The Alkimos Tigers claimed the Fuel To Go & Play Val Murphy Trophy title at Dorrien Gardens on Saturday after showing their class against North Beach Sea Eagles, who struggled to replicate their recent form after flying home to end the year.
With both teams showing amazing class, the North Beach Sea Eagles started fast, and were first to hit the scoreboard after less than 3 minutes, when Justin Buckley’s grubber rebounded its way into the hands of the waiting Matt Seeley who crashed over in the corner to open the scoring.
Photo – Tom Campbell/Total Sports Photography
But North Beach’s discipline would come back to bite them, as they gave away a penalty in the set after the kick off to put the Tigers right on the attack. While they survived that scare after a poor offload, Daniel Hansell Byrnes, who was brilliant for the Tigers, stepped up to the mark and kicked a 40/20 to put the Tigers back in good ball.
And they didn’t miss this time, with man of the match Sione Alofi crashing over on the left hand side after some good lead up work from Byrnes to get the big man one on one. At 4-4 the game was well and truely on.
Photo – Tom Campbell/Total Sports Photography
After some back and forth from both teams, the Sea Eagles had the next genuine chance after a Tigers error put them deep on the attack. Off a scrum move, Gershom Adams looked like he would truck it straight into the defence.
However showing some lovely hands, Adams dragged in multiple defenders and put the ball into the hands of speedster Dejae Adlum, who looked destined to score. Only the desperate defence of Bryce McRobert stopped the Sea Eagles from converting.
Photo – Tom Campbell/Total Sports Photography
The Alkimos Tigers would get an easy penalty and off the back of some great spine player from Davey Martin, Alofi and Byrnes, they would get a penalty from right in front, and Martin would add the extras to go in front 6-4 and give the Sea Eagles something to chase.
The next period of play was back and forth, with both sides unable to make any real dents into the others defensive armour. A bunch of long passes and last tackle kicks didn’t find the mark for either team as the game matched the gloomy conditions.
Photo – Tom Campbell/Total Sports Photography
Up steps up Byrnes again with his second 40/20 of the game, with an almost carbon copy of the first one, and again the Tigers were on the attack. When deep in the Sea Eagles territory, the Tigers had looked extremely dangerous.
And they didn’t miss again. Although the Sea Eagles shut down a brilliant shift to the left by the Tigers, with Donovan Kahupokoro just being tackled, they were unable to recover when the Tigers flung it back to the right, with the ball finding Bryce McRobert, who did enough to slide over. And when Martin converted from out with, the Tigers had a 12-4 lead.
Photo – Tom Campbell/Total Sports Photography
In a wild finish to the half, the Tigers gave the Sea Eagles the ball back multiple times, including an interesting 20m restart, to give their fans a hair pulling finish, but they survived and went to the sheds up 12-4.
The second half started the same way the first ended with the Tigers giving the Sea Eagles a couple of early opportunities, but this time Jason Godecke made them pay, with a brilliant kick in behind the line, and winger Seeley the beneficiary once again.
Photo – Tom Campbell/Total Sports Photography
With the Sea Eagles on a roll, at 12-8 down, it looked like they had all the momentum, and the Tigers continued to want to give them opportunities on their line. But the Tigers were up to the task and answered all that was asked of them.
And much like the first half, the Tigers got a penalty to get them into some good ball, and they didn’t miss. Running a brilliant line and some late footwork, Tyrese Grey sliced through the Sea Eagles defensive line and stood up the full back to touch down and put the Tigers further in front. With Martin splitting the sticks again from out wide, it was 18-8 and the Tigers had one hand on the trophy.
Photo – Tom Campbell/Total Sports Photography
And the Tigers had full of running after the restart, with Alofi splitting the line, and then Tyson Lewis gallivanting into the Sea Eagles territory, only for the ball to goto ground and the play being broken up. And when Kahupokoro split them again 2 minutes later, the writing seemed to be on the wall.
The final straw was when the Sea Eagles failed to find touch, the Tigers punished them. Byrnes put through a delicate kick, the Sea Eagles fullback failed to clean up the crumbs, and Shane Toka took full advantage. Martin duly nailed the conversion to put the Tigers up 24-8 and it seemed a hill to far to climb for the Sea Eagles.
Photo – Tom Campbell/Total Sports Photography
You never count out a champion though. And if there was someone the Sea Eagles would look to it would be their senior players in James Blake and Jason Godecke. With Blake taking a hit up and drawing in 4 defenders, he found Justin Buckley who hit Billy Abraham in space.
Abraham, who had pushed up for an opportunity all game, beat two defenders and drew in two more to unleash Godecke, who showed why he was once considered one of the quickest players in the state with a brilliant finish. With Buckley adding the extras, there was hope yet.
Photo – Tom Campbell/Total Sports Photography
With the pace of the game causing players to break out in cramp, the Sea Eagles went searching for the try to get them back in it in the last 8 minutes, while the Tigers wanted to land that knock out blow.
Back and forth they went, with Joseph Ranger causing all sorts of issues for the Sea Eagles with his tackle breaking runs, while Adlum and Tama Mareta answered for the Sea Eagles. But as the hooter sounded, it was the Tigers who reigned victorious in a great display of rugby league.
Player Of The Game – Sione Alofi (#17 – Alkimos Tigers)
Alkimos Tigers – 24
Tries – Sione Alofi, Bryce McRobert, Tyrese Grey, Shane Toka
Conversions – David Martin 3/4
Penalty Goals – David Martin 1/1
North Beach Sea Eagles – 14
Tries – Matthew Seeley (2), Jason Godecke
Conversions – Justin Buckley 1/3