The Macquarie Scorpions produced a stunning comeback to end the Cessnock Goannas’ gallant campaign, 26-20, in the Tooheys Newcastle Rugby League (Real NRL) preliminary final on Saturday.
The Steve Kidd-coached outfit trailed 20-12 midway through the second half but piled on three tries in 12 minutes to seal the victory in a thrilling encounter at Lyall Peacock Field.
The Scorpions will now meet minor premiers Maitland Pickers in the Denton Engineering Cup decider at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday 11 September.
To be fair, neither team deserved to lose the entertaining fixture.
There were outstanding players on both sides of the field, with Connor Kirkwood, Liam and Luke Higgins, Jeremy Gibson, Mailk Deyaolu and hat-trick hero Dean Morris among Macquarie’s best, and Wyatt Shaw, Reed Hugo, Sam Apthorpe, Brent Mendyk, Honeti Tuha and Anthony Meleisa-Murray the Cessnock standouts.
The hosts also suffered a setback when interchange forward Matthew Moon was escorted from the paddock with what seemed like a serious injury.
But, the home team got the start it wanted when Kerrod Holland injected himself into the backline and found Kyle Kingston, who offloaded to Morris for the first try in the third minute. Holland missed the shot at goal, the score remaining 4-0 in the Scorpions’ favour.
Not long after, the Goannas struck back.
Holland dropped a swirling high ball, allowing Sam Clune to spin it wide to centre Harvey Neville, who crossed in the corner. Clune also failed to convert, tying it up at 4-all.
Play settled down into an arm-wrestle after that point.
However, Cessnock hit the front in the 22nd minute, thanks to a brilliant individual effort by centre Tuha. The former Newcastle Knights junior stepped up five defenders to touch down near the uprights. Clune raised the flags and the margin to 10-4.
A couple of errors enabled Macquarie to surge into enemy territory.
And, in the 35th minute, lock Luke Higgins split the defence just before the break. Holland added the extras, with the teams heading into the sheds at 10-all.
A penalty to Holland in the early stages of the second period saw the Scorpions lead 12-10.
But, that joy was short-lived.
A loose pill in Macquarie’s in-goal, following a Clune grubber, resulted in fullback Harry O’Brien being “jolly on the spot” in the 48th minute. Clune made no mistake with the conversion attempt and the Goannas regained the ascendency at 16-12.
The triumph then appeared headed for the coalfields.
With the Scorpions on the attack, the flying Tuha intercepted and sprinted 70m untouched. Clune’s difficult shot was waved away, no change to the scoreline at 20-12.
However, Macquarie refused to surrender.
Morris claimed his double, in the 68th minute, on the back of repeated sets. Although Holland’s attempt went astray, the Lake Macquarie chargers were back in the game at 20-16.
Then, almost immediately, the winger bagged his third of the afternoon out wide when Callan Briggs fired it out to him on sideline and he powered over the tryline. Holland hit the posts, leaving it all locked up at 20-all.
With time running out, and minutes left on the clock, Cessnock failed to find touch from a penalty and the Scorpions launched another attacking raid.
Gibson then placed a deft grubber behind the Goannas, with Deyaolu winning the race to the ball in the dying stages. Holland landed the conversion, pushing Macquarie into its fourth grand final in eight years.
- MACQUARIE SCORPIONS 26 (Dean Morris 3, Luke Higgins, Malik Deyaolu tries; Kerrod Holland 3 goals) defeated CESSNOCK GOANNAS 20 (Honeti Tuha 2, Harvey Neville, Harry O’Brien tries; Sam Clune 2 goals)
