THE 2020 Group Seven finals chances of the Warilla-Lake South Gorillas are back on track after an emphatic 38-8 win against the Stingrays of Shellharbour on Sunday.
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In their final home game at Cec Glenholmes Oval, the Gorillas, who had Cody Henry and Liam Henry debut on Sunday, took just five minutes to open the scoring, when fullback Justin Jones finished off a sweeping backline play.
Five-eighth Jake Brisbane added the extras and it was 6-nil.
Four minutes later, Jones had his second - using his speed to get outside centre Jiye Ellis, following a pass by Brisbane.
The latter again converted for 12-nil.
It was all one-way traffic early on, as skipper Blair Grant set-up the hosts' third, hitting back-rower Jamie Burns with a sharp pass to score - as the Gorillas were going at a better than a point a minute.
In one of their first chances in enemy territory, the Rays broke through as captain Kieran Rankmore found a rampaging Jake Kamire, who bounced off numerous defenders before reaching out to score with his right hand.
Former Gorilla Hamish McLaurin failed to convert and it was 16-4 after 18 minutes.
But the hosts restored their three-try cushion when Brisbane barged over from close range.
Minutes before the break, a pin-point kick by Zaan Weatherall found winger Eze Harper to score the visitor's second try - to make it 20-8 at half-time.
After a slow start to the second 40, the hosts ended the drought in the 57th minute when hooker Sam Hooper hit Guy Rosewarn with a bullet pass before the prop did the rest.
Brisbane converted and it was 26-8.
Sixteen minutes later, Hooper was rewarded with a try of his own, after solid lead-up play by Brisbane - who again made no mistake with the extras (32-8).
The favour was reciprocated in the final minutes, as Hooper, following a quick dart out of dummy-half, put his five-eighth over to score his second of the afternoon.
The latter converted to make it 38-8 at full-time.
Next up for the fifth-placed Gorillas is a trip to Kevin Walsh Oval to face Jamberoo, while the Stingrays take on the Magpies at the Berry Showground.