Big George Rose did all the right things, then said all the right things.

A short time earlier, the former Manly Sea Eagles prop - now a 42-year-old who is a decade on from his NRL career - had briefly revisited those glory days when his line break set up a try in his Walgett Aboriginal Connection's (WAC) 42-4 round one win over Campbelltown Ghosts at the Koori Knockout in Tamworth.

It was an electric performance by the reigning two-time champions, as an electric buzz reverberated around a superbly turned out Field No. 1 at the Plain Street Playing Fields.

Post-match, Rose tempered his jubilation with a soberness that reflected the reality of a knockout competition with serious firepower.

But from the moment a slick blindside movement led to winger Troyden Dixon's try in the fifth minu

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