THE Aberdeen Tigers' Bengalla Hunter Valley Group 21 Rugby League campaign roared back to life via a 28-20 victory over the Denman Devils at McKinnon Field on Sunday.
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While the competition acknowledged the Where There's a Will round over the weekend, which included the Scone Thoroughbreds' 60-6 hammering of the Singleton Greyhounds to claim the Will Carrigan Shield on Saturday evening, the 2018 grand finalists showed plenty of fight on their home turf.
Trailing 14-0 at the break, and on the wrong end of a 9-1 penalty count, the Tigers definitely lifted a gear in the second period.
With playmaker Liam Foran leading the charge, Marcus Marsh, Cameron Savage, Tyler Leprince Campbell and Harry Douglass quickly followed suit as the hosts piled on 28 points in 40 minutes.
The triumph allowed Aberdeen to secure second spot on the ladder outright, behind defending premiers Scone.
Ironically, the two combatants will meet again in round 10, but at Denman.
In reserve grade, the Thoroughbreds accounted for the Muswellbrook Rams 32-6, Merriwa Magpies pipped the Murrurundi Mavericks 16-14, the Tigers over-ran the Devils 42-8, and the Greyhounds held off the Greta Branxton Colts 24-14.
Both fixtures in the under-18s ended in draws, with Scone and Muswellbrook sharing the points, 12-all, the same scoreline as Aberdeen and Denman.
In league tag, the Thoroughbreds hammered an under-strength Ramettes 58-0, the Mavettes grabbed the spoils from the Magpies 10-0, and the Tigers pounced on the She-Devils 40-4.
Round nine results
First grade - Scone d Singleton 60-6, Aberdeen d Denman 28-20
Reserve grade - Scone d Muswellbrook 32-6, Merriwa d Murrurundi 16-14, Aberdeen d Denman 42-8, Singleton d Greta Branxton 24-14
Under-18s - Scone drew with Muswellbrook 12-all, Aberdeen drew with Denman 12-all
League tag - Scone d Muswellbrook 58-0, Murrurundi d Merriwa 10-0, Aberdeen d Denman 40-4
Points
First grade - Scone 18, Aberdeen 8, Singleton 6, Denman 4
Reserve grade - Merriwa 16, Scone 15, Aberdeen 13, Singleton 12, Muswellbrook 10, Murrurundi 2, Greta Branxton 2, Denman 0
Under-18s - Singleton 17, Muswellbrook 11, Aberdeen 10, Scone 9, Denman 5
League tag - Scone 18, Murrurundi 14, Merriwa 13, Singleton 9, Muswellbrook 8, Aberdeen 6, Denman 2
Round 10 draw
Saturday, July 6 -
(at Greta Branxton)
3pm: reserve grade, Greta Branxton v Aberdeen
(at Merriwa)
2pm: Merriwa v Muswellbrook
3pm: Merriwa v Muswellbrook
Sunday, July 7 -
(at Denman)
10.20am: league tag, Denman v Murrurundi
11.20am: under-18s, Denman v Muswellbrook
12.30pm: reserve grade, Denman v Murrurundi
2pm: first grade, Denman v Aberdeen
(at Scone)
10.20am: league tag, Scone v Singleton
11.20am: under-18s, Scone v Singleton
12.30pm: reserve grade, Scone v Singleton
2pm: first grade, Scone v Singleton