By MARK CASHMAN

In some way you always knew it was going to come at some stage of the season but the obvious influence of Geoff Toovey was there for all to see on Saturday as Warringah hung in for a dramatic 20-18 win over Northern Suburbs.

Toovey has formed a vital cog in the Warringah coaching group and the short kicking game of Dean Blore was a point of difference on a wet and windy day at North Sydney Oval.

The NRL and Manly Sea Eagles great concentrates on skills and defence, observing and throwing his 10 cents worth in when he thinks it will make a difference.

The conditions in this match were made for a “rugba league” short kicking game and with Blore’s exposure to the junior rugby league rep system in Penrith it was a stage perfect for the rookie No.10

The Rats man of the match Tyson Davis told Rugby News that they went into the game against Norths with that kicking game part of the arsenal.

“The short kicking game was part of the strategic stuff that we took into that game,” Davis said.

“Dean’s got that rugby league background and he has a very good short kicking game and he did really well in that area on the weekend.

“His kick for Charlie Tupu’s try was one of the best that you will see – it was one of those text book rugby league tries.

“He also did a few little dabs in behind in the slippery conditions and importantly they found grass in the slippery conditions.”

Most of the talk before the game centred around the season ending shoulder injury to Rats skipper Ben Marr but a number of the visitors really stepped up to the mark.

Davis was at the front of that queue that featured Max Girdler, fullback Ben Woollett and Rory O’Connor.

“Ben (Marr) drove a lot of the standards on the field, you know working off the ball and making sure we were there when people made line breaks,” Davis added.

“But with Ben not there now I think everyone took hot on board that they needed to pick up the slack and work a bit harder.

“I felt we stood up in that area against Norths.” 

This was one hell of a game with the visitors jumping out to an early 5-0 lease before Norths got their act together and played some pretty good footy to lead 15-5 late in the first half.

Blore and Tupu then combined to pull within five points with a kick to the right edge that was snaffled by the Rats winger.

The second half was very much dictated by the weather which was behind the visitors.

Angus Sinclair did push Norths out to a 18-10 lead at one stage but the Rats continued to push the ball into the right areas of the field.

Davis pulled his side closer with a penalty goal which set the scene for the final minutes heroics that saw Sam Needs score the winning try just to the right of the uprights.

Norths were mucked around early in the match when skipper Harry Burey copped a kneee in a tackle on Davis and they also lost Sinclair late after another heavy collision.

The result tightens up the competition’s race for the top six with Norths due for a bye weekend after their coming game against Randwick at Coogee.

IMAGE KAREN WATSON