MACQUARIE Hotel scored a comfortable, but hard-fought 32-4 win over Kendall to claim the 2008 Hastings League grand final in front of a monster crowd at the Lank Bain Sporting Complex on Saturday.
Despite the scoreline, the Blues showed enough to convince many spectators their time will come.
With the likes of halves pairing, Nic Christenson – whose cover defence and all round game was brilliant - and Kerien Roberts along with centre pairing Drew Gunning and Drew Bartlett, Kendall will contest a few more competition deciders in the coming years.
But it was the Sharks’ day with strong performances from winger Dion Glassie and forwards Adam Bailey, Shaun Morley and Nigel Stonham.
Morley picked up the coveted Wauchope Gazette and 2WAY FM man of the match in a tightly-contested vote.
The match was in the balance at half time with the Sharks leading just 8 points to 4 after fullback Steve Bowes scored his team’s first try in just 34 seconds.
Captain Coach George Jones split the Kendall defence from the kick off return and Bowes strolled over from the ensuing play the ball.
Nick Knox could not add the extras for a 4-0 lead.
Macquarie recorded its second try when halfback Grant Arndell put up an innocuous looking bomb which Blues fullback Greg Darcy let bounce. Sharks winger Sam Dungay followed the kick through and dive on the loose ball in the scoreboard corner.
Knox could not add the extras leaving the score at 8-0.
Kendall had several very good scoring chances in the first 30 minutes of the match with George Heslop held up over the line twice and Roberts knocking the ball on in the in-goal area.
With the half time bell already sounded, Kendall threw everything at the Sharks defence and it finally cracked when Roberts grounded the ball for his team’s first points of the match.
Christenson failed with the conversion leaving the half time score at 8-4.
With the match in the balance, Kendall went close on at least four separate occasions in the opening six minutes of the second half but failed by centimeters to post points.
All that spent energy led to man of the match Morley pushing off some tired Kendall defence to get his team on the scoreboard at the 8th minute. Knox’s booming sideline conversion attempt went over for a 14-4 lead.
Morley was again in the thick of the action when he again pushed through to poor defence at the 17th minute mark and Knox was again on target to stretch his team’s lead to 20-4.
The Sharks went further in front when five eighth Mitch Walker used his considerable ball skills to put lock forward Nigel Stonham over the tryline. Another booming Knox conversion left the score at 26-4.
Right on the stroke of ulltime, Walker again showed his class when his chip kick was snapped up by Knox to score the final try of the grand final. Knox booted the conversion for a 32-4 scoreline.
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