Breakers had scored through Kurt Lewis in the early stages of the second half, and were on the offensive again when the opportunity to take two points came up.

It was eight all at that stage and, not surprisingly, Daley opted to keep the pressure up and go for the try.

That could have been the turning point as the Sharks kept the Breakers out.

"I thought about it all night," Daley said on Monday. "If I did take the penalty, what could have happened. But, that's footy.

"In the game, it's a pretty hard decision to make."

He was pleased with Breakers' performance on the biggest day of the year. Daley said the scoreline didn't reflect the close nature of the contest.

"We were in the game for 70 minutes, and they scored two late tries."

Niggles dominated the first half. It was 12 on 11 at one point as plenty of blokes were sitting down.

Daley was given 10 in the bin after a scuffle with Jake Green, who was also temporarily sent from the field.

"I thought it was a bit silly," he said of the decision to sit the pair down. "We didn't throw any punches, just grabbed each other's shirts."

Daley said a bit of biff was inevitable.

"It's a local derby and the biggest game of the year," he said. "There was always going to be a bit of feeling in it."

After a flat start to the 2015 season, he was thrilled to be at the game's showpiece.

"That's where you want to be, at the end of the season," Daley said. "We just couldn't get over the line."