Reddies keep their finals hopes alive after crucial clash with Tumut

That's how Reddies are approaching their late run to play finals footy.

The Wagga side moved within nine points of fourth-placed Tumut after scoring a 43-15 win over the Bulls at Beres Ellwood Oval on Saturday.

Coach Michael Wakeling set his side two objectives heading into the clash.

Score four tries to pick up a bonus point and prevent their opponents from doing so.

They did just that in what the experienced coach labelled their best performance of the season.

Reddies put the writing on the wall with a good effort against unbeaten Wagga City last round.

While they fell 17 points short of the ladder leaders it was a performance that still gave the side some confidence.

"I think we were better again than what we were last week against Wagga City and it was a better result obviously," Wakeling said.

"We knew at the end of the Wagga City game that we had played well and while we didn't get a win we got a bonus point and knew we were heading in the right direction.

"We just built on that, controlled the ball well, were patient for most of the game and the tries come if you can control the ball and just be patient."

Tumut opened the scoring through Paula Tamanai before Reddies responded with the next six tries to put their stamp on the game.

The Bulls crossed for a couple of late tries to get in reach of a bonus point of their own.

However Wakeling was pleased to see the side respond to keep themselves in the finals race.

"We got our fourth try about 15 minutes into the second half and scored another couple before they scored two," he said.

"We didn't want them to get the bonus point as it would make it hard for us to put them out of fourth spot so then defence was our priority and we held them out."

Metui Wereivalu put in a strong performance after linking with the club scoring twice in their victory over Tumut.

Justin Wakeling also played a key role in getting the Reddies attack going.

Wakeling is eyeing off four straight bonus-point wins to come from the clouds and snare a finals berth with games against Leeton, Griffith and Ag College to come.

With their inferior points differential they also can't afford the Bulls to pick up more than five points when they tackle Ag College, Albury and Wagga City in the final three rounds of the season.

"There's still a fair bit in front of us but I still think it's looking quite possible," Wakeling said.

Wakeling is looking to continue their good run when they travel to Leeton to take on a Phantoms side sitting above them on the ladder but having forfeited their game to Wagga City on Saturday.

Reddies realistically also needs Tumut not to pick up any points from their clash with Ag College, who claimed a 101-0 thrashing of winless Albury.

Alex Meades crossed for four tries in the win.

The win gives the university side some breathing room in the finals race, now sitting eight points clear of fifth, however they still remain six points adrift of Waratahs after their 61-5 win over Griffith.