PORT Macquarie Sharks piled on 32 unanswered second half points to finish Old Bar’s season by winning the Group Three Rugby League elimination semi-final 42-16 at Old Bar.
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The Sharks will now play the loser of the Wingham/Wauchope preliminary semi-final in the minor semi next Saturday. Wingham and Wauchope will clash at Wauchope on Sunday, with the winner to tackle Port City in the major semi.
Old Bar trotted off leading 16-10 at halftime. However, Port dominated field position for the opening 20 minutes of the second half, running in three tries to skip to a 26-16 lead and the game was as good as won. The Pirates saw little ball in the second half and the Port forwards started to punch holes in the defensive line. That created space out wide and halfback Joe Cudmore and captain-coach Jake Hawkins were quick to take advantage.
Still, the Pirates wouldn’t have lost any admirers. Their first half effort was full of merit. Veteran centre Clint Walker found some gaps down Port’s right hand side and was causing trouble while Old Bar’s defence was smothering the misfiring Port attack. Old Bar took a shock lead into halftime. The Sharks led 10-6 when Old Bar hooker Dylan Towers burrowed over from dummy half for an unconverted try. Then promising Old Bar second rower Joel Dark took the ball on halfway, beat a tackle, pushed off the cover and scored a great individual try. Percy King landed the conversion and it was 16-10. Earlier winger Liam Potter scored for Port in the opening minutes but Old Bar responded when a Justin Berry kick was pounced on by centre King to score a try converted by Walker. Port hit back when Cudmore laid on a try for Matt Shipway and Corey Murphy added the goal before Towers and Dark crossed for the Pirates.
But a six point lead was never going to be enough. Old Bar needed a herculean effort in defence and a shade of luck in the second half if they were going to cause the season’s biggest upset. It didn’t work out that way.
Old Bar went into the season full of confidence after bulking up their roster. The early signs were promising but the loss of players for varying reasons and a lack of depth meant they never seriously troubled the competition hot shots. Old Bar’s exit leaves Wingham as the sole southern representative in first grade, although the Pirates are still alive in league tag and under 18.5s.
Wingham won the reserve grade while Forster-Tuncurry finished with the chocolates in under 18.5s and league tag.
