A HIGH-quality kicking game and a 20 year drought, all helped the Lake Cathie Raiders claim their first Hastings League premiership in front of a strong crowd at the Lank Bain Sports Ground on Saturday.
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"Week in, week out, Boggy is there doing the hard stuff right in the middle of the ruck for us," Wilson said.
"While our backs are always getting the rave reviews, the forwards laid the platform for this win which allowed our kicking game to control the contest."
Zac and brother Jarrid Bruen-Ansell forced a handful of line restarts in that first half and some tactical kicking - including a 40-20 - also built pressure on the Magpies defence.
Magpies captain coach, Coby Meehan, accepted his side was outclassed by the superior kicking game of Raiders five eighth Zac Bruen-Ansell."
Congratulations to the Raiders on their win. Their kicking game particularly in the first half was outstanding," Meehan said.
"They built plenty of repeat sets on us and we just used up too much effort in defence in that first 40 minutes."But we are a young side with good player strength and we are already looking forward to next year."
Meehan also thanked the travelling Magpies supporters and their major sponsor the Heritage Hotel at Gladstone for another solid Hastings League season.
The Magpies opened the scoring in just the second minute when centre Tom Stevenson ran a great angled run at the Raiders line to score next to the posts. Luke Dufty landed the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
But the Raiders responded with tries to hooker Matt Johl, lock Tom Maguire and replacement Mitchell Holterman while Zac Bruen-Ansell booted all three conversions for an 18-6 half time lead.
The Magpies hit back immediately after the start of the second half when five eighth Joel McCafferty found Shaun Skinner with a cut out pass for the winger to cross in the corner.
Dufty could not add the extras.When Raiders fullback Luke Baldwin ignited a length of the field try for secondrower Rhys Longbottom and Zac Bruen-Ansell converted, you sensed the Raiders were about to create some history.
Replacement 'big unit' Mitchell Jackson set the standard with a 55 metre sprint to the tryline before Wilson linked up with Longbottom for his second try.
That left the score - now at blow-out proportions - at 34-10.The Raiders party continued with three minutes remaining when Jarrid Bruen-Ansell scored a great solo try next to the uprights. Luke Smith landed the conversion for the final points of the match.
