Cessnock produced their best performance of the season to dispose of Central Newcastle 38-10 at Cessnock Sportsground and move alongside Lakes United in fourth place on 10 points.

Some of the gloss of Saturday’s win was taken by a serious leg injury to Central five-eighth Nathan Taylor.

Play was held up for 80 minutes as two ambulances attended the pivot after he suffered badly broken leg in a tackle. He was taken to Maitland hospital where he had surgery.

Cessnock led 10-0 at the time of Taylor’s injury. 

“It was terrible,” Kidd said. “Nathan is a really good bloke. You don’t want that to happen to anyone. We got the boys in the shed and away from the footy during the hold up.”

When play resumed, Cessnock continued on the rampage to have the game all but sealed at half-time, leading 28-0.

“Our season was on the line and the boys were pretty focused,” Kidd said. “It probably took a bit of focus away from Central.

“Our forwards were outstanding. Our middles were really good and it was Kori Barber’s best game in the back-row. Marvin Filipo was a handful as well.”

Taylor’s injury continued a wretched few months for Central, which was rocked by a brain injury suffered off the field to Jake Finn in May.

“Nathan is good kid and was having a great season,” Central coach Craig Miller said. “It is just another difficult situation for the club. We are limping at the moment. It is what it is. We are still running third and will dust ourselves off and keep going.”

Cessnock are away to Macquarie next round then meet Wests (home), Souths (a), Maitland (h) and Lakes United (a).

“We still have to win three of the last five games to make it,” Kidd said. “We are playing good footy, and we have done for most of the year, but we haven't been clinical enough to knock over the top sides. If we keep playing well, I think we can get the three wins, but there is still a bit of work to be done.”

Kurri Kurri coach Ron Griffiths praised the attitude of his side after they beat Maitland 24-20 at Coronation Oval on Saturday to move off the bottom of the table.

The Pickers led 12-4 at half-time and 24-14 but had to scramble late after Tyme Dow-Nikau was sent to the sinbin for a high tackle with 10 minutes remaining.

“We ended up with 12 players and they had all the momentum and possession late in the second half,” Griffiths said. “In terms of effort, I always thought we were in control. Our forwards were really good defensively. Outsidde backs Brock Hollis and Lachy Hill who carried the ball well for us when we were under the pump.”

Cessnock 38 (J Woodbury 2, K Kirkwood, K Warden, M Filipo, K Barber, S Apthorpe tries, C Edwards 5 goals) def Central Newcastle 10 (D Metcalf, M Baker tries, B Murray 1 goal)

Kurri Kurri 24 (J Moore 2, M Cullen, B Wyborn tries, M Cullen 3, K Hardy goals) def Maitland 20 (P Robards 2, J Smith, J Hocking tries, B Birch 2 goals).