Albury caused the boilover of the year to inflict just Leeton’s second loss in the past two seasons.
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The Steamers scored a 49-28 win at Leeton No.1 Oval on Saturday to send shock waves through the competition.
After a tight first half, where Leeton went into the break with a 21-14 advantage, Albury dominated the second stanza.
Coach Paul Musarra was thrilled to come away with the win.
“It was just one of those games,” Musarra said.
“For two years I have been looking for them to do what we are training to do and it just stuck and nearly everything went well.
“It wasn’t the perfect game by any means but it was a great effort.”
They also did it without some of their best players.
James Devlin sat out the clash due to a groin complaint while Arran MacDougall and Richard Manion were both unavailable.
Musarra thought that only added to the result.
“To know we can do it without a quality front rower, Richard and Dev didn’t play either, ” he said.
“He had a groin niggle so we didn’t risk it.”
Leeton scored a 78-15 when the two teams met to start the season.
Musarra believes it shows just how far the club has progressed.
Dave Cooper-Dunn led the way for the Steamers.
Despite picking up a controversial yellow card in the first half, he got through a power of work.
Halfback Josh Gemmell and outside centre Benn Reid were also strong.
The result could be massive for the club further down the line with the battle for positions in the top five tight.
Albury have now jumped into fourth place but have Griffith and Ag College hot on their heels.
The Blacks are three points adrift with Aggies a further point behind.
However Musarra doesn’t want to focus on the ladder.
“It is just a great start to the second round and gives us confidence more than anything,” he said.
“I’m not worried about the ladder really and at the end of the day any decent coach is more worried about how your team plays.
“If you focus on the ladder you aren’t doing the right things but definitely as a secondary it is nice to get five (points) up here.
“Unexpectedly perhaps, but not with the way we played.”
The win now steps up an intriguing clash with Waratahs on the border with the Wagga side yet to taste defeat this season.
Leeton will be looking to bounce back to their second loss in three weeks when they travel to tackle an in-form Tumut.