In the Newcastle Rugby League this afternoon, Wests won an arm-wrestle with the Butcher Boys, to complete round one.
Consistent rain in the morning turned Harker Oval into a mud bath.
Central was happy to take two points from an early penalty, with Dain Bamblett on target.
Midway through the half, the Rosellas managed to hold onto the ball long enough to spread it to winger Willis Alitini, who dived over to make it 4-2.
The visitors tied the game through another penalty to Bamblett after 27 minutes.
Chris Knight somehow produced a 40-20 kick shortly before the break to give Wests another opportunity.
A few tackles later, Alitini had his second try in the same spot, to make the score 8-4.
That’s how it stayed after the break, as the Rosellas secured a hard-fought first-up win.
