happened to be at a crucial time, so I’ll take it.”
Captain Rhyse Martin nailed the conversion in windy conditions to give the Bulldogs the lead for the first time in the game, the side held on to claim an 18-12 victory.
The men from Belmore now turn their attention to Queensland champions Redcliffe, a side littered with NRL experience.
Adam Mogg coaches the premiers that boast the likes of Kotoni Staggs, Tom Opacic, Cameron Cullen, Jake Turpin, Jamil Hopoate and Cronulla-bound Toby Rudolph who won man-of-the-match honours in last weekend’s 36-22 win over Easts Tigers.
Woolford knows his side have a tough task to lift mentally after riding the emotions of a grand final victory, but says the Bulldogs will be ready to help NSW claim a third-straight interstate title over their northern rivals.
Woolford singled out Jamil Hopoate, son of controversial Manly great John, as the key man to shut down on Sunday.
“Jamil Hopoate is their leader through the middle, he’s a really good player with good leg speed and some good whack in defence,” he said.
“They’ve got a crafty hooker (Turpin), he’s made his NRL debut this year and he’s been really good for Redcliffe.”