When Nathan carried the retired jersey of his critically injured brother Chris Thompson onto the field at Caltex Park it was a heartwarming moment. The Wellington Cowboys were determined to play for their mate and with his other brother Scott on the wing the bond ran deep this Qualifying final was being fought in Chris’s honour as he fights for his life in a Sydney Hospital.
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In the end the Cowboys won a torrid match 32-24 over Dubbo Macquarie, their sights set on the major semi final against CYMS now but still hurt for Mr Thompson was there.
The match began with high intensity Wellington hitting hard and with football closed in on their first points on 15 minutes when hooker Richard Peckham darted through a gap and slipped under the defence from dummy half, Lewis Stanley landing the extras.
A few minutes later Wellington captain coach Justin Toomey White went on another of his rampaging runs surging over players like a runaway train to score.
The Macquarie side had little ball and when they did dropped it and the Cowboys took full advantage five eighth Lewis Stanley stepping beautifully to beat 2 defenders and converting.
16-0 and the possession less Raiders searched for territory and eventually on 29 minutes full back Mason Williams scored a sensational try off a wide running break from the right his conversion made it a ten point difference at half time.
The second forty produced bad luck for Macquarie and Trent Forrest capitalized on some slack defence and fundamental ball control to score a nippy try on the right edge.
It stunned the home side who were fast running out of options. Then the bustling Chris Jones got momentum and when he has that it is hard to stop and the barnstorming centre brushed off defenders to score in the far right end corner. Lewis Stanley completed the segment with a brilliant sideline conversion.
Just a minute later Jones was it again this time even more powerfully and with a little more room at the beginning he stepped into overdrive and then squatted several defenders to run 60 metres this was incredible Cowboys delivery and they were ahead 32-6.
20 minutes left and Dubbo Macquarie established holding onto the football again and this time Ashley Conn managed to work his way through easily for Mason Williams to pot the extras.
Tries to Jeremey Smith and Dylan Hill were impressive as Wellington leaked points but in the end the Cowboys were home 32-24.
Captain coach Justin Toomey White said his players had ridden on pure emotion.
‘’We worked hard and stronger and we knew we had to get the work done. We had Chris (Thompson) in the back of our minds and wanted to inspire him’’ he said.
‘In the second half we were playing on adrenaline and didn’t have anything left in the tank. We really worked off the crowd who were carrying us. You don’t like leaking points like we did and we have to improve to play CYMS and get our act together and pick up the pieces.
The last word goes to Scott Thompson who said he was happy the players fought for his brother. ‘’This is a very special win’’ he said ‘’ The boys fought hard for Chris and we know he would be very proud of us and as we are proud of him’’
