The annual charity day raised $1100.

The Bulls have celebrated 10 years in the competition at the top of the Lower Mid North Coast competition for the entire season 2017.

Sharing first place with the Dolphins, the Bulls went into the round with the plan to not only win the game but to ensure they secured an all-important bonus point ahead of their clash of the season in Nabiac on July 29 against Forster Tuncurry which will determine the minor premiers for season 2017.

The Mud Crabs were clearly not prepared to lie down and take a beating from the Bulls and hit the paddock, ready for a tough physical game.

Neither team disappointed with the Bulls playing hard from the kick-off whilst the Mud Crabs, who have been busy recruiting players, took full advantage of their added resources in an effort to unsettle the Bulls.

Despite the physical nature of the game, the bulls were able to carve out a 19-0 lead before a little bit of downtime for the Bulls allowed the Mud Crabs back into the match.

A half time reboot by the Bulls saw them add to their lead with the final whistle saw the Bulls take the points (and the all-important bonus point) with a score of 45-14.

The Mud Crabs showed they deserve to be in this season’s finals with an ever improving game plan that the players and coaches have developed throughout the season, and while they may not have registered a win against the competition leaders, a bad day at the office in the finals series could easily see that change.

The Mud Crabs’ No 8, Ashley Rusby is a versatile player with a lot to offer who could be a real threat in the finals series.

The game was not without injuries and Bulls’ coaching staff now have several players who will be struggling to be fit before next weekends must win game against the Forster -Tuncurry Dolphins.

Coach Lee Sullivan said:  “We have a number of players under an injury cloud but we will give them every opportunity to prove their fitness before next weekend.”

The Nabiac Hotel Bulls Player of the Match was Curtis McNally who has shown significant improvement in his debut season for the Bulls.

With the Bulls and Dolphins locked at the top of the table it will be a clash of the Lower Mid North Coast Titans next weekend when the Bulls play the reigning premiers the Forster Tuncurry Dolphins at Nabiac.

With both teams having only lost one game each this season (to each other), after more than 1100 minutes of rugby played by each team this season, the entire minor premiership will come down to just 80 minutes of rugby.

In other games this weekend Forster-Tuncurry Dolphins 84 def Gloucester Cockies 3 and in the traditional Charlie Crook Shield match between Old Bar Clams and Manning River Ratz, the Ratz were too strong for the Clams 69-12 to hold the Charlie Crook Shield for another year.

On July 29  the Bulls host the Dolphins, The Ratz host the Mud Crabs and The Old Bar Clams host the Gloucester Cockies

With the finals series kicking off on August 5 the top four teams, The Bulls, The Dolphins, The Ratz and The Mud Crabs are set for a tough campaign to the grand final which will be held on August 19 in what could genuinely be anyone’s competition to win, or lose.