Sport
8 June, 2025
On-field presence of coach cannot help spirited Galahs
With a tough loss to Coonamble fresh in the memory, the boys were fired up to bounce back and lift team morale.
By The Pink Parrot
The Gulargambone Galahs were down a few troops heading into Saturday’s (May 31) clash with the experienced Walgett Rams, but still managed to field a determined squad of 22 including none other than coach Justin Harvey lacing up the boots for his first hit out of the season.
From the outset, it was clear Walgett even with just 16 players, weren’t going to be easy to crack. Known for their “footy smarts” and composure under pressure, the Rams brought intensity early, and Gular took a few minutes to match their physicality.
Walgett dominated possession and territory in the opening stages, eventually breaking through out wide with a pair of slick backline moves. Zac Ferguson worked hard to turn Walgett around with some sharp kicking for territory, but the Rams continued to respond coolly, dotting down again before half-time.
Defensively, Lachlan Walker stood tall with tireless tackling and hard carries, doing everything he could to keep Gular in the fight.
Just as the siren loomed, disaster struck, a Walgett intercept try sent the visitors into halftime with a commanding 28–0 lead.
Coach Harvey and captain Jack Bradley didn’t sugarcoat it at half-time. The message was clear: improve line speed, sharpen ball security, and crank up the communication. And to their credit, the Gular men responded with one of their grittiest second halves this season. Their scrums and lineouts showed improvement, giving Gular a better platform to work with. Mitch Carlow led from the front, charging into contact without hesitation and backing it up with strong defensive work. His non-stop effort across both halves didn’t go unnoticed.
Out wide, Elten Walker showed real heart and impressive one-on-one tackles, while Maverick Hutchison came off the bench roaring, firing up the defensive line and injecting much-needed energy.
Gular’s resilience was on full display as they held out Walgett’s repeated attacks on their own line. But eventually the pressure told, and Walgett cracked through again.
Then came the moment Gular had been working for. Zac Ferguson spotted space and threw a big cut-out pass to Isaac ‘The Axe’ Grimshaw, who drew in the defence and offloaded perfectly to James Foran. Foran who had already impressed with his willingness to step into the prop role finished the move in the corner for a well-deserved try.
The boys lifted from there, finding some belief again in the closing minutes. But Walgett had the final say, crashing over wide to seal a 38–5 victory.
Despite the scoreboard, the effort from the Gular men especially in the second half was something to be proud of. There’s plenty to build on, and the passion is clearly still burning.
Points went to Mitch Carlow (three points), Dylan Ryan (two points) and one point went to three players, Lachlan Walker, James Foran, Maverick Hutchison. Players’ player was Mitch Carlow.
